AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test fails with "Unable to classify due to background noise" error.

Same here. I love the idea of air pods as hearing aids. No noises here, I’m guessing my results are outside of what it was expecting. I’m disappointed it can’t come up with a starting classification for us to work together with.

Thanks for the tip - turning off Spatial Audio and noise cancellation - setting them to transparent listening. I was told I needed to clean the AirPods (doubtful, I bought them today), but I removed them from my ears and wiped them off. Was then able to run the test again - to what appeared to be the end of the left ear test (based on the completion circle) before again being told that it was unable to classify.

Withing Mimi, share the result with the built in Health app. (Give permission.)

Once that is done, go to the AirPods setting and find Hearing Assistance and add or update Hearing Test results. You should see the Mimi result.

I do have very old prescription hearing aids (Resound brand), and I wanted to compare the AirPods to those. As far as hearing aids go, the AirPods are very inferior, although this is not using the AirPods test. My old hearing aids were something like $4k, so this isn't too surprising. I will not be using the AirPods as hearing aids in most cases - only in a pinch.

I had the same issue with first an IPhone 13 Pro and then a new IPhone 16 Pro. No success. I went over and ran the hearing test on my soon to be desupported IPad Air and it completed successfully on the first attempt!

In Mimi, share the hearing result with the Health app.

Once that is done, go to the AirPods setting and find Hearing Assistance and add or update Hearing Test results. You should see the Mimi result.

I do have very old prescription hearing aids (Resound brand), and I wanted to compare the AirPods to those.  As far as hearing aids go, the AirPods are very inferior, although this is not using the AirPods test.   My old hearing aids were something like $4k, so this isn't too surprising.    I will not be using the AirPods as hearing aids in most cases - only in a pinch.

I'm going to get an audiologist to do a test and try entering the data manually. Won't be able to get this done for a few weeks, but I will post the outcome, probably mid-December.

It's pretty remarkable that Apple released this as it is.

Put on your airpods pro, open settings, select your airpods pro (near the top of the list of settings), select hearing assistance, tell the app you don’t have sinusitis etc, select the hearing test (that you must have previously completed using Mimi and then shared with the health app), and Bob’s your uncle.

I have had no issue with this but as you are clearly not the only one dealing with this issue, I will take my hearing test again when I’m back in Amsterdam. I’m currently in a rural place where you hear the occasional rooster and the very soft white noise of far-away-traffic which clearly doesn't bother the airpods. Next week I’ll be in Amsterdam again and if I can find back this thread again, on the fifth floor, bad insulation and close to the center of the city with heavy traffic in front on my door, I’ll post my results.

I just bought mine today and had the same trouble. I called Apple Support and they had me plug them in to charge and it upgraded the firmware. It takes about 30 minutes to update. I was able to complete the test after that but it took an additional two times to complete. I also breathed through my mouth and slowly as to not make any noise. But it worked and im now good to go.

Just received them today tried many times to get through the test and made it all the way only for the “unable to classify” error multiples times every time. Ultra quiet, up to date software. Really need this to work as advertised.

I got my AirPods Pro2 last week. I had the same problem. I contacted Apple Support and she walked me through different things by connecting to my phone through sharing. Anyway she noticed that the firmware was not up to date. I plugged them in to charge for 45 minutes which is how long it takes for the firmware update and tried again. It took a couple times but it finally worked.

I'm in the same Unable to Complete boat.

Rebooting? No help

Firmware ? 7B21 should be current. No help

iOS? 18.1.1 should be current, no help

Transparency mode? No help

All other modes? No hel\p

Quiet space? Oh yeah. No Help

Pretty glitchy thing here. My expectations for any level of accuracy or help using them as a hearing protection in a restaurant or wherever have diminished a good deal. The only thing I can say is that I didn't get the AirPods for this purpose and for the baseline stuff, they work nicely. This? No....

Same problem as everyone else here. 99 times out of 100 the left ear is successful but the right ear fails right at the end of the test. Have tried between 10 and 12 times. Room is completely quiet, even turn off the air-conditioning. I also had my wife try it But it fails for her too. Apple needs to fix this. I bought these AirPods specifically for this. Normally I hate Apple headphones. But the sound from these are exceptional.

Thanks, Matt! This worked for me - after repeated unsuccessful tries with my iPhone, I was able complete the test on my iPad and get a hearing profile, so now the hearing aid function is working as intended.

I just tried mine again and I successfully got through the test and they are now working as hearing aids. I can hear sounds that I am assuming I should be hearing. This sounds similar to the hearing aids I demoed at Costco. I have money in my HSA for 2025 to get real hearing aids as I am under no illusions that AirPods Pro can replace real hearing aids. But as I think about wearing hearing aids, I have a lot of questions and concerns about getting the real hearing aids. Like I like to listen to music and to me, using AirPods to listen to music, the music sounds pretty good. I noticed with the hearing aid curve added to the AirPods makes them sound better, so that is good. The hearing aids I will be getting you can bluetooth to your phone for phone calls or listen to music, but while they work for conversations. So I can see me taking out the HA and putting the AirPods in when I want to listen to music. I also ride motorcycles and have bluetooth communicators in the helmet and there are speakers in the helmet. The problem with HA is that the sound is collected behind the ear so I will have to take them out when I ride the motorcycle. I might just get some ear plugs with speakers in them like NASCAR drivers wear that blocks the outside sound but allows you to listen easily. Then I have issues with wearing a winter hat and other inconveniences of them. But I guess there must be away around it as lots of people wear HA and have dealt with these issues before.

[Edited by Moderator]