The Apple AirPods are incredible wireless headphones for listening to music, but they contain a hidden, highly advanced accessibility feature that can completely change how you interact with the world. By activating a feature called “Live Listen,” you can hijack the hyper-sensitive microphones built into your iPhone, instantly turning your AirPods into a powerful, discreet hearing aid.
How the Live Listen Engine Works
When you activate Live Listen, the microphones on your iPhone turn on and begin capturing the audio in your immediate environment. The iPhone mathematically amplifies the dialogue and instantly streams it directly into your AirPods with zero latency. If you are sitting in a loud, crowded restaurant and cannot hear the person across the table, you can simply slide your iPhone across the table toward them. The phone will pick up their voice and beam it directly into your ears, completely cutting through the background noise.
Adding the Shortcut to Control Center
Before you can use this feature, you must add the hidden button to your iPhone’s Control Center.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Control Center.
- Scroll down to the “More Controls” section and look for the icon shaped like a blue ear, labeled Hearing.
- Tap the green + (plus) button next to it. This adds the shortcut to your active menu.
How to Activate the Hearing Aid
Now that the button is installed, you can activate the amplification engine instantly.
- Put your AirPods in your ears.
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen to open the Control Center.
- Tap the new Hearing icon (the blue ear).
- A small menu will appear. Tap the massive button labeled Live Listen.
The button will instantly turn green. You will immediately hear the world around you amplified through your AirPods. You can use the physical volume buttons on the side of your iPhone to increase the amplification level. When you are finished, simply tap the Live Listen button again to turn the microphones off.