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Why it’s important: More than 30 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss. But only 1 in 6 Americans with hearing loss between the ages of 20 and 69 actually use hearing aids due to high cost, lack of availability, poor customer satisfaction and stigma, according to National Council on Aging.

Details: The Apple feature, coming this fall via a free software update, will only work with AirPods Pro 2 earbuds and iOS 18-compatible iPhones or iPads. It is intended for adults 18 years of age or older.

Why now: Two years ago, federal health officials approved the sale of over the counter hearing aids, eventually leading to this new feature from Apple.

Two years after federal health officials approved the sale of over the counter hearing aids, some Apple AirPods owners may soon be able to access the medical device in the comfort of their home with the click of a software update.

Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Apple’s new “Hearing Aid Feature” that will amplify sound for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The Apple feature, coming this fall via a free software update, will only work with AirPods Pro 2 earbuds and iOS 18-compatible iPhones or iPads. It is intended for adults 18 years of age or older.

More than 30 million American adults have some degree of hearing loss. But only 1 in 6 Americans with hearing loss between the ages of 20 and 69 actually use hearing aids due to high cost, lack of availability, poor customer satisfaction and stigma, according to National Council on Aging.

Research shows that if left untreated, hearing loss can increase the risk of social isolationdepression, cognitive decline and frailty. Meanwhile, other studies suggest that hearing aid use may reduce the frequency or severity of these health problems in older adults as well as potentially lead to a longer life.

With the new feature, Apple AirPods owners will be able to check their hearing at home through a five-minute test and adjust their sound settings based on their hearing.

“Your AirPods Pro turn into a personal hearing aid that amplifies the specific sounds you need in real time, like parts of speech or elements in your environment,” said Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple’s vice president of health, in an announcement video.

For years, hearing-impaired advocates have called for more affordable and accessible medical devices. It paved the way for the FDA to approve over-the-counter hearing aids in 2022. But according to the National Council on Aging, hearing aids can still be expensive — ranging in price from $99 to $7,000 starting this year. (AirPods Pro 2 costs $249.)

Meredith Resnick, a spokesperson for the Hearing Loss Association of America, said she hopes Apple’s new hearing aid feature will help spread awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding hearing loss. But she added that most over-the-counter (OTC) devices — including Apple’s — primarily serve people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

“OTC hearing aids won’t be for everyone, but we hope they help some adults with mild to moderate hearing loss take a first step toward treatment sooner. For example, an OTC hearing aid might help someone who needs some situational hearing. help, but is not on par with wearing a device all day, she says.

The FDA approval came after a clinical study with 118 subjects with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The results showed that the subjects who used Apple’s hearing aid feature “achieved similar perceived benefits as subjects who received professional fitting of the same device.” The FDA added that “no adverse events related to the device were observed in this study.”

“Today’s marketing authorization for an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a general-purpose consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility, and acceptance of hearing aids for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss,” Dr. Michelle Tarver , Acting Director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.

Editor’s Note: Apple is among NPR’s latest financial supporters.

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