Updated Jan. 21 with more details about the hearing health capability and how to set up the new feature when it comes. Apples AirPods Pro 2 gained updated software last fall and now the U.K. will benefit from the cool hearing aid features in a matter of weeks. More details have now emerged about the feature and a neat extra that helps it work, though its also apparent that not every new hearing feature is coming to AirPods Pro 2 everywhere.Apple AirPods Pro 2. 2022 Bloomberg Finance LPAs detailed below, a feature called Hearing Protection is not coming to U.K. users yet, and to set up the hearing aid capability, Users will likely need to run the hearing aid test again, which will open the Hearing Assistance menu. Apple will suggest using the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid only if you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening to spoken-word frequencies, as Macworld points out.Why the hearing health features are restricted to the AirPods Pro 2 and not the new AirPods Pro which come in versions with or without Active Noise Cancelling has been confirmed by Matt Bolton at Tech Radar.Apple says that this is because those models lack an in-ear seal to improve noise isolation, which is necessary for its technology to be effective. The mode will not come to previous models of AirPods either though I would expect it to be part of the feature list of the AirPods Pro 3, which is rumored to arrive later in 2025, Bolton explains.MORE FOR YOUAirPods Pro 2 already unveiled the Hearing Test feature, so users can take a validated home hearing test to see if they would benefit from hearing aid assistance.But while these features are already live in the U.S., for instance, some countries, including the U.K., didnt have regulations in place to permit the earbuds to go on to be used as hearing aids.The British Health Secretary, Wes Streeting said, Britain can be a powerhouse for medical technology, but only if we rip out pointless regulation that suffocates innovation, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.The report also quoted a statement from Apple. With the new policy guidance from the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care, we look forward to bringing the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 in the coming weeks to help improve the daily lives of so many U.K. users, Apple said.In other words, Apple will release an updated version of software for the U.K., likely in iOS 18 but possibly with new firmware for the AirPods Pro in cahoots.Then, AirPods Pro 2 can be used as a hearing aid to help those with mild to moderate hearing loss.Oh, and about that neat extra: if you hear a chime from the AirPods Pro 2 case while its charging, it turns out that its a feature designed to ensure the microphones and speakers are working properly, for example to help provide high-quality hearing test results, Apple says in a support guide.Of course, the battery life cant match regular hearing aids and so will need to be taken out to be recharged periodically. And it could look like youre listening to music or making a call when youre wearing them.But for some people it could overcome the social stigma of having a visible hearing aid while allowing them to hear better.As for timing, Apples comment of the coming weeks suggests January or February to me. For some, this could be a real boon.And then theres Hearing Protection, which Apple describes in a support document as a way to use your AirPods to help protect your hearing in loud environments. If youre in a loud environment like a live sporting event or fitness class, you can use your AirPods to help reduce your exposure to loud sounds around you.This feature, which relies partly on a snug fit in the ear for the AirPods Pro 2, is turned on by default, and works across Transparency, Adaptive and Noise Cancellation modes. Apple also says that its effective when your AirPods are clean. Which I should hope they would be.For now, this feature is very restricted to the U.S. and its minor outlying islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam.