Apple has begun rolling out the clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature via the iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2 operating system updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 in five major Canadian provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan. This step follows the previous launch of the feature in the United States and several other markets.
The company explained that this feature is specifically designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, as the earbuds amplify ambient sounds at no additional cost. Data from Statistics Canada indicates that approximately one in five Canadians suffers from hearing difficulties, highlighting the importance of providing such technical solutions directly to users.
What changes practically for users?
In addition to the sound amplification feature, users across Canada can now benefit from the new Hearing Test feature available starting today. This test, which takes about five minutes, allows for measuring the ability of adults to hear different sound frequencies to determine if there is hearing impairment and providing appropriate recommendations for next steps when necessary. While the Hearing Protection feature was previously available in Canada, the Hearing Aid feature remains unavailable in other Canadian provinces, such as Ontario, where reports indicate that legislative meetings to amend laws and enable the feature's launch are imminent.
Restrictions and Regulatory Context
Despite the notable expansion, the availability of the Hearing Aid feature remains governed by the regulatory and health legislation of each Canadian province individually, which explains its absence from some areas such as Ontario and Quebec so far compared to the five supported provinces. Apple confirms that it continues to work and coordinate with the remaining provinces to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to launch the service to all Canadians as soon as possible.