Will Canadians finally be able to use their AirPods Pro as hearing aids? The wait might be coming to an end.
As spotted by iPhone in Canada, Apple appears to be making its final move to launch clinical-grade hearing aid features for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 users across the country.
Following a quiet update on February 10, 2026, the Health Canada Medical Device Active Licence Listing (MDALL) now includes the specific software components required to power the end-to-end hearing health experience. The federal registry added three distinct new entries under Apple’s existing Class II medical device licence: “AirPods Pro FW,” “iOS App,” and “macOS,” with new device identifiers. The only entry missing is an update for “watchOS” which was added back in December 2024, along these other three device names.
While Health Canada originally granted a broad licence for Apple’s hearing features in late 2024, these new additions represent the final technical building blocks. Specifically, the listing of “AirPods Pro FW” suggests the firmware module that enables person-specific amplified sound is now officially registered.
The inclusion of “iOS App” and “macOS” is equally significant. It confirms that the setup process and the ability to apply a personalized hearing profile will be supported across the iPhone and Mac, allowing for a seamless experience whether you are taking a call, watching a movie, or listening to music.
Last July, the hearing aid feature expanded to more countries but Canada wasn’t part of the launch (of course we weren’t).
Despite federal approval, the feature has remained unavailable to Canadians due to provincial regulations. In provinces like Ontario and British Columbia, hearing aids are typically restricted to being sold or dispensed by licensed professionals. Because Apple’s solution is an over-the-counter (OTC) software-based feature, it has faced a complex web of regional geofencing.
The appearance of these specific software modules on the Health Canada registry is the strongest indicator yet that Apple has addressed these regulatory requirements. By licensing the firmware and apps as medical devices, Apple can likely move forward with a public rollout.
In the U.S., hearing aids are available over the counter, meaning consumers can purchase them directly without needing to see a hearing specialist.
Many of you have emailed us over the past year to say you’ve already been using the hearing aid feature on your AirPods Pro. This is likely because the feature turns on automatically when traveling to the U.S. As soon as an iPhone connects to an American cellular tower, the geofence often drops.
Once activated in the U.S., the feature typically remains enabled even after returning to Canada. In border cities like Windsor and Surrey, some users have reported triggering the feature simply by picking up a faint U.S. signal from across the line.
Apple has not yet announced a formal release date for the hearing aid feature in Canada. However, updates to the MDALL registry usually happen shortly before a public software update. With iOS 26.4 and macOS Sequoia point releases expected soon, the wait for Canadian AirPods Pro owners might finally be over.
Apple is also rumoured to launch a new iPhone 17e this March. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple use that spring event to announce the expansion of these health features to new regions, including Canada. If not March, then at least during this summer’s WWDC?
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I have done the border hop setup. Although not perfect the Apple solution is as good as my expensive hearing aids in many situations. Only in Canada would there be this foot dragging on a solution with a potential benefit to many people
Hopefully this hearing aid feature launches here soon…definitely would help a lot of people!
I had a friend in the USA enable mine and send it back. I am so worried about breaking or losing it. I’m so happy this might finally be happening.
That’s a great friend!
I thought that the AirPods Pro AND the iPhone were needed to connect for this to work.
Convince me that hearing aid lobbies aren’t foot dragging on this.
I specifically bought Airpods 2 last year to use this feature and to this date have not.
I’m waiting everyday. Have been since the Apple Event in October 2024. Every tiny win when Health Canada approved and so on, made my hopes up. And then, absolutely no news ever since March 2025. I thought they gave up entirely. And this website now gives me back hope but again, it’s the only article I’ve found about this and still no news after this. So I’m starting to doubt the veracity of this content.
I do hope it’s true, and we’ll finally be able to upgrade the firmwares soon, but for now, as I can’t travel abroad for a while, there’s no hope.
I love Canada but sometimes the old people in power should truly care for the people. Okay, not just sometimes. Always. Yet all they care about will always be money. Fleeting useless money that divided the whole humanity.
IOS 26.4 and AirPods Pro 3 still no hearing aid functionality. Colour me sad.
This is becoming ridiculous. They should let us know what’s going on