MFi hearing aids usually have additional settings (depending on the manufacturer) that can be configured through the Control Center (Add Hearing) or through the Accessibility Shortcuts. setting > Accessibility > Accessibility shortcuts.
To use your hearing aids with your Android smartphone, pair them like any other Bluetooth device. Settings > Connected Devices and Pair a new deviceThere is also a pairing option Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Listening Devices and Pair a new device.
Additional features vary by phone manufacturer. To see what features your phone supports, refer to the hearing aid compatibility (HAC). For example, here is the Google Pixel hearing aid compatibility page. Some hearing aids now allow you to stream music and podcasts directly from your Android phone to your hearing aids, but we recommend checking compatibility before purchasing.
If you use hearing aids with your Pixel phone, open the Phone app, tap the three vertical dots menu Top right Settings > Accessibility To Toggle hearing aid upon.
If you don’t have hearing aids yet but think you might need them, read our guide on how to buy hearing aids. We also have guides on how to stream audio to your hearing aids or cochlear implants.
How to Use Real-Time Text on Your Cell Phone
Some people prefer to type responses while they’re on the phone, and the Real-Time Text (RTT) feature allows you to do this. Unfortunately, availability varies by region and carrier. If you don’t have the RTT option, your phone may support Teletype (TTY) instead (RTT is a more advanced feature that allows you to send audio as you type).
On an Android phone, open the Phone app and tap the three vertical dots menu Top right Settings > Accessibility Turn on the switch RTTT or TerminalIf selected Always visibleAfter you call someone, you can tap the RTT icon (capital T) to start an RTT call, or you can launch it while on a call by tapping .
To check your call logs on Android, open the Phone app recently, Select the call you want to make, Call details > View transcript.
For iPhone, you can turn on RTT or TTY. Settings > Accessibility You can choose Answer all calls as RTT/TTYYou can also choose RTT/TTY Calls When you call someone, you can tap the RTT/TTY icon (which looks like a landline phone) to answer the call or switch to text while on the call.
To check your call log on your iPhone, open the Phone app recently, And then I It will appear next to the call. In your call history, an RTT/TTY icon will appear next to calls that have transcripts.
Why some Android accessibility features are built into Pixel
You might wonder why some hearing accessibility features are built into Google’s Pixel phones but offered as separate apps on other Android devices. Angana Ghosh, director of product management for input and accessibility at Google, says this allows the accessibility team to try new things on Pixel, where they design the hardware, especially since some phones might not have the same level of on-device processing.
Keeping certain features as standalone apps also allows for regular updates, allowing other Android phones to benefit from the latest developments without the need for firmware updates, which are often infrequent on non-Pixel phones.
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