Despite Health Canada approving AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids, Canadians are still unable to use feature because of still further regulatory hurdles which look unlikely to be cleared.
Apple updated AirPods Pro 2 to act as both a hearing test and hearing aids for US users in October 2024, and it’s been rolling out to other countries since. But despite approval by Health Canada, the country’s federal department for health services, the feature is still not available.
According to local CTV News, Canadians are complaining that they have specifically bought AirPods Pro 2 because of the Health Canada approval and feel cheated without it.
“I kind of felt like I got ripped off,” Art Jackes of Oakville said. “I think it’s sinful to hold it back. It’s an accessibility issue. Everyone needs all the advantages they can get.”
It’s not as simple as Apple just willing it into being, however. As with just about anything Apple does, the regulatory climate poses issues.
A spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Health said that prescribing hearing aids is restricted to licensed audiologists and physicians. “Should the AirPods Pro 2 be sold in Ontario as a hearing aid,” said the spokesperson, “it would need to be done in accordance with the requirements [of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991].”
It doesn’t appear, then, that Canada is going to allow Apple to enable its AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature without regulations being substantially revised.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 hearing features are now available in over 100 countries, but Canada is not the only one to continue having regulatory issues. Across Europe, the feature is still not universally available, and in cases such as France, only certain elements have been approved and enabled.
This isn’t the first time that Health Canada’s approval has not immediately led to Apple enabling a device feature. In 2019, the Canadian department approved the ECG feature of the Apple Watch and said subsequent delays were down to Apple, not them.
Where available, the hearing features of the AirPods Pro 2 start with a test. Depending on the results, users may be recommended to see a professional, but the AirPods Pro will also alter their output to accommodate an individual’s particular hearing loss.
