Apple ripped a valuable hearing loss feature from the AirPods line | Hacker News Reader

Apple ripped a valuable hearing loss feature from the AirPods line

mattiebee.io

76 pointszepton17 comments

In 18.0.1 the audiogram setup isn't on that screen, it's through the "Custom Audio Setup" button. If you select that, then "Continue" you get to a screen that says "Add Audiogram". It's not in the red circled area, though that may have been where it was under previous versions of iOS.

EDIT: I added some (faked) audiogram data to the Health app just to see how that appeared. It also does not show up on that initial screen, you still have to select the "Custom Audio Setup" button and then you can select an audiogram stored in Health. This is not a change new to 18.1, though again maybe prior to 18 it appeared on that initial screen.

If I hit Custom Audio Setup on 18.1 I’m never prompted to select my audiogram from Health.

Why say "ripped" when you can say "removed" and avoid bias in the subject/headline?

This is a blog post not a news article...

Im more worried about the question title turning into a statement of fact.

This article is correct and sould be unflagged. With the release of 18.1, custom audio setup (to create an audiogram-based profile) is only available for “supported Apple and Beats headphones”.

This option still appears for me (and works) on iOS 18.1 RC on my phone. Probably a bug?

With which airpods/headphones though?

It's there for my AirPods Max in the current 18.2 beta.

Did you have it set up before upgrading? Wondering if that’s the key. I’m still on 18.1 RC, I have an audiogram stored, it doesn’t appear, and Custom Audio Setup doesn’t ask for one like it used to.

I did not. If that's the key, it does point towards this being an innocent bug rather than an intended removal.

Odd that Apple would close a reported bug as “works as currently designed”.

Honestly I wouldn't take too much what the triage person did. I've had legit bugs get closed that way and then later reports stay open and eventually fixed. It's not ideal by any means.

You don't happen to have USB-C Max, do you?

Just a thought. Those, AirPods 4, and of course Pro 2 are the only AirPods with rev 7 firmware. All other AirPods are on rev 6.

Both my AirPods (1st gen Pro and Lightning Max), which no longer have audiogram options in Custom Audio Setup since iOS 18.1, are all rev 6.

We have never advanced to a real prioritized user interface. Every user has priorities which can be detected by knowing Context. Simplification as a key asset that Apple masters only makes sense if you adapt it to a users priorities.

iOS actually offers quite a few customization options hidden in the accessibility settings (I say hidden because most people won't think to look there, or at least not first). It's worth exploring, even as an able-bodied person (other than terrible, but correctable, eyesight) there are a number of useful settings I've found. Plus it helps when I am working with family members who do need those options since I've seen and played with them myself so can help them more.

I've been noticing that technology is sometimes hostile to older users: removing audio features, low contrast UI, tiny text, non-seriff fonts, "hidden" menus and buttons... not to be dramatic but this is something we could do better.

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