Technology keeps improving each year with both hearing aids and the world of smart phones. All the major hearing aid manufacturers (including Phonak and Starkey, the two we fit and service the most) offer Bluetooth connectivity and their own proprietary apps (application software).
Regardless of your phone type (iPhone, Android, or Google), most modern-day hearing aids integrate with apps which allow you to utilize your hearing aids to the best of their ability.
In this blog, I am going to talk about the many capabilities of hearing aid apps, but I wanted to start off by saying- You don’t have to use a smart phone to use your hearing aids. It is a “nice to have” and, for many people, they enjoy using their hearing aid app.
A wonderful feature of the Starkey and Phonak hearing aid apps is streaming, which means your hearing aids can receive and listen directly to phone calls, music, podcasts, and more directly in your ears.
What else? Glad that you asked:
Hearing Aid Control
Your hearing aid smart phone app allows you to control your hearing aids more easily than ever before. Through the app, you can control your hearing aid volume, reduce background noise, like wind, create custom programs for specific environments, such as restaurants, outdoors, etc., and switch between these programs with ease.
Improved Communication
Utilizing your hearing aid smart phone app can also improve your communication by transcribing audio directly to your phone and improving the clarity of speech. Additionally, some hearing aid apps allow you to translate foreign languages directly to your phone!
Hearing Aid Care
Another great feature of hearing aid smart phone apps is their ability to help you maintain your hearing aids. Your app includes an easily accessible owner’s manual, videos on how to care for your hearing aids, and more. Another amazing feature of some apps is the Self Check component, which checks your hearing aids’ 1) Microphones, 2) Receivers (Speakers), and 3) Circuit (hard drive – computer). If the Self Check shows that any of these systems need attention, it will direct you to self-help videos on the app to address these issues.
Additional features
Lastly, some hearing aid smart phone apps also include features such as Fall Alert, health monitoring (records steps, activity minutes, etc.), a GPS locater, and TeleHear (remote audiological support).
There are so many things you can do with your smart phone, it is amazing. If you need help utilizing your hearing aid smart phone app, connecting your hearing aids to your smartphone, or want to learn about hearing aids that fit your lifestyle, Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center is here to help! Reach out to our experts at 704-523-8027 or via our contact form today!
article by Ron Binkley, board-certified hearing instrument specialist