If you’ve researched hearing aids in the last few years, you have likely noticed that nearly all of them have Bluetooth® capabilities. Hearing aid companies make this prominent in our marketing materials and talk about it all the time!
But I was recently reminded that lots of people don’t know what that means or why they would want Bluetooth® in their hearing aids! So let me tell you all about it.
Bluetooth® in hearing aids connects you to the world on your smartphone
I have an iPhone® and have had them for years now. I love being able to do anything I used to need a desktop computer for, from anywhere. I regularly shop, fill out forms for the doctor’s office, set up appointments, text home repair people, and occasionally even use it for phone calls. In fact, the only desktop/laptop computer I have is the one I use for work!
The Bluetooth® in my Oticon hearing aids allows me to hear everything on my phone through my hearing aids – all perfectly tuned to my hearing loss!
That means that TikTok videos play the sound right into my ears, as does my sister’s voice when we video chat, and when the phone rings? You guessed it – I hear that in my hearing aids too. I don’t miss a call and I don’t miss a word. Plus, other people nearby don’t hear anything. No more loud speakerphone conversations because I can’t hear with just one ear up to the phone.
What else can Bluetooth® do in hearing aids?
Here are some of the things Bluetooth® can send to your Oticon hearing aids:
- Phone calls (including video calls) from your smartphone
- Videos from your smartphone
- Phone rings into your hearing aids
- Music and podcasts can stream into your hearing aids (including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music®, etc.)
- Plus – you can control your hearing aids from an app on your phone
Controlling your hearing aids with an app
You can control the features and functions of your hearing aids with Bluetooth® through an app available on Apple® and Android™ devices. This includes being able to:
- Adjust the volume (helpful when I’m home with my 6-year-old)
- Change the program (T-coil setting for theater performances, speech-in-noise at restaurants)
- Use your phone as a microphone straight to your hearing aids
- Mute your hearing aids
- Check the battery life
- Find your hearing aids if you’ve misplaced them!
Bluetooth® in my hearing aids has been an absolute game changer. I have a much better quality of life and can experience more of the online world, and I have better calls and video chats with loved ones, too.
If your hearing aids don’t have Bluetooth® – or if you’re wondering if it might be time to get your first pair of hearing aids, get started today with a complimentary hearing assessment* at HearingLife.
