The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the Hearing Aid Feature, its first over-the-counter hearing aid software device that is intended to be used with the Apple AirPods Pro. 

Why it matters:  A hearing aid that’s built into a relatively inexpensive and easily accessible product that many people already own could help far more people get the hearing help they need.

How it works: The Hearing Aid Feature is set up using an iOS device, such as the iPhone, and the user’s hearing levels are accessed from the iOS HealthKit to customize it. Users can refine the volume, tone and balance settings after setting up the feature.