The new OTC hearing aid software has achieved the nod of the US Food and Drug Administration to ensure its compatibility with the AirPods Pro headphones.
This is part of Apple's new stride in making the technology more accessible to people living with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The update will make the compatible versions of AirPods Pro suddenly convert into hearing aids with just one simple update.
This announcement complements the release earlier this week by Apple, which said that the AirPods Pro 2 can be transformed into personalized hearing aids with an update coming soon. The update would amplify certain sounds like speech and environmental noises, especially for the hearing condition of each user.
Starting this fall, the new features will roll out to upward of more than 100 countries and regions. Once installed and tailored, the software allows devices to let AirPods Pro act like an OTC hearing aid for those users who are 18 and over and have mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
"Hearing loss is a significant public health issue impacting millions of Americans," said Michelle Tarver, acting director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
Of course, over 30 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss due to aging, noise exposure, or medical conditions. Tarver pointed out that with the FDA's approval of Apple's software, the goal is one step closer to making hearing assistance more available, accessible, and acceptable.
This newly approved hearing aid software is designed to connect these devices with iOS devices, like the iPhone, and allow users through Apple's HealthKit to tune their hearing levels without medical examinations or an audiologist.
In 2022, for the first time, the FDA approved over-the-counter hearing aids. Today, adults with mild-to-moderate hearing impairment can buy hearing aids directly from a store or online retailer without a prescription. Thanks to this progress, a new software-only feature for hearing aid integration in Apple products has emerged to provide a personalized and convenient solution.
Such a move by Apple to introduce hearing aid functionality in its AirPods Pro just underlines the commitment of the tech giant to making its products more accessible. Moving along this route, turning consumer devices of everyday use into medical tools, Apple might be setting a new bar for tech companies trying to solve public health issues through innovation.