Announced back in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro was supposed to get a new Hearing Aid feature, provided it cleared approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fast forward to August 2026, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro are now finally slated to receive the feature in the coming months. Hearing Aid is a software-based solution designed for adults aged 18 and older experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss. This enables users to diagnose basic hearing issues before visiting a clinic.
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Hearing Aid feature availability and rollout
The Hearing Aid feature will be made available on the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro in the USA starting Q4 2026. The feature will be released through a software update, with no information on whether India or other markets will be granted access to Hearing Aid.
What is Hearing Aid and how does it work?
As noted above, the feature is designed for adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The feature transforms the Galaxy Buds into over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids and leverages clinical-grade sound processing to amplify daily environmental audio without requiring a doctor’s prescription or a traditional clinical visit.
The feature is divided into two parts, both accessible directly from the Galaxy Buds menu in your phone’s Settings.
Hearing Test
This five-minute test uses clinical-grade pure-tone audiometry by playing tones at various frequencies and volumes for each ear independently. Accordingly, the user will have to provide a prompt when each tone is heard. Once the test is completed, the system generates an audiogram that carries data for professional evaluation. The results are categorised as: Normal, Mild, Moderate, Severe, or Profound hearing loss.
This tool is registered as a Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) as it delivers medical-grade assessment capabilities directly through the earbuds.
Hearing Aid feature
Then the Hearing Aid feature uses the data obtained from the Hearing Test and applies the NAL-NL2 fitting formula, a widely recognised clinical standard also used in many prescription hearing aids, to create customised amplification. It selectively boosts the specific frequencies and sound types you struggle with (such as high frequencies, soft speech, whispers, or distant voices) rather than simply making everything louder.
It can also alter the Galaxy Buds’ output for advanced hearing-aid-style features, such as noise cancellation and beamforming that focuses on sounds coming from in front of you while reducing background noise. These features align with Samsung’s Health app revamp, which was announced in June 2026.
The move addresses a significant global health challenge. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 1.5 billion people currently live with some level of hearing loss, a figure expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Despite the widespread need, many individuals avoid traditional hearing aids due to high costs, social stigma, and limited access to audiologists. While not a replacement for severe hearing loss, Samsung’s approach offers a remarkably accessible entry point for millions.
Back in May 2026, Apple also announced a Hearing Test feature for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, which also plays a series of tones and sounds to measure your hearing sensitivity in each ear. Just like Samsung, the feature also generates a full audiogram with the data stored in the Apple Health app for sharing with doctors or specialists.
