iOS 18.1 Release Candidate for beta testers adds hearing aid functionality to AirPods Pro 2

iOS 18.1 Release Candidate (RC) was rolled out by Apple to registered developers and public testers on Monday in beta. The update’s feature set remains largely the same as previous iOS 18.1 betas, bringing improved Home and Lock screen settings, a new Control Center with more options, an improved Photos app, and a new Passwords app in addition to Apple Intelligence features. However, a notable new addition to iOS 18.1 RC is the hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro 2.

Notably, the iOS 18.1 stable update for iPhone will reportedly be released later this month, with October 28 being the most likely release date. It will bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features.

Features of iOS version 18.1

According to Apple, the iOS 18.1 RC update for developers and public beta testers allows users to take a hearing aid test paired with AirPods Pro 2. The Cupertino-based tech giant says it’s a clinically validated hearing test designed for users with presumed mild to moderate hearing loss. hearing loss AirPods Pro 2 can act as a personalized set of hearing aids to meet the user’s specific needs. This feature is available on AirPods Pro 2 when connected to an iPhone running iOS 18.1 RC.

Other update features are carried over from previous beta versions. These include health features such as sleep apnea detection, which records and notifies the user of any breathing disturbances that may be considered moderate or severe sleep apnea and may require further action.

There’s also a limited set of features based on Apple Intelligence, the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) suite. A new AI-powered writing tool is available for testers, with options to proofread documents with spell and grammar checks and rewrite text for different tones: concise, friendly, or professional. In addition, users can also use the object removal tool and the automatic video creation option in the Photos app. The new Siri interface, which lights up around the edges, was also introduced when calling the voice assistant.