New AirPods Pro update helps you hear quiet conversations – here's how to enable it

Apple earlier this week rolled out a firmware upgrade for its majestic trio of audio devices, including the second-gen AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. Thanks to the update, the AirPods Pro now has the Conversation Boost feature, which is designed to help people with mild hearing impairment better partake in conversations that may otherwise be too quiet to actively engage in.

The feature was initially unveiled at WWDC 2021, and support has now been rolled as part of the same update bundle that now gives users the ability to locate the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max using the Find My app. This is particularly useful as many of us have been in the dreaded situation where we've felt our pockets only to find that our AirPods Pro is no longer inside of them. 

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Spotted by the folks over at MacRumors, AirPods Pro users who have mild hearing difficulties can take advantage of the Pro’s built-in microphones to enhance the volume of the conversation they’re engaging in. When Conversation Boost is enabled, the feature tries to isolate voices by amplifying them above any background noise to make them easier to hear.

The feature also lets users tweak the sound settings through a series of handy sliders. Here, the person participating in the conversation can modify transparency, amplification, and even the tone to help diminish noisy interference.

Raising the volume

To use the new feature, the AirPods must be running the latest firmware update, which Apple automatically installs on the AirPods rather than having to add it manually yourself. Something that's always useful as our AirPods tend not to be something we consciously think about needing to update.

Once everything is up-to-date, head over to the Accessibility menu in the Settings on your connected best iPhone or iPad. Given you're in the right location, you should then be able to select Audio/Visual, which is then followed by Headphone Accommodations where you can toggle on Transparency Mode. The Conversation Boost feature can then be enabled.

Apple's original AirPods ignited a slew of innovation in the best wireless earbuds arena. With the AirPods 3 tipped to release by the end of this year, it's great to see Apple's audio technology being put to good use, especially in a way that can significantly improve people's day-to-day living standards without having to buy a bundle of expensive accessories to do so. More of this, please.