In the last few years almost all hearing aid manufacturers have created hearing aids that are Made for iPhone. This wonderful technology allows iPhone users with these hearing aids to connect their phones to the aids directly, with no intermediary device needed. Made for iPhone hearing aids allow the user to receive calls and listen to music straight into their hearing aids, without needing to hold the phone up to the ear. This means better clarity and speech understanding while on the phone!
The right devices
Before you can use Made for iPhone it’s important to check whether you have the right devices. Your hearing aids need to be Made for iPhone compatible- check with your audiologist if you aren’t sure. You also need to have an Apple iPhone 5 or later (as of July 2019). This feature also works with an Apple iPad 4th generation or later, Pro, Air and Mini. If you have an Android phone you will be excited to hear that this feature is starting to become available- more on that in another post.
Pairing Made for iPhone Hearing Aids
The process of pairing can be a little confusing if you don’t know where to look. Open your iPhone ‘Settings’ app. Touch on ‘General’, and then ‘Accessibility’. Scroll down until you see ‘MFi Hearing Devices’. If your Bluetooth isn’t on, your phone will now prompt you to activate it- you will need to do this to connect the hearing aids. Your phone will now search for the aids. Put them into ‘pairing mode’ by opening and closing the battery doors. Your phone should ‘see’ the aid or aids- make sure that it says ‘R+L’ if you have two aids. Touch on the name of the hearing aids and you will be prompted to pair each aid. Choose yes and you are ready to go.
Options and Controls
Once you are paired up, you can choose how you would like the hearing aids to interact with your phone. In the same MFi hearing devices menu you can choose whether you would like the phone to always or never stream to the hearing aids. You can also choose whether you would like the phone to ring in your ears, and more. While on a call, you can touch the ‘audio’ button and select ‘speakerphone’ or ‘iPhone’ if you’d like to stop streaming. You can also control the hearing aids for volume and programs from within the MFi hearing devices menu. You can also find quick controls if your Accessibility Shortcut is set to show your hearing aid controls when you triple click the home button.
If you are a hearing aid wearer who struggles on the phone, or finds it difficult to position the phone while wearing the aids, Made for iPhone hearing aids might be the answer. Just make sure that you have the right aids, the right phone, and the right pairing to get the most of of the aids.
For more information about Made for iPhone hearing aids, contact us or comment below.