Earbuds That Double as Hearing Aids: AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds & What Actually Works in 2026

For years, the honest advice for someone with mild hearing loss who didn't want to deal with a hearing aid clinic was to just try an OTC hearing amplifier and hope it helped. That advice is now outdated in a specific, useful way: two of the most common consumer earbuds on the market — Apple's AirPods Pro and, starting later this year, Samsung's Galaxy Buds — have or will have an FDA-cleared hearing aid feature built directly into hardware most people already own or would buy anyway for music and calls. That doesn't make dedicated hearing aids obsolete, but for the specific case of mild to moderate hearing loss in someone who already carries a smartphone, it changes the starting point of the conversation.

What "FDA-cleared hearing aid feature" actually means

In 2024 the FDA authorized Apple's AirPods Pro 2 software update as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device — not just a generic sound amplifier, but a device cleared to test hearing and compensate for it the way a clinical hearing aid does. It's intended for adults 18 and older with self-perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, not severe or profound loss, and not for children. That distinction matters: this is a real medical clearance with a defined population it's built for, not a marketing label slapped on a normal amplification mode.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 — available now, iPhone only

The AirPods Pro 2 (and the newer AirPods Pro 3) run the hearing aid feature on firmware 7B19 or later, paired with an iPhone or iPad on iOS 18/iPadOS 18 or newer. Setup starts with a roughly five-minute clinically validated hearing test taken right in the Health app — no audiologist visit, no appointment — which builds a personal hearing profile that's applied automatically whenever the hearing aid feature is turned on. That's a fraction of what a clinical hearing aid pair costs, with the added benefit of being the same earbuds used for music, phone calls, and Find My tracking the rest of the day. The catch is total: this feature requires an iPhone. An Android phone owner cannot use it, full stop, no matter how new or expensive their Android device is.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro / Buds 4 Pro — the Android answer, launching Q4 2026

Samsung announced FDA clearance for its own Hearing Aid feature on the Galaxy Buds in August 2026, matching Apple's approach closely: a built-in Hearing Test that checks for hearing loss in about five minutes using medical-grade methodology, then a personalized Hearing Aid mode that amplifies specific sounds a person struggles with — high frequencies, quiet or distant voices, whispers — while adding noise elimination and beamforming to suppress background noise and focus on speech in front of the wearer. It's cleared for the same population as Apple's feature: adults 18+ with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, no prescription needed. As of this writing the feature is rolling out to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro in the US in Q4 2026 — not live yet, so an Android household buying today should confirm the software update has actually shipped to their region before counting on it as an immediate hearing aid replacement.

Right now, for Android: a dedicated OTC hearing aid instead

Until the Galaxy Buds update lands, an Android user who wants clinical-grade OTC hearing help today rather than later this year has a more established option: Jabra Enhance Select 300, a receiver-in-canal OTC hearing aid (not a general-purpose earbud) built specifically for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, with an iOS and Android app, Bluetooth streaming for calls and music, automatic sound adjustment across environments, and access to remote audiology support for fine-tuning. It costs more than a pair of earbuds — around $1,695 for the pair — because it's a dedicated medical device with ongoing professional support built in, not a pair of consumer earbuds with a bonus feature. For someone who needs hearing help now and doesn't want to wait for a software rollout, it's the more dependable near-term choice.

Insurance and cost, realistically

None of these three are typically covered by original Medicare, which still does not cover hearing aids or hearing exams for fitting them, though some Medicare Advantage plans include a hearing benefit worth checking before buying anything. Consumer earbuds like AirPods Pro or Galaxy Buds are never covered as medical devices no matter what plan is in place, since insurers classify them as electronics, not hearing aids, even when the hearing feature itself is FDA-cleared. Jabra Enhance Select, marketed and sold specifically as an OTC hearing aid, is more often eligible for FSA or HSA reimbursement, and it's the one of the three most likely to appear as a covered or discounted option through a Medicare Advantage hearing benefit or a vision-and-hearing insurance add-on — worth a phone call to the insurer before paying full price.

What a hearing test through an app can and can't tell you

The five-minute in-app hearing tests built into both the AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds workflows are described by their makers as clinically validated, and they're a real improvement over guessing at a volume setting. But they're still a self-administered screening done through consumer earbuds in whatever room the person happens to be standing in, not a soundproof booth test done by an audiologist with calibrated equipment. Background noise, a poor seal from an earbud tip that doesn't fit well, or simply misunderstanding the test prompts can skew the result. Treat the in-app test as a good starting point for mild-loss self-management, not as a diagnostic replacement for an audiologist visit if something seems off, hearing loss is new, or it's worse in one ear than the other.

What none of these replace

Be clear-eyed about the limits before treating any of these as a full medical solution. None of them are built for severe or profound hearing loss — that still needs a clinically fitted hearing aid from an audiologist. None of them are a substitute for a real hearing evaluation if hearing loss is new, sudden, or affecting one ear more than the other, since sudden or asymmetric hearing loss can signal something that needs a doctor's attention, not an earbud. And consumer earbuds, even with a hearing aid mode active, generally have shorter battery life per charge than dedicated hearing aids built to be worn 12-16 hours a day — expect to charge AirPods Pro or Galaxy Buds more often than a purpose-built hearing aid.

Which to actually buy

If the household already has an iPhone: AirPods Pro 2 is the clear, available-today pick — it's the least expensive path to a real, FDA-cleared hearing aid feature, and it's genuinely just a pair of earbuds the rest of the family can also use for calls and music, which removes the stigma some people feel about wearing a visible hearing aid.

If the household has a Samsung or other Android phone and hearing help is needed this month: buy the Jabra Enhance Select 300 now rather than waiting on the Galaxy Buds rollout, especially if hearing loss is affecting daily conversation or safety (missing a phone call, not hearing a smoke alarm, or struggling in group conversation are all reasons not to wait).

If the household has a Samsung phone and the hearing loss is mild and not urgent: it's reasonable to wait for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro or 4 Pro update to ship in Q4 2026, especially if new earbuds were already on the shopping list for music and calls anyway — the hearing aid feature will arrive as a software update at no extra cost once it lands.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a prescription for any of these?

No. All three are over-the-counter and FDA-cleared for self-directed use by adults with mild to moderate hearing loss — no audiologist visit or prescription required, though a hearing evaluation is still worth getting if loss is sudden, severe, or one-sided.

Can I use the AirPods hearing feature and still use them as normal earbuds?

Yes — the hearing aid mode is a setting within the same AirPods Pro, toggled on or off, and the earbuds work as ordinary wireless earbuds for music and calls the rest of the time.

Is the Galaxy Buds hearing feature available right now?

Not yet as of this writing — Samsung has FDA clearance and is targeting a Q4 2026 rollout to Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Buds 4 Pro in the US. Check for a software update before assuming it's active on an existing pair.

How is this different from the TV listening devices or amplified phones covered elsewhere on this site?

Those solve a single situation each — hearing the TV, or hearing a phone call more clearly. These earbuds are worn all day and amplify real-world conversation and ambient sound generally, closer to how a clinical hearing aid works. See our TV listening device guide and OTC hearing aid roundup for those narrower needs.

What if hearing loss turns out to be more than mild-to-moderate?

Stop relying on any OTC option and see an audiologist for a proper fitting. All three products here are explicitly cleared only for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, not severe or profound loss.