Samsung’s Hearing Aid feature is built around the Galaxy Buds Hearing Test. The test takes about five minutes and checks each ear with pure-tone sounds. It then creates an audiogram that shows where the user may have trouble hearing.
How it works
Once the test is done, the earbuds can boost sounds that are harder for the user to hear. Samsung says the feature can also help with high sounds, quiet voices and sounds that come from a distance. Noise reduction and beamforming are also part of the system, while hearing data can be found in the Samsung Health app.
This is one of those features that makes more sense to me than another AI trick. Galaxy Buds are already something people wear every day. Giving them a useful role in hearing support makes the product more helpful without asking users to carry another device.
Not ground breaking tech though
Here’s the thing, though. Samsung is not breaking new ground with this feature. Apple added Hearing Aid support to the AirPods Pro 2 in September 2024, after receiving FDA approval. That means Apple has had almost two years to offer this type of hearing support to its users.
Still, I can see why Samsung wanted to add it. Many people with mild hearing loss may not want to buy a separate hearing aid. If they already own Galaxy Buds, they can now get hearing support from a product that is already part of their daily routine.
I would not call this a groundbreaking feature, but it is a meaningful one. It also shows how premium earbuds are moving beyond music and calls. They are becoming small health devices, and that is a direction I would like to see more companies explore.
Which Galaxy Buds get it?
There is a catch, though. Samsung is not bringing Hearing Aid to every Galaxy Buds model. The feature will be available on the Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds3 Pro only.
The rollout will also take some time. Samsung says the Hearing Aid and Hearing Test features will arrive in the US and select approved markets in Q4 2026. Full support also needs a compatible Galaxy device with One UI 8 or later.
Not the upgrade I expected
Don’t get me wrong: I am glad Samsung is adding this feature. For people with hearing problems, it can offer a simple way to get more help from a device they already own. That is far more useful than many of the small software tricks we see in earbuds today.
Apple however, has offered the same basic idea since 2024, so there is little reason to call this a big win for innovation. Better late than never, of course.
Now that Samsung has caught up with Apple on hearing support, I would rather see the company fix another weak point of its premium earbuds: battery life. That would be an upgrade Galaxy Buds users could enjoy every single day.
