AirPods Pro Hearing Aid
by Apple
FDA-cleared hearing-aid mode in AirPods Pro 2 — clinical-grade hearing assistance.
TL;DR
FDA-cleared hearing-aid mode in AirPods Pro 2 — clinical-grade hearing assistance.
Best for users with mild-to-moderate hearing loss who want an over-the-counter hearing aid in a familiar form factor. Pricing: Free with AirPods Pro 2 ($249).
Category
Desktop apps
License
—
Stars
—
Last push
—
Pricing
Free with AirPods Pro 2 ($249)
Platforms
iOS, Hardware
What it is
Apple's Hearing Aid mode received FDA clearance in 2024 as the first OTC hearing aid in a mainstream consumer earbud. Pair with Live Captions on iPhone for spoken-word captions on the same source.
Best for: Users with mild-to-moderate hearing loss who want an over-the-counter hearing aid in a familiar form factor.
Watch out for: Requires AirPods Pro 2 with the H2 chip; iOS 18+ required; not a substitute for clinical fitting in severe cases.
Watch out for: Requires AirPods Pro 2 with the H2 chip; iOS 18+ required; not a substitute for clinical fitting in severe cases.
Install / use
Settings > AirPods > Hearing Health on iOS 18Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | Yes |
| Languages supported | 1 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
AirPods Pro Hearing Aid vs Whipscribe
| Feature | AirPods Pro Hearing Aid | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Desktop apps | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | Free with AirPods Pro 2 ($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 Hearing Aid
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.