AirPods Pro hearing aid feature stars in emotional Apple holiday ad

Apple has released its annual holiday ad, this year spotlighting the new hearing aid feature on the AirPods Pro in an emotional story about a father and daughter on Christmas morning.

The ad, titled “Heartstrings,” begins with a young woman unwrapping a new guitar on Christmas Day. As she starts to play, her father is shown struggling to hear the music due to hearing loss. The ad flashes back to moments from her childhood, showing her learning to play the guitar and growing up, evoking nostalgia and emotion.

As the story unfolds, the father puts on his AirPods Pro, activating the new hearing aid feature. Instantly, the sound of his daughter’s guitar becomes clear. Overwhelmed, he is moved to tears as the memories replay—this time with full, rich sound.

In the video’s YouTube description, Apple explains: “For so many of us, sound and how we hear shape how we connect to the world around us. Yet, people with hearing loss wait an average of 10 years before getting their hearing tested and fitted for hearing aids, leaving millions unaware they’re living with hearing loss and without the assistance they need.”

The description continues: “Now, with the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, you have access to a Hearing Test that provides scientifically validated results within minutes and the ability to activate a clinical-grade hearing aid feature on your AirPods Pro 2 — right from home.”

In September, Apple announced the hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro 2. The feature includes a default hearing protection mode with passive noise cancellation for loud environments and a “clinical-grade” hearing aid mode.

Users can take a clinically validated hearing test using their AirPods and iPhone in under five minutes, with results securely stored in the Health app. If hearing loss is detected, the hearing aid mode activates, enhancing environmental sounds and applying a custom hearing profile for audio like music and podcasts.