CBS News
FDA approves Apple AirPods Pro 2 to be used as hearing aids
Apple AirPods Pro 2 can soon be used as hearing aids, after they received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, in what experts call a game changer for the hearing aid market.
The FDA on Thursday authorized a piece of software called Hearing Aid Feature (HAF) that will allow Apple AirPods Pro 2 ear buds and other compatible Apple AirPods Pro devices to function as hearing aids when paired with an iOS 18-compatible iPhone or iPad. It’s the first time the FDA has authorized an over-the-counter hearing aid software, the agency said.
iOS 18, the software through which HAF will be available is set to arrive by October, Apple previously said.
The new HAF is for the estimated 30 million Americans who suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss, due to “aging, exposure to loud noises, certain medical conditions, and other factors,” the FDA said. The application will also feature a hearing test, the results of which are used to customize the volume, tone and balance settings that are built into hearing aid.
“Hearing loss is a significant public health issue impacting millions of Americans,” Michelle Tarver, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement Thursday. “Today’s marketing authorization of an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a widely used consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.”
In October 2022, the FDA established over-the-counter hearing aid regulations allowing consumers to purchase the devices in stores, versus at a physician’s office, making it easier for many to access the assistive devices at a lower price point.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 retail for $249, which is far less than the thousands of dollars other models of OTC hearing aids can cost.
Otolaryngologists hope Apple’s foray into the hearing aid market will compel more people who suffer from hearing loss to seek out assistance. The devices could also help reduce the stigma around hearing aids, given how ubiquitous ear buds including Apple AirPods are among all populations, including those who don’t suffer from hearing loss.
“The price point is well below some of the other OTC quality products, and the fact that it’s so mainstream — we know that when you design something for all, it helps people with hearing loss,” Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, told CBS MoneyWatch. “With Apple coming in, and the way Apple does things with a big splash, it really draws attention to hearing health and treating hearing loss, which is part of overall health.”
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
Yellowstone hiker burned when she falls into scalding water near Old Faithful, park officials say
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. — A New Hampshire woman suffered severe burns on her leg after hiking off-trail in Yellowstone National Park and falling into scalding water in a thermal area near the Old Faithful geyser, park officials said.
The 60-year-old woman from Windsor, New Hampshire, along with her husband and their leashed dog were walking off a designated trail near the Mallard Lake Trailhead on Monday afternoon when she broke through a thin crust over the water and suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg, park officials said. Her husband and the dog weren’t injured.
The woman was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho for treatment.
National Park Service / Jacob W. Frank
Park visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in those areas is fragile and thin and there’s scalding water just below the surface, park officials said.
Pets are allowed in limited, developed areas of Yellowstone park but are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.
The incident is under investigation. The woman’s name wasn’t made public.
This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024, park officials said in a statement. The park had recorded 3.5 million visitors through August this year.
Hot springs have injured and killed more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other natural feature, the National Park Service said. At least 22 people have died from hot spring-related injuries in and around the 3,471-square-mile national park since 1890, park officials have said.