Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 4 will soon work as OTC hearing aids

Some Samsung earbuds will soon work as over-the-counter hearing aids. Samsung’s announced that it’s obtained clearance from the FDA to offer OTC hearing aid functionality, including at-home hearing tests.

Samsung announced in a press release this morning that later this year, you’ll be able to use the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 and Galaxy Buds Pro 4 to test your hearing at home, and then use them to boost the volume of sounds you have difficulty hearing without amplification.

Hearing intervention can be pricey, especially if you’re paying out of pocket — prescription hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars. Over-the-counter hearing aids are generally a more affordable option for people experiencing relatively mild hearing loss, though Samsung cautions its Hearing Aid feature “is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment by a qualified clinician.” If your hearing loss is more pronounced, you’ll still want to meet with an audiologist.

Apple offers a similar experience with its own AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3. Apple’s hearing test and OTC hearing aid features naturally require pairing the AirPods with an iPhone or iPad, and it seems like Samsung’s taking a similar approach: the fine print of Samsung’s announcement specifies that “Full support requires a compatible Galaxy device with One UI 8 or later.” These features will live in the Samsung Health app, along with “hearing-related insights” including personal noise exposure data.

Samsung says that its new hearing aid features will be available in the US “and select approved markets” starting in the fourth quarter of this year — so sometime after September 30.