Samsung’s Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features for the Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds3 Pro have medical device approval in South Korea, Samsung Newsroom Korea announced on November 4, 2026. The approval comes from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Korean models will get both features through a software update, rolling out in stages from early 2027.

If you own these earbuds in the US, your date is a separate story. Samsung’s last word there is still Q4 2026, and the Korean release doesn’t change it.

What Korean Galaxy Buds owners will get

The test lives in the Galaxy Buds menu in your phone’s Settings. It checks each ear separately with pure-tone air conduction testing, then builds an audiogram from your results.

Hearing Aid uses that audiogram to boost the sounds you struggle to hear. Samsung aims it at adults 18 and older who suspect mild to moderate hearing loss, and you can set it up without a hearing specialist. The fitting formula is NAL-NL2, developed by Australia’s National Acoustic Laboratories.

Your noise exposure levels and Hearing Test results also show up in the Samsung Health app.

Korea says early 2027, the US still says Q4 2026

Some of the English coverage has merged these two timelines. SamMobile and Android Headlines both put the US and Korea in 2027. Samsung’s Korean release ties that timing to Korean earbuds only, and it brings up the US just once, to say the FDA approved the same features.

Samsung’s global announcement on August 11 promised the features in the US and select approved markets in Q4 2026. That post is still the newest Hearing Aid item on Samsung’s US Newsroom page for the Buds4 Pro. So there’s no announced US delay, and no exact US date either.

Detail Global release, August 11 Korean release, November 4
Regulator US FDA South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety
Timing Q4 2026, US and select approved markets Early 2027, Korean models, in stages
Hearing Test results Normal, or mild, moderate, severe or profound loss Seven levels, from normal up to the most severe loss
Earbuds Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Buds4 Pro only Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Buds4 Pro

Seven result levels in Korea, five in the global release

This is the detail I’d flag if you compare results with someone in another country. The Korean release lists normal plus six stages of loss, which makes seven levels. SamMobile and Android Headlines list six, leaving out the slightest stage.

The August release uses a shorter scale: normal plus four stages. Samsung doesn’t explain the difference, so a result screen in Seoul may not use the same labels as one in the US.

What you’ll need for Hearing Aid

You need the Galaxy Buds3 Pro or Galaxy Buds4 Pro. Samsung says full support requires a compatible Galaxy device with One UI 9 or later, so check where your phone stands in our One UI 9 update tracker. Our One UI 9 device list shows which phones are in line for it.

Samsung also notes that availability can vary by market, model or paired device. The feature doesn’t replace a diagnosis or treatment from a qualified clinician, so if your results worry you, take them to one.

FAQ

Will the regular Galaxy Buds get Hearing Aid?

Not according to Samsung’s August announcement. It lists the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro only.

Do I need a separate app for the Hearing Test?

No. Samsung says both features sit in the Galaxy Buds menu in Settings, and the test takes about five minutes.

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