Australian users of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 earphones are now able to use the device’s hearing aid and hearing test features, more than three months since the technology was approved for use by Australia’s medical devices regulator.
The hearing health features are available in Australia from today following an update on Apple’s internal systems, Information Age understands.
The features, which enable a hearing test, a medical grade hearing aid, and the automatic reduction of loud sounds, were approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on 17 December 2024, after previously being made available in more than 100 countries.
The capabilities are currently only available on AirPods Pro 2, and Apple has encouraged users wishing to use the features to check the software on their iPhone or iPad is up to date.
The AirPods hearing test feature takes around five minutes to complete and is designed for those aged 18 or older, Apple said.
The company's hearing aid technology can then use those results to assist adults who experience mild to moderate hearing loss, it added.
A separate feature called Hearing Protection, which is designed to actively reduce the volume of a loud environment like a sporting event, has so far only been approved for use in Canada and the United States and its territories.
The AirPods Pro 2 hearing test can produce an audiogram displaying hearing ability at different frequencies. Images: Apple / Supplied
Some relief for disappointed customers
Local availability of hearing health features on AirPods Pro 2 will come as a relief to many Australian consumers who see the device as a relatively affordable hearing health assitant at $399, compared to traditional hearing aids which can cost thousands of dollars.
Information Age has been contacted by several readers who expressed their concern over having to wait for AirPods Pro 2’s hearing health features to be enabled in Australia over the past few months.
Some — including former competitive shooter Kit Laughlin — said they had purchased AirPods Pro 2 expecting they would be able to use the hearing health features in Australia, only to later realise they couldn't yet.
Others said they had even considered travelling overseas in an attempt to use the features, or had filed complaints with Apple.
“Obviously, Apple don't think we are important enough to get moving on this,” one user wrote on Apple’s community forums earlier this month.
Apple did not comment when asked about consumers’ concerns regarding how long it has taken to enable its AirPods hearing health features in Australia.
Former competitive shooter Kit Laughlin says he purchased the AirPods Pro 2 to help with his hearing difficulties. Photo: Kit Laughlin / Supplied
Apple Watch sleep apnoea feature still not available
A feature allowing Apple Watch users to be notified of possible breathing disturbances during their sleep is yet to be granted regulatory approval in Australia, despite being available in more than 150 countries since September 2024.
The sleep apnoea notifications feature can alert users to potential health issues, Apple has previously said.
Its rival Samsung — the first company to gain approval for such a system in the US — is also yet to have its sleep apnoea technology approved for use in Australia.
Apple did not comment when asked about the status of its sleep apnoea notifications feature for Australian users.
Local Apple Watch users previously waited more than two-and-a-half years for some of the device’s heart health features to be approved by the TGA and enabled for domestic use.
After launching the features in the US in December 2018, the device's electrocardiogram (ECG) and irregular heart rhythm notification features were made available to Australian users in May 2021 — around two months after they were approved by the TGA.
