Your earbuds might be more useful than you think. Samsung has just scored FDA clearance for a hearing aid feature coming to Galaxy Buds, and it’s the kind of thing that could genuinely matter to millions of people walking around with untreated hearing loss.
According to Engadget, the feature is headed to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro in the US and select other markets later this year. It will roll out alongside a hearing test tool, which Samsung claims delivers medical-grade results in around five minutes. You kick off the test directly from Galaxy Buds settings on a compatible Galaxy phone. Simple enough.
The test checks each ear individually and either confirms normal hearing or flags one of four stages of hearing loss: mild, moderate, severe, or profound. Results show up in the Samsung Health app, and from there, the hearing aid feature takes over. It can amplify specific sounds the wearer struggles with, things like whispers, distant voices, and high-pitched frequencies. It also works alongside the earbuds’ noise elimination and beamforming tech, which focuses audio coming from directly in front of you. So it’s not just volume boosting. There’s actual processing behind it.
The feature is designed for adults 18 and over with mild to moderate hearing loss, which positions it squarely as an over-the-counter hearing aid solution. That matters because traditional hearing aids are expensive, often running into thousands of dollars, and carry a stigma that stops a lot of people from ever getting them. Sticking the same functionality inside earbuds people already wear every day removes a huge barrier.
This puts Samsung directly in Apple’s lane. AirPods Pro picked up a similar hearing aid feature with iOS 18, and that was a big deal when it dropped. Samsung is now matching that play, which tells you where the whole premium earbud category is heading. Health features are no longer a bonus. They’re becoming a core reason to buy.
- Hearing test takes around five minutes and runs from Galaxy Buds settings
- Results categorize hearing as normal, mild, moderate, severe, or profound loss
- Hearing aid mode amplifies whispers, distant voices, and high frequencies
- Works with noise elimination and beamforming for more focused audio
- Available on Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Buds 4 Pro in the US and other markets
Still, let’s wait and see how well it actually works in real-world use before calling it a full hearing aid replacement. But the direction is clear, and for anyone with mild hearing difficulties who already owns a pair of Galaxy Buds Pro, this update could be a genuinely useful addition rather than just a marketing checkbox.