How to take the Apple hearing test

Oct 28, 2024 10:15 PM - 6 months ago 236934

If you ain the AirPods Pro 2, you tin now return a five-minute proceeding trial correct connected your iPhone. With the merchandise of iOS 18.1 and caller firmware for the Pro 2, Apple is introducing respective caller hearing wellness features — and the proceeding trial is among them. This will hopefully spell a agelong measurement successful raising consciousness astir proceeding nonaccomplishment and promote safer listening practices.

A fewer notes earlier you begin. First, intended for those 18 and older, Apple’s proceeding trial should beryllium taken successful a quiet situation wherever you’ll champion beryllium capable to perceive the various tones that are played successful each ear. Be alert that iOS 18.1 (or later) and AirPods Pro 2 firmware 7B19 (or later) are required to entree the test. And for now, it’s only disposable successful the US and Canada. Apple recommends that group return the trial astatine slightest erstwhile per year, but you’re capable to do it arsenic often arsenic you’d like.

If it’s been excessively agelong since you’ve seen an audiologist — and that’s existent for many group — and you want to cheque successful connected your hearing, here’s really to return the Apple proceeding test:

While wearing your AirPods Pro 2, unfastened Settings connected your iPhone.
Tap connected the shortcut to AirPods Pro settings.
Beneath the toggle for switching betwixt transparency mode, adaptive audio, and sound cancellation is simply a caller Hearing Health section. You should spot Take a proceeding test successful bluish text. Tap connected that.
On the first screen, Apple reminds users that proceeding nonaccomplishment is very communal and highlights the various proceeding assistance capabilities of the AirPods Pro 2, which now see a clinical-grade proceeding assistance feature. Tap connected Get started.
Next, you’ll beryllium asked to corroborate that you’re complete 18 years aged and reply whether you’re presently experiencing allergies, a cold, aliases infection successful your ears aliases sinuses. Apple besides asks whether you’ve been successful a large situation (like a performance aliases building site) wrong the past 24 hours. All of these conditions tin impact the results of a proceeding trial and make your results little meticulous than they would usually be.
Once you pat Next, Apple runs a speedy sound study of your existent surroundings to make judge it’s quiet capable for the test. If you’re successful an area that’s excessively loud, you won’t beryllium capable to proceed.

A screenshot of Apple’s proceeding test.

You must beryllium location quiet for the proceeding trial to work.

Screenshot: Chris Welch / The Verge

Once the sound reference is done, Apple past runs a speedy receptor extremity cheque to verify that you’ve sewage a good, snug fresh and are utilizing the correct size of silicone receptor tips. You’ll perceive a short sample of euphony while this happens. If either receptor doesn’t person a bully seal, effort the different sizes of tips that came pinch your AirPods Pro 2. (Note: aftermarket third-party receptor tips should not beryllium utilized for the proceeding test.)
At this point, Do Not Disturb is automatically activated truthful you won’t person immoderate distractions during the test.
Now the proceeding trial really begins, and your near receptor goes first. Apple’s proceeding trial plays tones astatine different volumes and frequencies. Each clip you perceive immoderate of the three-pulse tones, pat connected the screen. Some tones tin beryllium very faint successful volume, truthful perceive carefully. It’s normal to spell respective seconds without proceeding a tone, truthful don’t fto that interest you.

A screenshot of the Apple proceeding test.

Listen for immoderate tones and pat the surface erstwhile you perceive them.

Screenshot: Chris Welch / The Verge

A ample circle will animate connected surface passim the trial to corroborate that it’s still successful advancement — moreover erstwhile you’re not proceeding tones — and you’ll besides announcement a information advancement parameter capable up arsenic you complete the trial for each ear.
The trial takes astir 5 minutes. Once it’s finished, you’ll beryllium presented pinch the results for each ear. Here you tin spot the decibels of proceeding nonaccomplishment (dBHL) for each ear, and the trial will show which of 5 categories you autumn into. Those are:
Little to nary loss: up to 25dBHL
Mild loss: 26–40dBHL
Moderate loss: 41–60dBHL
Severe loss: 61–80dBHL
Profound loss: supra 80dBHL

Always consult a proceeding master if you person questions aliases concerns astir your Apple proceeding trial results. You tin position the results from immoderate trial whenever you’d for illustration from the Health app, wherever you tin besides export the audiograms arsenic a pdf.

For galore group successful the “little to nary loss” group, Apple will corroborate that the existent AirPods tuning is the correct lucifer for their results. But successful different cases, you’ll beryllium capable to alteration the caller proceeding assistance characteristic of the AirPods Pro 2 — and it will usage the information from your proceeding trial for the champion performance. It’s important to cognize that the proceeding assistance characteristic is only meant for those pinch perceived mild to mean proceeding loss. If your proceeding nonaccomplishment is much severe, you’ll apt want to research different solutions specified arsenic medicine proceeding immunodeficiency aliases over-the-counter products.