How to use AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids - and protect your hearing with them, too

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Your hearing is one aspect of your health that may not get the attention it deserves. Constant exposure to loud noises could cause your ears to suffer over time, making it harder to hear the people and everyday sounds around you. But how can you check and protect your own hearing? Apple offers a few options for those of you who have the right type of AirPods.

Apple has released three features designed to help you with your hearing, all of which are accessible through an iPhone (or iPad) and the AirPods Pro 2. One serves up a five-minute hearing test that you can take right at home to gauge for hearing loss. A second feature called Hearing Protection tries to prevent exposure to loud surrounding noises. If you have trouble hearing regular sounds, a third feature allows you to use your AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid.

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Before you get started, Apple advises you to clean your AirPods, which you can do by following the steps in this article. Now, let's check out all three hearing features.

How to take Apple's hearing test

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

How to use the hearing protection feature

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

How to use your AirPods as a hearing aid

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET