AirPods Pro Live Listen
by Apple
Use AirPods Pro as remote mic + real-time amplifier — hearing-assist mode.
TL;DR
Use AirPods Pro as remote mic + real-time amplifier — hearing-assist mode.
Best for airPods Pro owners who want to amplify a conversation across the room or use phone as a remote mic. Pricing: Free with AirPods Pro ($249).
Category
Desktop apps
License
—
Stars
—
Last push
—
Pricing
Free with AirPods Pro ($249)
Platforms
iOS, Hardware
What it is
Live Listen turns the iPhone microphone into a remote mic and streams to the AirPods. Apple positioned AirPods Pro 2 as a clinical-grade hearing aid in 2024 with FDA clearance for mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
Best for: AirPods Pro owners who want to amplify a conversation across the room or use phone as a remote mic.
Watch out for: Not transcription — Live Listen streams amplified audio. Pair with Live Captions on iOS 18 for synthesized captions on top of the same audio.
Watch out for: Not transcription — Live Listen streams amplified audio. Pair with Live Captions on iOS 18 for synthesized captions on top of the same audio.
Install / use
Control Center > Hearing > Live Listen on iPhoneFeatures
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | Yes |
| Languages supported | 1 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
AirPods Pro Live Listen vs Whipscribe
| Feature | AirPods Pro Live Listen | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Desktop apps | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | Free with AirPods Pro ($249) | free beta |
| Speaker diarization | — | Yes |
| Word timestamps | — | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | No |
| Languages | 1 | 99 |
| Platforms | iOS, Hardware | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to AirPods Pro Live Listen
Whipscribe is a managed faster-whisper + whisperX service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.