With the active Hearing Protection feature, you can use your AirPods to help protect your hearing in loud environments.
If you’re in a loud environment such as a live sporting event or fitness class, you can use your AirPods to help reduce your exposure to loud sounds around you. Hearing Protection is active across all three Listening modes by default. Each mode provides different levels of hearing protection.1
Find out more about Hearing Protection
To use Hearing Protection with your AirPods Pro 3, your AirPods need the latest firmware and must be paired with any of these devices:
An iPhone with the latest version of iOS
An iPad with the latest version of iPadOS
A Mac with the latest version of macOS
To use Hearing Protection with your AirPods Pro 2, your AirPods need the latest firmware and must be paired with any of these devices:
An iPhone with iOS 18.1 or later
An iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later
A Mac with macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later
Find out how to identify your AirPods model
Countries or regions where Hearing Protection is available
Before using the Hearing Protection feature, make sure your AirPods have a complete seal when placed in your ears. Proper fit will help you get the maximum amount of hearing protection for the Listening mode that you've chosen. To help make sure your AirPods have the proper fit, choose the best ear tip size and use your iPhone or iPad to take the Ear Tip Fit Test for AirPods Pro 2 or the Acoustic Seal Test for AirPods Pro 3.
If you’ve had your AirPods for a while and you receive a recommendation to adjust the fit of your AirPods, you can:
Try a different size of ear tips. Your AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 each come with multiple sizes of ear tips, so you can select the ones with the best fit. You can order a new pack of ear tips for your AirPods Pro 2 or your AirPods Pro 3.
Clean your AirPods Pro. Debris can affect the ability of your AirPods to provide a complete seal in your ears. You should also clean your AirPods periodically so Hearing Protection works as expected.
Hearing Protection is on by default when any Listening mode is turned on. The actual amount of sound reduction (attenuation) depends on how well your AirPods fit, the volume of the sound around you and the Listening mode you're using. In Transparency and Adaptive modes, attenuation increases as your environment gets louder. Find out more about total attenuation for your product.
Choose Transparency mode when you want to maintain situational awareness, such as at a concert or a sporting event.
Choose Adaptive mode when sound levels vary or are unpredictable, such as with city traffic or while commuting.
Choose Noise Cancellation mode for a consistent amount of hearing protection, such as in situations where you want to avoid distractions.
Your AirPods must be charged to use the Hearing Protection feature. When the battery charge is low, you’ll hear a tone in one or both AirPods and receive a notification. You’ll hear the tone once when the battery charge is at 10 per cent, and a second time just before the AirPods turn off. Find out how to charge your AirPods and their charging case, and how to get longer battery life for your AirPods
The Hearing Protection feature is off when AirPods Pro have no battery charge, when the Off listening mode is selected or when Loud Sound Reduction is turned off in Accessibility Settings for Transparency and Adaptive Audio.
Hearing Protection helps protect your hearing in loud environments. The precise amount of time a person can spend in a loud environment varies by person, but there are general guidelines that you can follow to help you care for your hearing health. As the sound gets louder and the environmental noise level increases, the amount of time you should spend in that environment decreases.
If you have an Apple Watch, you can use the Noise app to measure the sound levels around you and alert you when sound levels reach a certain level.
In environments where there's a sustained level of noise over a period of time, the difference between the environmental noise level and the sound reduction (attenuation) is your estimated exposure level. Exposure limits represent the recommended maximum duration for this exposure, depending on the Listening mode you're using. Total attenuation and exposure limits2 vary with user fit and environmental sound level. Find out more about exposure limits for your product.
For example, if the environmental noise level is 100 dBA and the attenuation is 20 dB, your noise exposure level is 80 dBA.
The WHO offers guidelines for the duration of safe exposure time for any given noise exposure level. For example, if your noise exposure level is 80 dBA, that level of exposure for an adult is safe for up to 40 hours per week.
When you're wearing your AirPods with your Apple Watch, you can check the Noise app sound level to show the estimated noise level with and without AirPods.
Improper fit of AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3 will reduce the Hearing Protection feature’s effectiveness in attenuating noise. Maximum attenuation will only be achieved if your AirPods fit and are worn properly.
Hearing Protection may not be working as expected if you hear a whistling noise during use. Try refitting the AirPods.
Periodic cleaning of AirPods and proper storage in their case are necessary for Hearing Protection to work as expected.
Inspect AirPods before use and do not use Hearing Protection if AirPods are damaged.
Improper use of Hearing Protection may lead to permanent hearing damage.
Find out more about safety and handling for AirPods
The Hearing Protection feature is not suitable for protection against extremely loud impulse sounds, such as gunfire, fireworks or jackhammers, or against sustained sounds louder than 110 dBA.
Exposure limits derived from World Health Organization recommendations. Total attenuation derived from ANSI/ASA S12.68-2007.