FDA OKs Apple AirPods as OTC hearing aids

The AirPods Pro earbuds cost $249

(Image credit: Nic Coury / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 13 September 2024

What happened

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved software for Apple's AirPods Pro 2 headphones that turns the earbuds into over-the-counter hearing aids. Apple said Monday that its new AirPods Pro would have the hearing aid feature, allowing users to test their hearing and calibrate their sound levels through the Apple Health app.

The FDA approved its first OTC hearing aids in 2022 for people with mild to moderate hearing impairment, but this is the agency's first approval of hearing aid software under its new authority, Reuters said. Even mild hearing loss can cause people to "lose some quality of life by isolating themselves from their community," Jackie Clark, an audiology professor at University of Texas at Dallas, said to The Washington Post. The $249 AirPods Pro earbuds could offer a "bridge for hard-of-hearing consumers" to reclaim their "world of sound."

"Many brands have tried to push their way into the OTC hearing aid market," IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani said to the Post, but with 19.2% of the global headphone market share, "Apple could potentially have a lasting impact," especially in the "40-plus" age group.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.