Get ready to see AirPods at concerts

• Apple’s hearing protection feature for AirPods Pro 2 rolls out with iOS 18.1 next week.
• The feature will use machine learning to limit exposure to loud noise, like at concerts.
• The AirPods Pro 2 are also getting the ability to turn into hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

If you’ve been able to snatch tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or one of Charlie XCX’s brat shows, you may start seeing people swapping their earplugs for AirPods at your next concert.

Apple announced new hearing protection features for the AirPods Pro 2 with the launch of iOS 18.1 next week, along with the first Apple Intelligence AI features.

Using machine learning on the H2 chip, Apple says the hearing protection feature can help prevent excessive exposure to loud environmental noise.

Ear plugs are often recommended at loud venues to prevent hearing loss, and AirPods may be able to do the trick as well. Its “improved high dynamic range multiband compressor” can help protect your hearing in surroundings as loud as 110 dBA, which includes noise levels at typical live concerts — though some clubs and shows may exceed that threshold.

The rollout is part of a trio of hearing health updates or AirPods Pro 2 arriving in iOS 18.1, including a hearing test and hearing aid feature, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September. The hearing aid feature is intended for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, which Apple determines by the user taking a hearing test in a quiet room with the headphones in. Apple said the hearing aid feature can amplify voices, phone calls, and media sounds, as well as increase frequencies to make sounds clearer.

Over-the-counter hearing aids can cost up to thousands of dollars, so Apple is looking to position the AirPods Pro 2 as a lower-cost option at $249. However, for those with severe hearing loss, more advanced hearing aids may be needed.

The US approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids in 2022 following the passage of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017. Companies like Costco, Walmart, and Bose have since entered the market for over-the-counter hearing aids.

Apple has yet to announce a specific date for iOS 18.1 to roll out to iPhones, but AirPods Pro 2 owners will be able to try out the new hearing protection and hearing test features sometime next week.