In today’s digital world, there seems to be an app for everything under the sun. But does that extend to hearing aids? In fact, it does! Entrepreneurs and developers have recognized the need to connect hearing aids to smartphones and are doing it in several different ways, including the development of hearing aid apps.
Hearing Help
There are multiple apps available that are for everyone, not just those with hearing loss. These apps let you test your hearing, analyze noise levels, and simulate hearing loss. Audicus’ own Hearing Test is free and easy to use. You can use the desktop version to quickly and accurately screen for hearing loss if you suspect you (or someone you know) is suffering from hearing loss. The test plays a series of tones through your headphones and is a great tool to utilize if you think you might have hearing loss.
Audicus also has integrated this test directly into hearing devices—the Audicus Online Hearing Test directly works with in conjunction with the Solo Smart Listening Device, allowing wearers to order personalized devices for the first time ever! The listening device has custom settings for many different listening environments, making it very easy to fine-tune your listening profile.
The Hearing Loss Simulator app is useful for people with hearing loss that get frustrated with constantly explaining their condition. This app can simulate how common noises sound to a person with hearing loss, by muffling the sounds and lowering the volume. This app is a great tool to help friends and family understand exactly what hearing loss is like.
We’ve mentioned many times about how important prevention is to fight off hearing loss. Once you start to lose your hearing, you cannot restore it. Luckily, there’s an app to help! TooLoud Pro and dB Meter are apps that analyzes your environment and informs you if it’s too loud, and if you’re putting your hearing at risk.
Smartphone hearing aids
Along with apps that can aid your hearing experience or help prevent hearing loss, there are ways to actually turn your smartphone into a hearing aid. This is especially helpful for people who are starting to suffer from hearing loss, but do not want to commit to wearing hearing aids just yet. soundAMP is an app that processes sounds using the phone or tablet’s own mic and sends amplified signals to the user’s earbuds. This app also has important features like instant reply, automatic tuning, and a recording function that lets you record now and listen later.
Another app that has gotten a lot of buzz in the hearing world is BioAid, a fairly new offering that comes with a lot of features. The app has a wide range of settings that helps users really customize their hearing experience and control background sounds.
Because of the prevalence of hearing loss in today’s world, it only makes sense that developers are reaching out to those with hearing loss and hoping to make their lives a little easier. Smartphone and tablet apps are making hearing aid devices much more available to people around the world and making clear hearing more accessible to those in need. Take a look at your app store and see which apps fit your lifestyle the best!