Your earbuds could soon double as a hearing aid, no prescription needed, after testing by San Jose State audiology students

San Jose State University audiology students and their professor spent the past year testing Samsung earbuds that can work as a hearing aid, the university announced Friday, Nov. 13.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the Galaxy Buds Hearing Aid feature in August, Samsung said.  It lets adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss use the earbuds as an over-the-counter hearing aid, with no prescription or clinic visit.  A five-minute hearing test built into the earbuds’ settings measures each ear, then the earbuds boost the sounds the user has trouble hearing.

Samsung named SJSU as one of three clinical test sites, with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Memphis.  The studies began in summer 2025, according to SJSU.  Audiology professor Anusha Yellamsetty led them, and her students worked with patients who had mild to moderate hearing loss, had never used a hearing aid and wore the earbuds every day for a month.  They reported results back to Samsung.

“Not all insurance carriers cover hearing aids,” Yellamsetty said in the university’s announcement.

What it means

If you or a parent has trouble following conversations in noisy rooms, a cheaper option is coming.  The feature will work on Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Buds4 Pro in the U.S. by the end of 2026, SJSU said.  Samsung’s U.S. store lists the Buds4 Pro at $249.99.  Full support needs a compatible Samsung Galaxy device, and Samsung says the feature does not replace a diagnosis from a clinician. Apple’s AirPods Pro got the first FDA authorization for this kind of over-the-counter hearing aid software in September 2024, the FDA said; Samsung’s feature brings a similar option to Galaxy users.

Source:  SJSU NewsCenter, Nov. 13, 2026; Samsung Global Newsroom, Aug. 11, 2026; Samsung U.S. store, Galaxy Buds4 Pro.