AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid feature receives FDA approval

During Apple's "It's Glowtime" September event, the Cupertino company announced a new feature coming to its existing premium earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2. The new health feature would allow the earbuds to be used as a hearing aid.

During the event, Apple said the feature was pending FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) approval for its 'clinical grade' hearing aid mode for the AirPods Pro 2. The feature was said to arrive later this year after receiving the needed authorization by the FDA.

Now, the FDA has published an announcement sharing that it has officially authorized Apple's new feature. This new feature is basically the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device. The FDA explains that the feature, once installed and customized to the user's needs, will amplify sounds for individuals 18 years or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment.

In the announcement, the FDA also details how it examined the feature for AirPods Pro 2 and how it tested it to ensure it can live up to requirements. Tests performed include a clinical study involving 118 people, which all had mild to moderate hearing loss. The study demonstrated that the Airpods Pro feature provided real benefits and that no adverse effects were observed.

The FDA notes that more than 30 million American adults report some degree of hearing loss, caused by aging, exposure to loud noises, and certain medical conditions alongside other factors. The organization explains that hearing loss can have a negative effect on communication, relationships, school and work performance, and emotional well-being. The FDA notes that using hearing aids helps reduce depression and other health problems in older adults.

As you can imagine, this authorization is quite a big deal, and Apple gets the first-ever authorization for over-the-counter hearing aid software. The feature is said to debut later this year and will drive the value of the AirPods Pro 2 quite significantly up.

Apple has been dipping its toes in the medical sphere for quite a while, with loads of features aimed to help improve health or monitor it (including a variety of features on the Apple Watch). However, the AirPods were not considered a health-centric device. Well, now they also come with a health-related feature and I personally think that this is ultra cool. Kudos to Apple for coming up with such a feature!