In todays society, an estimated “95% of deaf and hard of hearing people use a smartphone on a daily basis in developed countries.” Virtually all persons interact with computers, smartphones or tablets on a regular basis.
Through the use of apps, websites and services, smartphones help those with hearing loss to live fuller lives. Many applications help eliminate communication-related obstacles impacting the lives of millions of hard-of-hearing people globally.
Hearing enhancement functions often remain underused due to the lack of communication by operating systems and their constant evolution. However, many are surprisingly simple to activate and very effective. These functions improve access to work opportunities, culture, medical care and public services.
Today’s technology fosters a greater social bond between those with hearing challenges and the rest of society. While hearing apps are not a substitute for medical hearing devices, they provide situational assistance for the hard of hearing in noisy environments.
Various Hearing Apps to Suit Your Needs
Each app has its own individual purpose and is useful for different reasons. For example, some apps enhance telephone calls, enable speech-to-text or amplify sound. Through the release of new apps and services, creators continuously work on the next best thing.
This constant evolution exists in the hearing apps space as well. As such, advances in smartphone technology today allows users to adjust accessibility settings based on their personal preferences. This ability to customize makes the applications much more effective.
Captioning Apps
Those with hearing loss often struggle with phone calls. To assist these people, apps like Relay UK and RogerVoice transcribe speech from calls into readable text.
Through Relay UK, relay operators sit in on calls and transcribe the conversation in real-time. For those uncomfortable with 3rd party listening in on their calls RogerVoice is another option. The RogerVoice app captions calls via a computer voice recognition system rather than a relying on actual people.
Speech-to-Text Apps
Speech-to-text apps are designed to assist communication by converting conversations into text on your device. Live Transcribe is a speech-to-text accessibility app with a customizable user interface. This interface giving offers the ability to set the displayed text size and background color.
Additionally, Ava is a sophisticated app that provides features that most others don’t, such as the group conversation ability. The text of what each member of the group appears on the screens of everyone involved.
Hearing Amplification Apps
Many of those with hearing challenges use hearing amplifier apps for sound amplification and clarity. These devices are not replacements for hearing devices and are designed to be used with earphones or headphones.
Chatable is an app that uses AI enhanced processing of sound to reduce background noise and enhance speech in difficult listening situations. Mobile Ears is another amplifier with an easy-to-use interface for improved sound clarity.
Nuheara’s IQbuds App and Ear ID
World Volume Controls
Nuheara’s IQbuds hearing control app unlocks the powerful customization features available with the IQbuds² MAX. These features allows the user to customize their sound environment with seven location settings. Additionally, the app has the ability to control levels of noise cancelling, world volume, speech-in-noise and sound by direction.
Ear ID: Personalized Hearing App
The app also allows the user to measure their hearing thresholds through the Ear ID assessment. No other hearing bud system gives the flexibility of self-assessment and auto-calibration using industry standard formulas making it a super hearing app.
Ear ID is Nuheara’s proprietary hearing personalization system embedded in IQbuds² MAX. This easy-to-use feature allows you to measure and analyze your hearing thresholds for both ears in less than 10 minutes.
The application then generates a personal Ear ID hearing profile, showing the relative strength or weakness of your hearing at various frequencies. The technology uses the clinically-validated NAL-NL2 formula which “aims at making speech intelligible and overall loudness comfortable.”
NAL-NL2 is the second generation of prescription procedures from The National Acoustic Laboratories for fitting wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) instruments. This technology sets the IQbuds app apart from other hearing apps.
Additional Features of IQbuds Hearing App
In addition to the aforementioned world volume control and Ear ID customization features, the IQbuds hearing app offers even more. Note the following features:
- IQstream TV: The app enables independent volume control of any television connected via Bluetooth using the IQstream TV device. Using aptX LL technology, listen to surround-sound quality TV audio through you earbuds with zero lag.
- Tap Touch Controls: Set up three different tap-touch controls for each earbud based on your preferences.
- Firmware Updates: The Nuheara team constantly looks for new ways to innovate and improve upon our products. Through the IQbuds hearing app, get the latest features via downloadable firmware updates.
