I tried Apple's hearing test and the results shocked me

It’s been over forty years since I’ve done a real audio test, but I still remember being a kid, wearing big headphones and raising my hand when I heard a tone. Then I had perfect hearing. I was wondering what AppleThe new, over-the-counter, clinical-grade hearing test would look the same, especially if it’s powered through its little Apple AirPods Pro 2 Bluetooth earbuds.

It was not without fear that I undertook this test. Studies show that more than a third of people in my age group typically have a hearing loss of 25 decibels (dB) or more. My family has complained for years that I have difficulty hearing. I claim it’s “tunnel hearing,” meaning I hear what I’m focused on and tend to block out everything else. My concern was that Apple’s hearing test would show that I may have significant hearing loss.

If there could be a silver lining in that potential news, it’s that the same AirPods Pro 2 headphones I used to perform the test could now double as an over-the-counter hearing aid. In other words, I could hide my possible hearing loss behind a pair of very useful AirPods and let people assume I’m listening to my favorite podcast.

Back in September, Apple walked me through the basic hearing test process, but it wasn’t a real test. It was short; the results were canned and did not apply to my hearing.

Apple’s real AirPods Pro 2 hearing test is a bit more complicated and longer. If you plan on trying it, you’ll need at least a working iPhone iOS 18.1 and a pair of AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware. Even if it is new AirPods 4 offer any active noise cancellation, they do not have the necessary sealing to perform this test.

Apple hearing test

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

The seal proves to be a crucial part of the process, and Apple’s hearing test, which you can find in the Health app under Browse/Hearing, starts by ensuring you have the best AirPods Pro 2 fit. The system instructs you to put the earbuds in, make sure they’re properly in place, and then listen to a short piece of music.

In my case, the seal was good, but if not, you’ll want to replace your silicone eartips with a different size to ensure they fit neatly in your ears and seal off any outside audio leaks. There are also some questions you’ll need to answer, such as whether you’re 18 or older (kind of, thank you very much), currently suffering from allergies, colds, or sinus infections (miraculously, no), and whether you’ I’ve been to a loud concert or a loud construction site in the last 24 hours (do I look like the kind of person who goes to loud concerts in the middle of the week… or ever?).

The next step is the test, which instructs you to find a quiet place without a lot of outside noise (easier said than done in a busy office, but I used our video studio) and automatically put the phone on Do Not Disturb to reduce disruptions.

Hear this now

Similar to the audio tests of my youth, Apple’s hearing test uses a series of tones played to one ear and then the other. Instead of raising my hand, I tapped the screen, which recognized the taps with a circular, vibrating image.

Each ear test takes at least three minutes. This, my friends, was some of the hardest six minutes I can remember in a long time. The tones range from clear and robust to high and extremely weak. As each test progressed, I became more and more tense. Did I hear a tone? Oh, wait, there was no tone and I tapped. I don’t hear anything!

I was convinced that I, or at least my eardrums, were failing miserably. If you watch my TikTok of the test, you’ll see the grim look on my face. I was worried.

Apple hearing test

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Once the test is completed, results are visible almost immediately. I saw a couple of numbers – 11 dBHL and 10 dBHL – one for my right ear and one for my left ear. At first I couldn’t understand what they meant. But then I noticed that the average ratings for each ear also said “Little to no loss,” and below that, “No changes needed” in my AirPods tuning. Yes, I lost some hearing, but nothing noticeable. I didn’t go deaf.

I almost jumped for joy. Then I stopped myself and realized a hard truth. I could hear just fine; I was just terribly busy paying attention. I think this could frustrate my family even more than confirmation of hearing loss. If my ears fail, at least it’s not my fault that I didn’t hear you when you called my name six times or that you had a 30-second conversation with me that I didn’t hear at all. I have no excuse as my hearing has now been clinically proven to be essentially healthy.

So thanks, Apple, for testing my hearing, making me feel good about the relative youth of my eardrums, and waking up to my obvious attention deficit. I hear this message loud and clear: I have some work to do.

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