(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device that is intended to be used with compatible versions of the Apple AirPods Pro headphones.

Earlier this week, Apple said its AirPods Pro 2 could now be "transformed" into a personalized hearing aid via an upcoming software update that would boost specific sounds in real time, including parts of speech or elements within a user's environment.

Once installed and customized to the user's hearing needs, the software enables versions of the AirPods Pro to serve as an OTC hearing aid, that is intended to amplify sounds for 18 years or older people with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing impairment, the health regulator said.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)