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Guide · Smartphone Hearing Tools

Smartphone Hearing Tools

Your phone can help with communication, noise safety, and day-to-day hearing support. This page keeps it practical: what to turn on, how to use it in real life, and when to move from “phone tools” to a real evaluation.

About 6–10 minutes Pick a device, then a goal
Educational only. Smartphone features can be helpful, but they do not diagnose hearing loss, and menus can vary by device and software version. If something feels sudden, one-sided, or scary, prioritize safety: use /en/emergency.

Start here

Step 1: Choose your phone. Step 2: Pick the goal that matches what you need this week. If a setting name looks different on your device, use the Settings search bar and try a similar term (example: “hearing,” “captions,” “sound recognition,” “amplifier”).

Hear one person better

Use your phone as a remote microphone (helpful across a table, in the car, or in a meeting).

Captions & transcripts

Turn on live captions and use them as a backup when the environment gets noisy.

Protect your hearing

Use loud-sound features to avoid “accidental” high exposure from headphones.

Safety alerts

Get notifications for alarms/doorbells—useful, but not a replacement for a safety plan.

Remote microphone (Live Listen)

Works with AirPods / supported Beats Also works with MFi hearing devices

What it does: sends sound from your iPhone’s microphone to supported headphones/earbuds (or to Made for iPhone hearing devices).

Best for: restaurants, meetings, cars, lectures — when you can place the phone closer to the talker.

  1. Connect your AirPods / supported Beats (or connect your MFi hearing device in Accessibility settings).
  2. Open Control Center:
    • iPhone X or later: swipe down from the top-right.
    • iPhone 8 / SE (older style): swipe up from the bottom.
  3. Tap the Hearing control (ear icon). If you don’t see it: go to Settings → Control Center and add Hearing.
  4. Turn on Live Listen.
  5. Place the phone within arm’s reach of the person speaking (table, podium, dashboard). The closer the phone is to the talker, the better it works.
Real-life tip: Test it once at home with one person so you’re not troubleshooting in the middle of a noisy event.
If you don’t use AirPods/Beats or MFi hearing devices, this feature may not appear.

Headphone loud-sound safety

Settings → Sounds & Haptics Health app: Hearing

What it does: helps you notice (and reduce) repeated loud headphone listening.

Best for: earbuds on transit, long workdays, workouts, podcasts.

  1. Open Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety.
  2. Turn on Headphone Notifications (alerts) and consider Reduce Loud Sounds (a volume limit).
  3. Optional: open the Health app → search Hearing to view headphone audio levels over time.
  4. Try a practical habit: lower volume + take listening breaks.
Doable this week: If you keep turning volume up to “beat the background,” consider using noise-canceling (when safe) or moving to a quieter spot instead of increasing volume.

Live Captions (real-time transcription)

iPhone 11 or later Language/region availability varies

What it does: shows on-screen text for spoken audio — in apps and in some live, around-you situations.

Best for: appointments, meetings, group conversations, noisy spaces (as a backup).

  1. Open Settings → Accessibility → search for Live Captions.
  2. Turn it on and try it in a quiet room first (so you learn where the captions appear on your screen).
  3. In conversations, place your phone where the microphone has a clear line to the main speaker.
Limit: Captions are a backup — not a fix for hearing loss. If you need captions even in quiet one-to-one conversations, plan a hearing evaluation.

Sound Recognition (alarms, doorbells, etc.)

Settings → Accessibility May download sound models first

What it does: notifies you when your phone thinks it hears selected sounds.

Best for: added awareness at home — especially with vibration or a wearable.

  1. Open Settings → Accessibility → Sound & Name Recognition → Sound Recognition.
  2. Turn it on, then choose sounds you care about (examples: doorbell, siren, crying baby).
  3. Test it during the day (not at 2 a.m.). If it seems unreliable, treat it as “extra awareness,” not “safety coverage.”
Safety guardrail: Apple explicitly warns not to rely on Sound Recognition for high-risk or emergency situations. Don’t use it as your only emergency plan for fire alarms or urgent warnings.

If you already use hearing aids

Settings → Accessibility

Why this matters: Many hearing aids can connect directly to iPhone for streaming and easy controls. If you have hearing aids, it’s worth checking before you rely on “phone-as-amplifier” workarounds.

  1. Open Settings → Accessibility → search Hearing Devices.
  2. Follow the pairing steps for your hearing aids (if they’re Made for iPhone compatible).
  3. Once connected, you may be able to stream calls/media and adjust settings more comfortably.
Heads up: Compatibility depends on the hearing aid model. If pairing is frustrating, your audiology team can often help quickly.

Phones can support you — they shouldn’t carry the whole load

If you’re relying on these features daily, turning volume up a lot, or still missing key details in quiet conversations, that’s a strong signal to plan a real hearing evaluation and support.

Care Navigator Test Results Decoder Sound sensitivity (hyperacusis)
References (feature documentation)

Educational only. This page does not store personal data. Your selections update only on your device.