Apple intentionally removing hearing accessibility features

@mikail Thank you for posting, and welcome to the forum!
I wish you success in your upcoming surgery to restore your hearing.
Meanwhile, my Costco ReSound Prezas recently developed bizarre audio control behavior which may be related to Apple’s operating systems changes to (selectively?) support the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature.

Thanks again! Best, Bob.

Any chance you told apple at some point you were in another country than the US? I don’t think this is accommodated globally, only in certain countries.

WH

I’m in the US on devices I bought from my local Apple Store.

Wishing you well with your hearing. The obstacles so many people encounter are, in my view, a result of Apple not giving a d-amn about truly helping us hear.
Many a time I have flagged up the useless ‘accommodations’ feature on earlier phones, including the need for quick and simple tone control to compensate for thick/ thin incoming sound.
Wrote to ceo Tim Cook - at third try I got pointed to Support, helpful person but powerless. And it is hinted that good third party apps are blocked, for whatever reason
Now at last it sounds as though provision is improving - but only at the cost of in-house earbuds and, in my case, a totally new phone.
Jobs built Apple on user-friendliness did he not?

Following.
I’m very interested. I really hope your problems are rsolved fully and quickly.

My hearing is worse than yours; however, I hope that with time Apple will make prescription hearing aids.
And–I have an e-bike. Noise cancellation would be a real advantage. wind noise/traffic noise.

Well, something I just thought of. When I paired my AirPods Max with my wife’s phone, I didn’t disassociate it with any of my other devices. To test that, I’d have to completely reset them and then risk not being able to get back to using my audiogram. Meaning, your theory about a grandfather clause may be viable - once it’s got the audiogram, it still works? It WAS able to update the audiogram to her device, and then re-update it to mine when I came back to my iPhone and iPad. Just a thought…

And just out of curiosity, what happens when you try to use the CUSTOM AUDIO SETUP function with your AirPods Max?

I have the 1st version of airpods Max lightning and see no way to set up hearing accomodations on it. I’m in the UK on the latest public of iOS on an iPhone 15 pro. Actually I’ve never seen this ability on any iOS version, although we got the hearing features late in the UK. All I can see to do is run it for Airpods pro 2.

“Custom Audio Setup” does not have any option to use an Audiogram if I go through the whole setup.

Hmmm…it’s good that you CAN reference that, as you can at least customize the sound a bit while we try to work out why the Audiogram isn’t working.

I have a case open with Apple’s Accessibility team. We’ll see!

My experience is that the hearing tests are pretty accurate. I’ve had two of them back-to-back with an audiologist and they get pretty close. Though things still sound hollower in my bad ear, and I still feel pain and a gaping hole in my ear drum (think of the feeling of your ears popping but never quite getting to that pop), the hearing aid feature has been excellent. Like I wrote in my main article, it makes me feel back to normal.

They’re on sale on the US Amazon site for 25% off, but are currently $12 off on the Canada store. $317 CAD.

Thanks Mikail!

Much appreciated.

Guard your hearing.
I worked for 3M Canada for 15 years. I spent a lot of time in the 3M Steam Plant. 110 dB!

I’ve ironically done a lot to protect my hearing. Low volumes, no concerts, ear plugs, etc. Now I know how even a little bit of hearing is precious. And how bad the Canadian dollar exchanges at still.

@IGZO said:

How much gain can they compensate for

Not sure anyone answered this here. They are only useful for people with (very) modest hearing loss. Looking at the audiograms here, few people (including me) would benefit.

I believe the problem is that countries (the EU) forcebly cap the output volume of consumer earbuds. So manufacturers have their hands tied when trying to covert these crippled devices using add-on software. And Apple’s Airbuds have even weaker outputs than other (and far cheaper) earbuds out there.