Brit AirPods owners can finally use groundbreaking feature that’s been in the US for months after major UK rule change
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APPLE will finally unlock a groundbreaking AirPods feature in the UK after a major change to regulation. Owners of AirPods Pro 2 will soon be able to use them as hearing aids. And it could benefit tens of thousands of people. Around a third of adults in the UK are deaf or experience hearing loss or tinnitus.
![[Screenshot]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/airpods-hearing-main.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
AirPods users in the US have had the full hearing aid feature since it launched in October last year while Brits have been limited to hearing tests only. The ability to use AirPods as a hearing aid was blocked because it didn't have UK regulatory approval.
![[Screenshot]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/airpods-hearing-001.jpg?strip=all&w=739)
But those rules are set to change, benefiting Apple and other businesses looking to release pioneering hearing aids for to the UK. The Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said Britain can be a powerhouse for medical technology if we "rip out pointless regulation that suffocates innovation".
"Groundbreaking new hearing aid devices have the potential to help tens of thousands of people with hearing loss, helping them to live their life to the full," he explained. "The action we’re taking will give businesses the green light to start selling these products to patients across the UK.".
As a result of the changes, Apple plans to introduce the full hearing aid feature to the UK in weeks. "With the new policy guidance from the UK Department of Health and Social Care, we look forward to bringing the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 in the coming weeks to help improve the daily lives of so many UK users," an Apple rep said.
