'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
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature.
According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles.
CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal.
In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...
The upcoming all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air could become the first Apple smartphone to adopt advanced battery technology, with Japanese supplier TDK preparing to ship its new generation of silicon-anode batteries by the end of June.
According to DigiTimes, TDK CEO Noboru Saito revealed in a recent interview that the Apple supplier has accelerated its production timeline, moving shipments...
Apple today clarified that it has not blocked Epic Games from updating the iOS Fortnite app in the European Union, but it is not planning to allow Epic Games to offer Fortnite in the United States App Store at the current time.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said that Epic Games tied its U.S. App Store submission to the update that was also being submitted to the Epic Games Store for iOS ...