Remember the days of removing your hearing aids to listen to music through headphones or holding your phone in an odd position to hear the person on the other end of the line? With Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, those annoyances can be a thing of the past. Learn more about the benefits of Bluetooth hearing aids and how to connect them to other devices.
What is Bluetooth?
If your first question is, “What is Bluetooth, and what does it do?” You’re not alone. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that connects two devices without a physical link, like a cord. You might connect your phone to your car’s audio system or your computer mouse wirelessly to your computer—that’s Bluetooth technology in action.
How do Bluetooth hearing aids work?
When connected, Bluetooth hearing aids and Bluetooth-enabled devices (such as cell phones, TVs and laptops) exchange radio waves to transmit audio—whether it’s music, movies or phone calls—wirelessly.
What are the benefits of Bluetooth hearing aids?
One of the main benefits of Bluetooth hearing aids is that you don’t have to remove them to answer phone calls or listen to music. Additionally, you can:
- Experience better sound quality on calls or when listening to music or watching TV
- Enjoy a personalized listening experience that aligns with your hearing aid’s settings
- Set up connections to multiple devices
How much are Bluetooth hearing aids?
The cost of Bluetooth hearing aids varies significantly, ranging from a few hundred dollars per hearing aid to a few thousand. Miracle-Ear offers hearing aids for every budget, including a range of receiver-in-canal (RIC), in-the-ear (ITE) and behind-the-ear (BTE) Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids.
Does Bluetooth drain hearing aid batteries?
Compared to non-Bluetooth hearing aids, you may find that the battery of your Bluetooth hearing aid does not last as long if you are streaming audio frequently. To help save battery, only turn on your hearing aids’ Bluetooth capability when connecting to another device.
How to connect hearing aids with Bluetooth
The steps below outline how to connect hearing aids to Bluetooth. The specific device you’re trying to connect to might have different instructions, so it’s a good idea to check the manual if you’re having trouble.
Confirm your hearing aids have Bluetooth
An important first step in determining how to connect a hearing aid to Bluetooth is to ensure your hearing aids are, in fact, Bluetooth-enabled. When shopping for hearing aids, ask your hearing care professional to find a pair that has Bluetooth. Do you currently wear a Miracle-EarCONNECT™ hearing aid? That’s a Bluetooth hearing aid you can connect to other Bluetooth-compatible devices.
Turn on your hearing aid's Bluetooth
Once you’ve confirmed your hearing aid is Bluetooth enabled, turn your hearing aid off and back on near the device you’re trying to connect to.
Activate your device's Bluetooth
On your device, look for the Bluetooth signal—often found under “Settings”—and turn it on.
Connect your hearing aids and Bluetooth device
After turning on the device’s Bluetooth, you should see your hearing aid listed as a compatible device. Click on the name of your hearing aids to pair (make the connection).
Disconnect off your Bluetooth connection
To unpair (or disconnect) your hearing aids and the Bluetooth-enabled device, turn off the device’s Bluetooth setting or turn off your hearing aids.
Which devices connect with hearing aids via Bluetooth?
From mobile phones to TVs, you can connect your Bluetooth listening device to a range of other Bluetooth-enabled gadgets. Read on for guidance on pairing to specific devices.
Connecting hearing aids to a mobile phone
If you’re not using an Android or iPhone, we recommend looking at directions for your specific device for how to connect Bluetooth hearing aids to your phone. You’ll likely find a Bluetooth option in the settings that will prompt you with an opportunity to pair.
Connecting hearing aids to an iPhone
- In your iPhone® Settings, look for Bluetooth and ensure it’s turned on.
- Then, under Settings, navigate to “Accessibility and Hearing Devices”.
- Turn your hearing aids off and on, and look at the MFi Hearing Devices section. You should see the name of your hearing aids appear.
- Click to pair. It may take up to a minute for the connection to be made.
For additional questions on how to connect hearing aids to Bluetooth on an iPhone, your hearing care professional or hearing aid manual can help.
Connecting hearing aids to an Android™ Phone
If you want to learn how to connect hearing aids to Bluetooth on Android, try these steps.
- Within your phone’s Settings, navigate to “Connected Devices” and click “Pair New Device”.
- Select your hearing aid when you see it listed.
- If you wear two hearing aids, pair one at a time.
Connecting hearing aids to a TV
One of the first things that many hearing aid users want to know is how to connect hearing aids to TV via Bluetooth:
- If you have a Bluetooth-enabled TV, look in the menu to ensure its Bluetooth connectivity capabilities are turned on.
- Then, on the list of available devices, click on the name of your hearing aids.
You might also consider installing a TV streamer, which streams the audio from your TV directly to your hearing aids.
Connecting hearing aids to a PC or laptop
- Connect Bluetooth hearing aids to laptops by turning your hearing aids off and on near your computer (make sure your computer’s Bluetooth is turned on, too).
- In the Bluetooth menu on your laptop, select your hearing aids to pair. You may experience a brief wait while the devices pair.
Whether you’re trying to connect Bluetooth hearing aids to a PC or a Mac, the experience should be similar.
