Now that iOS 18.1 is available to the masses, Apple’s new hearing aid feature is ready for use. The tool is one of three hearing health items the company announced alongside the iPhone 16 in September.

All AirPods Pro 2 models are equipped to do the test and become hearing aids, as long as you have a device or later that is running iOS 18 or later.

For now, the hearing aid feature is only available with the AirPods Pro 2 model. Users will need an iPhone or iPad to set it up. The feature setup starts with built-in hearing loss tests to determine whether or not users have hearing loss. If they do, they can then set up their own customized amplification levels.

Your hearing health is important to your mental or physical health. Now, Apple's new hearing health features can help you track, manage, and supplement it. Here's how.

After years of neglecting loud environments and using AirPods all the way up, performing an AirPods Pro 2 hearing test revealed a harsh truth.

Apple AirPods are an excellent investment if you're part of the Apple ecosystem. They sync up so well with the company's various devices though they often come with some hefty price tags, especially models like the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Macworld With the iOS 18.1 release (and a corresponding AirPods firmware update), you can use your AirPods Pro 2 to take a “clinical-grade” hearing test, and then optionally use them as over-the-counter hearing aids or just adjust media playback to match your hearing loss.