Hearing test not available in Australia after iOS update this morning

Update:

this feature is available in Australia now: Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features available today with AirPods Pro 2 - Apple (AU)

Hi kit laughlin

Re: "Hearing test not available in Australia after iOS update this morning"

Yes, I see Australia is not listed in Apple's article: AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple

Wondering whether or not marketing and Health Authorities in Australia are still looking into authorization.

___________________________________________________________

Apple's September 9, 2024 Press Release about new health features

says:

"The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to receive marketing authorization from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the U.S., Germany, and Japan.3"

and

3 "The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to be available fall 2024. The Hearing Aid feature is pending marketing authorization from the FDA and other global health authorities. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features will be supported on AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later, and is intended for people 18 years or older. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss".

USA Fall 2024:  Starts on Sunday, September 22 and ends on Saturday, December 21

As community members, like yourself, we have no way of checking whether or not the hearing-test availability is complete, or whether other countries may be included in time.

All the best :-)

It’s not Apple’s fault. They made it clear in promo that approval was required by health authorities in each country as this is a “medical” device. Best you all can do is to contact your local federal member of parliament and cc the federal Health Minister. They will respond to you. It’s the only way to move what is a slow process for items not deemed life threatening and that are likely reviewed by a TGA panel that includes Audiologists ( no prize for guessing their recommendation ). There are literally over a hundred countries inc New Zealand that have already approved. Point that out to your MP.

While we wait for full hearing assistance tech to be made available in Australia, there's an article on the use of the 'Headphone Accommodations' feature which does seem to work (I just tried it) - a Feb 2023 article on techradar about how to use it search for How to use your Apple AirPods Pro as hearing aids

also an interesting v recent article on hackaday website

Alancito wrote:

AQUAJIM ~ Apple are unlikely to do anything unless you tell them. We're all just users in these user-to-user communities. Use these links:

Actually the delay was due to waiting for approval from Australia and they were way late to the game, with over 100 countries already approving it last September. This has also been seen with the previous health initiatives from Apple

• The ECG feature of the Apple Watch was launched in December 2018, but not approved by the TGA until March 2021 and Apple was able to make it available to users then 2 months later. That was about a 2 and a half year delay.
• The Sleep Apnea feature of the Apple Watch has been approved in over 150 countries since last September when it was launched, but still has NOT been approved by the TGA.

I think you see the pattern there and writing to Apple is not the solution for the TGA to approve those features, but you may have more luck pressuring them yourself. Now that the Hearing Test feature has been approved by the TGA, you should expect the feature to arrive soon. Based on past TGA approval of the ECG feature, it was 2 months after approval. Nothing wrong with the Government wanting to fully test a health feature before allowing it in their country, but as far as blaming anyone for a delay, you may not be looking in the right place.

I got the following from TGA today.

Thank you for your enquiry to the TGA.

The supply of Apple’s in-the-ear hearing aid has been approved for supply by the TGA in Australia since 17 December 2024.

You will need to contact Apple, the manufacturer of the device directly to obtain infomration about their plans to market and make available their medical device.

Kind regards

David

Which begs the question of Apple as to why did the software disappear when upgrading to 18.3 here in Australia???? "Not happy, Jan!"

[Edited by Moderator]

It works .. if you take an overseas trip ! 

just been to NZ for a week, didn’t use the AirPods while I was there but noticed the “take a hearing test” option had appeared when I started using them on the plane home. Too noisy to do the test on the plane but have since done the test (similar profile to audiologist test) and the AirPods are now functioning as a hearing aid. Seem very similar to my Oticon’s but need more testing, having a closed ear bud is a bit different in that you hear yourself a bit more than the Oticons as they don’t seal the ear as well.

Running iOS 18.3.1 and have rebooted the phone to ensure there in no lingering location artefact. A friend has had a similar situation after travel. 

Fingers crossed they stay operational

"It’s coming in iOS 18.4! Australia is now listed as supported on Apple’s website: AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple (AU)"

Great find breakout8! I stopped checking that out of boredom.

Fingers crossed the update will be soon now. : )

Alancito wrote:

kit laughlin wrote: "...Does anyone know where one can post to convey our wishes to Apple?

"

Here:

Feedback - AirPods - Apple

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It will do no good to contact Apple. As I mentioned before, It's not Apple who approves where the hearing aid feature will be allowed. It is up to each country. Contact the government agency that approves medical devices.

I live in Australia and now have the hearing aid feature. I had to go to NZ to get it set up. Can I tell you just how amazing it is. I have mild hearing lost according to Apple. This device has changed my life. All the sounds are crisp and clear. My god. Wait till you try it. When I

take them off the World goes quiet. Amazing product. Note that once I downloaded the NZ software it took about three hours for the product to automatically register. It now just pops up when I put the Airpod Pro 2 on. I tell you it’s worth the wait.

I hope you have switched the IOS Auto Update off your iPhone. If Apple push a new update to your iPhone in Australia you will lose the hearing aid feature.

I have been using my AirPods Po 2s in the UK as hearing aids since September running IOS 17.7.1, (the hearing aid feature has been available since September 2022). With Auto update off the reminder to update to 18.1 or newer was constant for the first couple of weeks but the notifications finally disappeared before Christmas.

Just for information, the TGA did approve this pretty quickly in December:

https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/servlet/xmlmillr6?dbid=ebs/PublicHTML/pdfStore.nsf&docid=473488&agid=%28PrintDetailsPublic%29&actionid=1

It's definitely Apple being slow to "flip the switch". I complained here and you should too: Feedback - AirPods - Apple

It’s coming in iOS 18.4! Australia is now listed as supported on Apple’s website: AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple (AU)

Apple has been chatting with MacRumors.

“The Hearing Test can be accessed in the AirPods section of the Settings app when the AirPods Pro 2 are connected to an iPhone. Hearing Aid capabilities are only available to users with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Apple says that the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are coming to the new countries with the launch of iOS 18.4 and the latest firmware update.”

Australia is listed as one of those countries.

Australia / UK are not the only countries in which the hearing features have not yet been made available: AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple

Eg: says:

"The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are regulated health features that require approval and will be offered after authorization is received."

Note: Only those with "mild to moderate hearing loss" are able to make use of the AirPods hearing features.