Apple’s latest operating system for iPhones — iOS 15 — was released on September 20 and is now available for iPhone 6s (2015) and later devices. As always, the annual OS update introduces new features and iterative improvements that keep people interested in either staying or switching to the Apple ecosystem. Live Listen is another iOS-exclusive feature that gets even more refined in iOS 15. Since it’s garnering a lot of attention from iOS 15 users, we’re going to take a look at how it works. Let’s get started!

Live Listen on iOS 15 is an accessibility feature that uses your iPhone’s microphone to pick up ambient sound and send it to your compatible headphones. It’s a great feature for people with mild hearing aids, as it allows them to pay more attention to their surroundings without having to spend a lot of money on hearing aids.

Apple hasn't said exactly which earbuds are supported, but reports indicate that standard Bluetooth earbuds don't appear to work. All Apple AirPods variants, on the other hand, appear to work fine. So if you happen to have AirPods, AirPods (2nd generation), AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, Live Listen should be available on your iOS 15 device. Powerbeats Pro users may also have luck with Live Listen.

Turning on Live Listen is pretty easy. And most importantly, you can also turn it into a Control Center shortcut. To do that, first go to Settings and tap "Control Center."