In Apple AirPods, FDA authorizes first over-the-counter hearing aid software

The headphones will soon double as hearing aids for people with milder forms of hearing loss

Log In    Subscribe Apple will offer millions of AirPod users a hearing aid. Can it convince them to use it? By Mario Aguilar and Timmy Broderick The FDA has cleared Apple's hearing aid feature for the company's AirPods Pro wireless headphones, making the device the first headphones to double as an over-the-counter option for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.   The feature offers a low friction way for people to dabble with OTC hearing-aid technology. But it's unclear if Apple can get users to stick with it in the long run. READ MORE Read STAT's Health Tech newsletter Understand how tech is transforming health care and life sciences Most popular politics 5 takeaways from Congress' hearing on overhauling organ transplant system in the lab Blood cell counts have unfairly kept Black and Middle Eastern people from clinical trials, study says health Fresh produce access boosts health outcomes among diabetes patients and those on Medicaid in recent studies Read more Don't miss out on another STAT+ Investigation again! Unlock the world of health and medicine with a brand-new subscription to STAT+ Learn more STAT, 1 Exchange Place, Boston, MA ©2024, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Newsletter Preferences • Contact Us • Advertise with Us