Hearing Loss Can Literally Slow Your Walk, Apple Study Finds

By Danial Martinus • 11 May 2026 in Features

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A recent study conducted by Apple, dubbed the Apple Hearing Study, has found correlations between the decline of a person’s hearing and slower walking speed, which could suggest that the way you walk indicates just how healthy you are.

Conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan, the study began in 2019 and includes data from more than 160,000 participants in the US. This data formed the backbone of the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features you now find on Apple’s AirPods, first introduced in 2024.

Some people with “normal” hearing still perceive their own hearing as fair or poor

Using a standard hearing measurement called four-frequency pure tone average (4PTA), the participants’ hearing status was determined by the softest sound levels they could detect.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), hearing levels at or below 25dB are generally classified as normal. Of 84,970 participants who fall under this category, 16% still reported self-perceived hearing difficulty in daily life.

Over 7% also reported having difficulties concentrating during conversations or hearing others speak with noise in the background.

But more interesting is the link between hearing loss and walking. 57,183 participants who had both hearing test results and at least 30 days of walking speed measurements (collected through iPhone sensors) showed that higher hearing loss led to slower walking pace (as much as 13% slower).

This shows an almost direct link between hearing health and walking speed, and by extension, overall physical health, since walking requires coordination in the brain, muscles, and vision too. But why does this connection even matter?

Researchers posit that hearing loss can also affect environmental sounds, like footsteps, which could potentially influence your balance as well. Worsening balance would naturally force a person to walk slower.

How’s your hearing health?