The iPhone is getting a huge update this year, but iOS 18 also brings a new feature to the AirPods Pro. This is going to change!
AirPods Pro get new feature in iOS 18
It was already clear that iOS 18 will be a huge update for the iPhone. According to rumors, it is even the largest update for a phone ever, with which Apple mainly introduces many new AI functions. This makes Siri a lot smarter and almost all Apple apps get better integration with artificial intelligence. Now it turns out that iOS 18 also brings a useful new feature to the AirPods Pro.
Also read: AirPods Pro 2 as hearing protection during concerts – does that work?
According to the usually reliable Apple expert Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a new listening mode for the earphones. This feature comes to the AirPods Pro with iOS 18 and should turn the earphones into a kind of hearing aid. According to Gurman, this will be an addition to Live Listening, a feature that came to the AirPods with iOS 12. In this way, the AirPods Pro may become a full-fledged hearing aid.
More health features for the AirPods
This would not be the first time that Apple has added useful accessibility features to the earphones. In 2018, Apple introduced Live Listen, a feature that turned the iPhone into a microphone for the AirPods. Call amplification was added in 2022, whereby the earphones display voices more clearly during a conversation. With iOS 17, Apple also added Call Detection.
In iOS 18 we can expect a new function for the AirPods Pro, the earphones can then officially function as a hearing aid. In 2022, new guidelines were drawn up for a category of hearing aids that do not require a medical test. With the new iOS 18 feature, the AirPods Pro probably fall into this category.
No new AirPods Pro in 2024
It is not yet clear what exactly the new function will add to the AirPods Pro. There is a good chance that the earphones will be able to pick up sound better in the new listening mode. Conversations are then amplified, while distracting and disturbing sounds are better filtered out. That should make the AirPods Pro much more accessible in iOS 18. It looks like the feature will only come to the Pro models.
Also read: Apple will release new AirPods in 2024 – you need to know this
According to rumors, Apple is mainly making changes to the software of the earphones. We cannot expect new AirPods Pro this year, the third generation will probably not appear until next year. There will be a new version of the ‘normal’ AirPods this year, because the AirPods 4 are coming. Are you curious about which Pro features are coming to the earphones? Then read all about the AirPods 4 here!