The UK's department of health and social care has approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids, which has prompted Apple to announce

An Apple AirPods Pro 2 upgrade is the capability to use the earbuds as hearing aid. Changes in U.K. regulations mean Apple will upgrade the software imminently.

The H2 chip at the heart of these earbuds delivers twice the active noise cancellation power of the original AirPods Pro, making them significantly better at blocking out unwanted background noise. Whether you’re trying to focus in a busy office or find some peace during your commute, the difference is noticeable.

To start the hearing test, make sure your AirPods are charged enough and you're in a quiet room. Once connected with a paired iPhone/iPad, head over to Settings > your AirPods. You can also start the Hearing Test from the Health app by tapping 'Take a Hearing Test' and following on-screen instructions.

Apple released an AirPods Pro update that brought an impressive new set of hearing protection features to the AirPods Pro 2. However, due to the regulatory approval process, some countries, including the U.

These under-$200 AirPods Pro 2 have a USB-C charger, they’re mag-safe, and you’ll get about six hours of battery life from the earbuds and 30 from the case. Best of all, the case has Apple’s U1 chip, so you can track it like an AirTag.

If you've been hearing a chiming sound from your AirPods Pro 2 case when the AirPods are charging, it's a feature that Apple added with

The best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds in the Apple lineup are nearly back to their holiday-sale lowest price.