Gadgets, Gizmos, and Getting the Most from Your Tech

A hearing aid is a game-changer for many people—but it’s often just the beginning. Thankfully, rapidly evolving technology offers all kinds of reinforcements to help you better understand speech and navigate noisy environments. Many of these tools are already built into the phone you carry every day. Others are simple add-ons or adaptive devices that can make a big difference.

Hearing Is Personal

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Your hearing needs and preferences are unique—and success often comes from combining multiple tools and strategies. Think of your hearing toolkit as something you’ll continue refining over time.

If you already use hearing aids, visit your manufacturer’s website to learn more about your device’s features. Ideally, your audiologist or hearing aid provider has helped you understand what’s possible—but even then, the learning curve is real. There are still plenty of physical and emotional adjustments ahead. Fortunately, you’re not alone, and we’re here to help.

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Your Phone Is Smarter Than You Think

Today’s smartphones include impressive accessibility tools—many of which are free and easy to use. Check your phone’s Accessibility settings (under General Settings) to jumpstart your discovery process.

Here are just a few features worth exploring:

Live Listen (iPhone): Uses your phone as a microphone to help you hear someone more clearly.
Live Captions (Android): Automatically captions speech in real time from conversations and apps.
Sound Recognition: Alerts you when your phone detects sounds like doorbells, alarms, or sirens.
Closed Captions/Subtitles: Displays spoken dialogue as text while watching videos or movies.

If your hearing aids are Bluetooth-enabled, you can connect them to your phone to stream calls, music, and more. It can be amazing—when it works. Bluetooth connectivity can be glitchy, so here are a few tips to keep your devices running smoothly:

Optimize Your Bluetooth Connection:

Keep hearing aid firmware updated (ask your audiologist or supplier).
Update your smartphone’s software regularly.
Restart your phone once a week.
Close unused apps every night.
Forget/delete old Bluetooth connections.
Keep your phone within 30 feet of your hearing aids.

Exploring these tools takes a little effort, but it pays off. YouTube, Google, and ChatGPT can all be helpful resources as you experiment with what works best for you.

Away From Home

Hearing challenges don’t disappear when you leave the house—in fact, they can get tougher in noisy, public environments. Here, you’ll learn about tech and systems designed to help you hear better on the go, whether you're at a concert, in church, or catching a train.

Hearing Loops (Induction Loops)

Look for the hearing loop symbol in public places like airports, theaters, or churches. If your hearing aids have a T-coil, you can connect directly to a loop system and enjoy clearer, more focused sound.

Note: Your T-coil must be activated by your audiologist or provider. Once it’s set up, use your hearing aid app to switch to Loop mode when you see the logo.

Sadly, hearing loops aren’t widespread in the U.S.—yet. As of now, New Hampshire only has 16 known loop locations (mostly churches). NH Hears is working to change that. You can find a list at Time2LoopAmerica.com.

A typical hearing loop setup includes:

A sound source (e.g., microphone, PA system, TV)
An amplifier
A wire loop installed in a room or under carpeting
A receiver (your hearing aids or headset)

FM & Infrared Systems

FM Systems: Transmit sound over radio frequencies from a speaker’s microphone to your hearing aids or headset.
Infrared Systems: Use invisible light to beam sound to a receiver, often used for watching TV.

These can be helpful in certain environments, but aren’t always subtle or user-friendly.

Personal Amplifiers

These portable devices boost sound and reduce background noise—great for watching TV, riding in a car, or attending meetings. Just keep in mind: personal amplifiers aren’t a substitute for hearing aids. Only hearing aids are calibrated to your unique hearing needs and can reduce long-term risks like cognitive decline.

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Zoom, TV, Movies, and More

Zoom Meetings

Turn on captions from the Zoom menu so you can glance down if you miss a word. The host must enable captions—but they are a private setting and no one else will see them unless they also turn them on.

Watching TV

Try a sound bar: It enhances clarity without needing to crank up the volume.
Use personal amplifiers with care: Avoid high volume to prevent further hearing damage.
Smart TV + Bluetooth hearing aids: Stream sound directly to your aids and mute the TV volume for others.

Movie Theaters

Thanks to the ADA, all U.S. theaters showing digital movies must offer Personal Captioning Devices, such as:

Glasses that display captions
Goose-neck display units that fit in cup holders

Ask for one when you arrive. If it’s not working properly, don’t hesitate to request a refund. Theaters must provide a minimum number of devices based on their seating capacity.

Some theaters also offer open captioned showings (with captions on-screen). These are usually noted on the theater’s website.

Live Theater

Venues with 50+ seats that use sound amplification must provide Assisted Listening Devices (ALD). These might require a small refundable deposit or ID. You have the right to ask for one.