Many hearing aids today can connect directly to their iPhone via the use of Bluetooth technology. This is a feature that has soared in use and popularity over the past few years. Most hearing aid devices are paired during the fitting appointment with their audiologist or at a follow-up appointment. However, at some point, the feature will stop working patients are left without a critical communication device.
“How do I re-pair my hearing aids with my iPhone?” This is one of the most common questions we get at Flex Audiology. We normally get a cluster of frantic phone calls shortly after Apple releases a new software update. This happens because Apple does not share its updates with any manufacturer until after they release them to the public. The manufacturer is left scrambling to catch up. Sometimes, we are lucky and can just reset the settings. Other times, we must wait until the hearing aid manufacturer releases a firmware update.
Regardless of the reason, in just a few short steps, you can get back on track to streaming music, podcasts or telephone calls through your hearing aids.
Forget Your Devices
The first step is to go into your settings and select Bluetooth. You should see a list of connected devices under “My Devices.” Click on the blue information icon next to your device. A new menu will pop up that says, “Forget This Device.” Do this for each hearing aid device you have.
Prep Your Hearing Devices
If your hearing aids use batteries, open and close the battery doors. This will put them into Bluetooth pairing mode for the next 2-3 minutes. If your hearing aids are rechargeable, either power them down and then back on or place them in the charger for a few seconds and pull them back out to turn them on. Next, turn the Bluetooth off on your phone and then immediately turn it back on. Your hearing aid devices will show up under “My Devices.” Be patient as this could take a few seconds.
Connect Your Hearing Devices
Your hearing aids should now show up under the Bluetooth “Other Devices” section. Tap the hearing aid or aids you would like to connect. Depending on the manufacturer, you will be selecting one hearing aid or both hearing aids.
You are now ready to start streaming calls, music and/or videos. As always, we are available to help walk you through this process.
