'Apple Hearing Study' Insights Shared Ahead of World Hearing Day
Apple today shared key insights from its Apple Hearing Study to encourage others to better understand and manage their hearing health. The data comes from thousands of participants across the United States.
For example, Apple said 25 percent of participants experience a daily average environmental sound exposure like traffic, machinery, or public transportation that is higher than the WHO's recommended limit. In addition, Apple said nearly 50 percent of participants in the study now work, or have previously worked, in a loud workplace.
Other insights shared by Apple:
- Average weekly headphone exposure for one in 10 participants is higher than the WHO's recommended limit.
- About 10 percent of participants have been diagnosed with hearing loss by a professional. Of these, 75 percent do not use assistive support such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
- 20 percent of participants have hearing loss when compared to WHO standards, and 10 percent have hearing loss that is consistent with noise exposure.
- Nearly 50 percent of participants haven't had their hearing tested by a professional in at least 10 years.
- 25 percent of participants experience ringing in their ears a few times a week or more, which could be a sign of hearing damage.
Apple explains how its products can help protect a person's hearing. With the Noise app on the Apple Watch, for example, users can enable notifications that alert when environmental noise levels might affect their hearing health.
Apple is sharing these findings just ahead of World Hearing Day on March 3, which aims to address hearing loss and related issues. By 2050, the WHO estimates more than 700 million people globally will experience profound hearing loss, according to Apple.
The Apple Hearing Study, available through Apple's Research app, is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and data is being shared with the WHO's Make Listening Safe initiative.
Popular Stories
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date.
Keep reading...
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features.
Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others.
During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind.
Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe.
Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports.
CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
