An example of a hearing test result in Galaxy Buds’ setting menu (Samsung Electronics) The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared a hearing aid feature for Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Buds, allowing the earbuds to be used as over-the-counter hearing aids without a prescription or clinic visit, Samsung said Tuesday.Samsung said the feature will initially be offered on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro in the United States and select other markets beginning in the fourth quarter. The company has not announced plans for a rollout in South Korea. The FDA clearance applies only to the US market.Designed for people 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss, the feature can boost sounds that are difficult to hear, such as high-frequency sounds, whispers or distant voices. They also offer noise reduction and beamforming to focus on sounds coming from the front while reducing background noise.To use this feature, users first take a roughly five-minute hearing test through the Galaxy Buds settings menu. The test generates an audiogram for each ear, which is then used to adjust sound amplification based on the user’s hearing profile. Users can view their hearing test results and related data in the Samsung Health app.Samsung has been developing hearing-related features for its earbuds since 2020, when it introduced a Personal Sound Amplification Product feature on the Galaxy Buds+."Hearing health is a vital component of our overall well-being, profoundly impacting how we communicate, connect with loved ones and engage with the world," Hon Pak, head of the Digital Health Team for Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience Business, said in a press release. "The FDA clearance lowers the threshold to hearing support and makes daily care more accessible."The company said it developed the new feature with the National Acoustic Laboratories and Samsung Medical Center and conducted clinical validation studies at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss worldwide, a figure expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Cost, stigma and limited access to care are among the barriers to hearing-aid adoption.