Last year, Apple introduced certain hearing health features for AirPods users. One of them was the Hearing Test, which can identify if you have hearing loss and can show your hearing ability at different frequencies of sound measured in decibels hearing level (dBHL).
Things to keep in mind
To take the Hearing Test, you need AirPods Pro 2 with paired with an iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPadOS 18.1 or later. The firmware of the AirPods Pro should also be updated. Do note that the feature won’t be available if you have any other AirPods model except the AirPods Pro 2.
For the best results during an AirPods fit test, ensure your AirPods are properly sealed in your ears. To check for the correct fit, use the Ear Tip Fit Test available on iPhone or iPad. This test evaluates whether your AirPods fit correctly to provide optimal sound and noise cancellation.
According to Apple, several factors can influence your test results. Consider these situations:
•If you’ve had a cold, sinus infection, or ear infection within the last 24 hours.
•If you’re currently experiencing allergies.
•If you’ve been exposed to loud environments, such as concerts, in the past 24 hours.
How to get started
To begin with, find a quiet place. To help ensure accurate results, it’s important to take the Hearing Test in a quiet environment for the full duration of the test. It takes about five minutes to yourself without intermittent noise, people talking, or loud air conditioning or fan systems nearby. For instance, when we tried the test in our office, it didn’t work and kept asking us to move to a less noisy place. So find a quiet place to conduct the hearing test. Also, the person taking the test should be 18 years and older. The test takes about five minutes.
How to take the hearing test
Follow these steps to take the hearing test:
- Make sure your AirPods are sufficiently charged and you are in a quiet room.
- With your AirPods in your ears and connected to your paired iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > your AirPods. You can also start the Hearing Test from the Health app.
- Tap Take a Hearing Test, then follow the instructions:
- When the Hearing Test starts, tap the screen when you hear a tone. During the test, tones are pulsed three times to give you time to respond to the tone played. You only need to tap one time when you hear a tone. It’s OK if you miss a tone.
- If you remove or adjust your AirPods (or if the environmental noise around you becomes loud), the Hearing Test may pause. The test will resume when you put the AirPods back in your ear or when the environmental noise is quiet again.
- At the end of your test, you’ll see your hearing test results and any recommendations.
Once the test is done, you’ll be able to see the results on your device. They’ll show you how much hearing loss you have, how it’s classified, and what you can do next.
Each ear has a single number that shows your average hearing level across the most important frequencies for understanding speech. The higher the number, the louder sounds need to be for you to hear them.
- Up to 25 dBHL indicates little to no hearing loss.
- 26–40 dBHL indicates mild hearing loss, where you can hear words spoken in a normal voice from 90 cm (3 feet) away.
- 41–60 dBHL indicates moderate hearing loss, where you can hear words spoken in a raised voice from 90 cm (3 feet) away.
- 61–80 dBHL indicates severe hearing loss, where you can hear some words when they’re shouted into your ear.
If you think you might have mild to moderate hearing loss, there are some cool features in your AirPods called Hearing Assistance that can help. You can use a Hearing Aid (which might not be available everywhere) or Media Assist to make your hearing better. If you want to use Hearing Assistance with your AirPods, you can use the data from your Hearing Test to make the sound just right for you. You can even use the test results from your doctor to set up Hearing Assistance.
But if you have severe or profound hearing loss, or if you’re having trouble hearing or if your hearing suddenly changes, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. They can help you figure out what’s going on and give you the best support.
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