How to use your smartphone to cope with hearing loss (2024): Tips for iPhone, Android
MFi hearing aids often have additional settings (depending on the manufacturer) and can be configured from the Control Center (with Hearing added) or via an Accessibility shortcut you can enable and configure in Setting > Accessibility > Accessibility shortcuts.
To use your hearing aids with your Android phone, pair them like any other Bluetooth device by going to Settings > Connected devices And Pair the new device. You may also have the option to pair Settings > Accessibility > Hearing aids And Pair the new device.
Additional features vary by phone manufacturer. Look for hearing aid compatibility (HAC) to see what your phone supports. For example, here it is The site is compatible with Google Pixel hearing aids. Some hearing aids can now stream music and podcasts directly to the hearing aid from your Android phone, but you should check compatibility before buying.
When using your hearing aid with your Pixel phone, you should also open the Phone app, tap the three vertical dots to Menu at the top right and press Settings > Accessibility convert Hearing Aid ABOVE.
If you don’t have a hearing aid but think you might need one, read our guide on How to buy hearing aids. We also have instructions on how to transmit sound to hearing aids and cochlear implants.
How to use real-time text with your phone
Some people may prefer to type a response to a call, and you can do this using the real-time text (RTT) feature. Sadly, availability depends on your region and carrier. If there is no RTT option, you will likely have Teletype (TTY) support instead. (RTT is more advanced and can transmit audio as you type.)
On your Android phone, open the Phone app, tap the three vertical dots to Menu at the top right and press Settings > Accessibility turn on RTT or TTY. If you choose Always on displayYou can touch the RTT icon (capital T) after dialing someone to start an RTT call, and you can touch to launch it during a call.
To review call records on Android, open the Your Phone app and tap Recently, Select the call you want, then Call details > View recording.
For iPhone, you can enable RTT or TTY in Settings > Accessibility and you can choose Answer all calls as RTT/TTY. You can also choose RTT/TTY calls when calling someone and tap the RTT/TTY icon (looks like a landline) to answer the call or switch to texting during the call.
To review call records on iPhone, open the Your Phone app and tap Recently, Later I next to the call. You’ll see the RTT/TTY icon next to recorded calls in your call history.
Why are some Android accessibility features included in pixels?
You may wonder why certain hearing aid features are included Google’s Pixel phone but is offered as a separate app for other Android devices. Angana Ghosh, director of product management for input and accessibility at Google, said this allows the accessibility team to try new things on the Pixel, where Google designs the hardware, especially because some phones may not have the same level of processing on the device.
Keeping certain features as standalone apps also allows for regular updates to other features Android phone can benefit from the latest developments without requiring a firmware update, which is less often the case on non-Pixel phones.
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