UPDATE
October 26, 2026
Hearing Test available today with AirPods Pro in Canada
Clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature available in permitted provinces
Starting today, the scientifically validated Hearing Test feature on AirPods Pro 3 is available across Canada. Additionally, in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan, Canadians with mild to moderate hearing loss can enable the first-of-its-kind Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 3.1
The Hearing Aid feature is currently available in provinces where over-the-counter distribution of hearing aids is permitted. Apple is working with each province to distribute the over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature, with the goal of bringing this experience to users in all provinces as soon as possible.
Nearly one in five Canadians report hearing difficulties, according to Statistics Canada.2 Research has identified links between untreated hearing loss and a person’s overall wellbeing, in addition to an increased risk of social isolation and dementia.
“Hearing loss can have a real impact on people’s everyday lives. I see patients who find conversations increasingly difficult or exhausting, and over time, that can lead them to pull back from social situations,” said Dr. Vincent Lin, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “What’s encouraging about the hearing health features on AirPods Pro is that they give Canadians a more convenient way to check their hearing and take steps toward getting support. Making these tools available on a device people already use can help make hearing care more accessible and less intimidating.”
To bring awareness to users’ hearing health, Apple now offers Canadians the intuitive Hearing Test feature, based on the gold standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry, which users can take themselves in about five minutes from the comfort of their own home with their AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad. The Hearing Test feature leverages advanced acoustic science and provides users with a simple and convenient interactive experience. When a user completes the Hearing Test, they will see an easy-to-understand summary of their results, including a number representing their hearing level in each ear, a classification, and recommendations. The results, which also include an audiogram, are stored privately and securely in the Health app on iPhone or iPad, and can be shared with a healthcare provider to have more informed conversations.
To support users with mild to moderate hearing loss, the innovative over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability on AirPods Pro is now available in permitted provinces, with the goal of expanding across Canada. Using the personalized hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this feature seamlessly enables a clinical-grade hearing aid on AirPods Pro. After setup, the feature offers personalized dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them filled in and boosted in real time. This helps them better engage in conversations and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices, without needing to adjust any settings. Users can also set up the Hearing Aid feature with an audiogram created by a hearing health professional.
Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies.3 The hearing health features are available on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.
The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features join Hearing Protection on AirPods Pro, helping users prevent exposure to loud environmental noise. On by default, Hearing Protection is helpful in a variety of loud settings. Plus, with an all-new multiband high dynamic range algorithm, sounds at live events like concerts remain natural and vibrant.4
Privacy is fundamental in the design and development of all of Apple’s health features. When a user’s device is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, all of their health and fitness data in the Health app — other than Medical ID — is encrypted. Any health data backed up to iCloud is encrypted both in transit and on Apple servers. When using iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS with the default two-factor authentication and a passcode, Health app data synced to iCloud is encrypted end-to-end, meaning that Apple does not have the key to decrypt the data and therefore cannot read it.
Share article
Media
-
Text of this article
-
Media in this article
- The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are supported in permitted provinces in Canada on AirPods Pro 2 or later with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 27.2 or iPadOS 27.2 or later, and are intended for people 18 years old or older. The Hearing Aid feature is also supported on a compatible Mac with macOS Sequoia or later. It is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are for general informational and personal use only. They are not offered as part of a healthcare service or the practice of medicine and are not intended to diagnose hearing loss or any medical condition. For any hearing concerns, please consult a licensed hearing or medical professional. Hearing health features are subject to change, and some features may not be available in all regions or all languages. To check whether features are supported in a region, visit apple.com/ca/airpods-pro/feature-availability.
- Statistics Canada 2022 canadianaudiologist.ca/universal-design-for-hearing.
- The study was conducted and sponsored by Apple and titled “Using AirPods Pro 2 with iPhone and iPad to Help Protect, Assess, and Assist Hearing,” dated October 2024.
- The Hearing Protection feature works with AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Mac running the latest operating system software. See support.apple.com/en-ca/120850 for total attenuation and more information.