What AirPods can and cannot do as hearing aids
AirPods Pro and AirPods Max can amplify sound around you through a feature called Conversation Boost, but they are not medical hearing aids and do not replace them. Conversation Boost makes voices louder and clearer when you are in a noisy room or talking to someone across a distance — it works by using the microphones in your AirPods to pick up sound from your environment and send it directly to your ears. This is different from a hearing aid, which is fitted to your ear canal and tuned to your specific hearing loss by an audiologist.
If you have been diagnosed with hearing loss, a medical hearing aid is still the right choice. Conversation Boost is useful for people with normal hearing who struggle in specific situations — a loud restaurant, a lecture hall, a one-on-one conversation in a crowded space. It can also help you hear your phone calls, music, and videos more clearly if you find yourself turning the volume up often.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation and later) and AirPods Max both support Conversation Boost. Older AirPods Pro models and AirPods Air do not have this feature. You will need an iPhone 16, iPhone 15, or a Mac with macOS Sequoia or later to use it.
Key Takeaways
- Conversation Boost amplifies voices and environmental sound through your AirPods microphones, making it useful for noisy rooms or distant conversations but not a replacement for medical hearing aids.
- You need AirPods Pro (2nd generation or later) or AirPods Max, paired with iPhone 16, iPhone 15, or Mac with macOS Sequoia or later.
- Turn on Conversation Boost in Settings under Accessibility, then choose whether to amplify sound from in front of you or all around you.
- You can adjust the amount of amplification and switch Conversation Boost on and off from Control Center without opening Settings each time.
- Conversation Boost works best in moderately noisy environments; in very loud spaces it may amplify background noise along with voices.
Turning on Conversation Boost on iPhone
Open Settings and tap Accessibility. Scroll down and tap AirPods. You will see a list of features — tap Conversation Boost. Toggle it on by tapping the switch next to "Conversation Boost".
After you turn it on, you will see two options: "Focus on Front" and "Focus on All". Tap "Focus on Front" if you want to amplify mainly the person or sound in front of you — this is useful in a one-on-one conversation or when someone is speaking from across a room. Tap "Focus on All" if you want to amplify all sound around you equally — this is useful when you are in a group or want to hear everything in your environment more clearly.
Once Conversation Boost is on, put your AirPods in and you will hear the amplified sound when ready. The feature stays on until you turn it off in Settings or through Control Center.
Turning on Conversation Boost on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Click Accessibility in the sidebar. Click AirPods. Toggle on "Conversation Boost".
You will see the same two options as on iPhone: "Focus on Front" and "Focus on All". Choose the one that matches your situation. Once it is on, put on your AirPods and the amplification will start working.
If you use both an iPhone and a Mac, Conversation Boost settings sync between them — turning it on one device will turn it on the other. You can change the focus mode on either device and the change will appear on both.
Adjusting amplification strength
Conversation Boost does not have a separate volume slider in Settings. Instead, you control how much amplification you hear by adjusting the overall volume of your AirPods using your device's volume buttons or Control Center. Turning up the volume increases amplification; turning it down decreases it.
If you find that Conversation Boost is amplifying too much background noise along with voices, try switching from "Focus on All" to "Focus on Front" — this reduces background noise pickup. If you are still hearing too much noise, lower the overall volume slightly.
Test Conversation Boost in the environment where you plan to use it most. A quiet room will sound very different from a restaurant or coffee shop, so adjust the volume and focus mode based on where you actually need the help.
Using Conversation Boost from Control Center
Once Conversation Boost is turned on in Settings, you can switch it on and off quickly from Control Center without opening Settings each time. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. On Mac, click the Control Center icon in the top right corner of the menu bar.
Look for the Hearing icon — it looks like an ear with a sound wave. Tap or click it to toggle Conversation Boost on and off. This is faster than going back to Settings when you move between noisy and quiet spaces.
You cannot change the focus mode (Front or All) from Control Center — you have to go back to Settings for that. But turning the feature on and off from Control Center takes one tap.
When Conversation Boost works best and when it does not
Conversation Boost works well in moderately noisy environments where you want to hear a specific person or all voices more clearly — a restaurant with background chatter, a lecture hall, a crowded store. It picks up sound through the microphones in your AirPods and sends it to your ears, so it works best when the sound source is within a few feet of you.
Conversation Boost does not work well in very loud environments like concerts, construction sites, or heavy traffic. In these spaces, the feature will amplify everything equally, including the noise you are trying to avoid. It also does not help if someone is far away — if you are trying to hear someone across a large room or outside, the microphones may not pick up enough sound to amplify usefully.
Conversation Boost also does not filter out background noise the way a hearing aid does. If you are in a noisy coffee shop, it will amplify both the conversation you want to hear and the espresso machine in the background. In these situations, moving closer to the person you are talking to or asking them to speak up will work better than relying on amplification alone.
Troubleshooting Conversation Boost
If Conversation Boost is not working, first check that your AirPods are in and connected to your device. Open Settings and go to Bluetooth to confirm they are paired. Then go back to Accessibility and make sure the toggle next to Conversation Boost is actually on — sometimes it looks on but is not.
If Conversation Boost is on but you are not hearing amplified sound, check your overall volume. Press the volume up button on your device or use Control Center to increase the volume. Conversation Boost amplifies sound but does not bypass your device's volume setting.
If you are hearing a lot of background noise and very little of the voice you want to hear, switch from "Focus on All" to "Focus on Front". This tells your AirPods to prioritize sound coming from in front of you rather than from all directions.
If Conversation Boost stops working after you update your iPhone or Mac, restart your device and re-pair your AirPods. Go to Bluetooth settings, forget the AirPods, then pair them again. After that, turn Conversation Boost back on in Accessibility settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need AirPods Pro or will regular AirPods work?
Conversation Boost only works with AirPods Pro (2nd generation or later) and AirPods Max. Regular AirPods, AirPods Air, and older AirPods Pro models do not support this feature. Check your AirPods model in Settings under Bluetooth — tap the information icon next to your AirPods name to see which generation you have.
Can I use Conversation Boost on my iPad or Apple Watch?
Conversation Boost is currently available only on iPhone and Mac. It does not work on iPad, Apple Watch, or other Apple devices. If you want to use it, you will need to use an iPhone 16, iPhone 15, or a Mac with macOS Sequoia or later.
Will Conversation Boost drain my AirPods battery faster?
Yes, using Conversation Boost uses more battery than normal listening because the microphones are constantly picking up and processing sound. You may notice your AirPods need to charge more often if you use Conversation Boost regularly. Battery life varies depending on which AirPods model you have and how much amplification you are using.
Can I use Conversation Boost while on a phone call?
Yes. Conversation Boost amplifies the voice of the person you are talking to on the call, making them easier to hear. This is useful if you are in a noisy environment and the other person is hard to understand. The feature works the same way during calls as it does during normal listening.
What is the difference between Conversation Boost and Live Listen?
Live Listen is a different accessibility feature that turns your iPhone or iPad into a remote microphone — you place your device near someone and hear what it picks up through your AirPods. Conversation Boost amplifies sound directly through your AirPods microphones without needing a separate device. Use Conversation Boost for everyday situations and Live Listen when you need to hear sound from across a room.