If you’re still manually tinkering with the settings on your hearing aids, it’s time to consider connecting your hearing aids to your smartphone. When paired, your phone becomes a remote control, and the listening experience gets a serious upgrade (after all, you’re now streaming phone calls through your hearing aids).
Whether you’re searching for hearing aid compatible Android® phones or made-for-iPhone® hearing aids, consult this guide to better understand the hearing aid-smartphone landscape.
You likely can! Depending on your hearing aid model and smartphone’s operating system, there’s a good chance you can connect your hearing aids to your smartphone. With more than 85 percent of Americans owning a smartphone and the Federal Communications Commission requiring mobile phones to be compatible with hearing aids, hearing aid and mobile phone manufacturers are working to make their devices do more for people with hearing loss.
And that compatibility is a game-changer. From subtly adjusting hearing aid settings to improving phone conversations and music listening, pairing hearing aids with a smartphone elevates the experience for the user.
Take a look at the hearing aid market, and you’ll see a range of hearing aids: Some marketed specifically for iPhone and Android devices, a few that claim to be made for any phone, and others that tout Bluetooth® compatibility. To know for sure whether your hearing aids are compatible with your smartphone, it’s best to consult your hearing aid provider or the user manual that accompanied your hearing aid purchase.
With the Miracle-Ear™ App—found in the App Store—iPhone® users have a range of controls at their fingertips, including:
- Adjusting volume, directionality and treble/bass
- Setting custom programs for unique listening situations
- Identifying the last location hearing aids were connected to the app
- Tracking estimated hours of hearing aid use
- Scheduling and managing your Miracle-Ear appointments.
If you’re shopping for made-for-iPhone® hearing aids specifically, ask your hearing care provider about compatibility—they’ll be able to point you to the models that connect to your phone.
First, make sure you have the Miracle-Ear App downloaded on your iPhone®. Then follow these steps for connecting hearing aids to iPhone:
- Start the app, turn the hearing aids on and wait until the app locates your hearing aids.
- Once identified, you’ll see a video with instructions to pair the hearing aids into smartphone settings.
- Follow the steps shown in the video and return to the app, waiting for the pairing flow to end.
- A successful pairing between the app and hearing aids will be notified by a successful page.
- You will automatically see the homepage when the pairing flow is complete.
Miracle-Ear customers with hearing aids compatible with Android phones are fully in control of their audio experience when they download the Miracle-Ear™ App from Google Play.
Beyond adjusting volume, directionality and treble/bass, users can pinpoint the last location hearing aids were connected to the app, set custom programs for unique situations and track estimated hours of hearing aid use. Plus, scheduling and managing Miracle-Ear appointments are all doable in-app.
There are fewer models that pair with Android phones, so be sure to tell your hearing care provider that you want a compatible model.
So you have your Miracle-Ear hearing aids in your ear, the Miracle-Ear App downloaded on your phone, and now you’re wondering, “How do I connect my hearing aids to my Android®?” We’ve got you covered. Follow these five steps to get connected.
- Start the app, turn on the hearing aids and wait for the app to locate the hearing aids.
- Once identified, select the hearing aids.
- Wait for the pairing process to complete.
- When the hearing aids are paired to your phone, you will see a notification that the pairing was successful.
- You will be automatically returned to the app homepage when pairing is complete.
Determining how to choose a hearing aid compatible with your phone comes down to a handful of factors, including:
- Your smartphone’s operating system (ex: iOS, Android, Windows®). Not all hearing aids are compatible with every operating system. Look for MFi (Made for iPhone) devices if you have an iPhone and ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids) devices if you have an Android phone.
- Your phone’s age. You might find that older models of smartphones either aren’t compatible or have lower levels of compatibility.
- Your level of hearing loss. If you have severe hearing loss, for example, a hearing aid with telecoil may be an option for you. The use of a telecoil enables direct communication between the sound source, mobile phone, and hearing aid and reduces background noise. This option will provide a better listening experience.
