How to Connect Your Hearing Aids to iPhone, Android, and TV
To connect hearing aids to an iPhone, open Settings, tap Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices, and select your hearing aids when they appear. On Android, the reliable path is Settings, then Accessibility, then Hearing devices, then Pair new device. For a TV, either pair directly over Bluetooth or use a wireless TV streamer made by your hearing aid manufacturer.
Here are the exact steps for each, plus what to do when it does not work the first time.
Before You Start: Check Compatibility
Your hearing aids need wireless streaming built in. Most hearing aids sold in recent years have it, but not all do, and the fastest way to know for certain is to open your manufacturer’s app or check the model name against the maker’s site. If you bought your aids from us and are not sure, call and we will tell you in about a minute.
There are two systems worth knowing about:
- Made for iPhone (MFi): the protocol Apple uses for hearing devices. Starkey, Signia, and most other major manufacturers make MFi models, and they connect to an iPhone directly, with no extra hardware.
- ASHA and Bluetooth LE Audio: the Android equivalents. ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids) arrived with Android 10 and is what most current hearing aids use. Newer phones running Android 13 and later add LE Audio, which brings better battery life and Auracast broadcast support.
If your hearing aids predate wireless streaming, you are not stuck. Most manufacturers sell a small intermediary streamer that hangs around the neck or clips to clothing and relays audio to the aids. Our overview of Bluetooth hearing aids covers which models support what.
One thing to get out of the way first: charge your hearing aids, or put in fresh batteries. A surprising share of “it will not pair” problems are actually low-power problems.
How to Connect Hearing Aids to iPhone
Apple documents this path for Made for iPhone hearing devices.
- Make sure your hearing aids are on and close to the phone. Within arm’s reach is fine.
- Put them in pairing mode. There are three common ways, depending on your model: open the battery door and close it again, turn the aids off and back on, or take them out of the charger. Any of these puts most hearing aids into a discoverable state for a couple of minutes.
- Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices. Your iPhone starts searching. Do not go looking in the main Bluetooth menu. MFi hearing devices often will not appear there, and this is the single most common reason people conclude their aids are broken.
- Tap your hearing aid’s name when it appears. It usually shows up as your name plus the model.
- Tap Pair. You may see one pairing request or two, depending on your model. Tap Pair for each one you see. Getting two requests is normal for a pair of aids and does not mean something went wrong.
Once connected, you can control volume and switch audio presets from that same Hearing Devices screen.
If they do not appear: turn the hearing aids off and back on, confirm Bluetooth is enabled in Settings, and make sure the aids are not still connected to another phone or tablet in the house. A hearing aid already streaming to an iPad will not offer itself to your iPhone.
How to Connect Hearing Aids to Android
Android gives you two documented paths, and the difference matters more than most guides admit.
Use the Accessibility path first. It is built specifically for ASHA-compatible hearing aids:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Accessibility, then Hearing devices, then Pair new device.
- Put your hearing aids in pairing mode.
- Choose your hearing aid from the list.
- If you wear two, wait for the first to finish connecting, then tap the second one in the list.
The Connected devices path (Settings, then Connected devices, then Pair new device) also works and covers hearing aids that are not ASHA compatible. If the Accessibility menu comes up empty, try this one before concluding anything is wrong.
A few Android-specific notes:
- Menu names vary by manufacturer. Samsung puts some of this under Settings, then Accessibility, then Hearing enhancements. If you cannot find “Hearing devices,” search your Settings app for “hearing.”
- If your aids are not in the list, tap “See more devices” at the bottom of the Bluetooth screen. Android hides some devices behind that.
- Some steps require Android 14 or later. On older phones, the Connected devices path is the dependable one.
- Download your manufacturer’s app first if you have not already. Starkey, Signia, and most major manufacturers offer one, and on Android the app frequently handles pairing more smoothly than the system menus do.
If pairing fails: tap Forget on the device, restart the phone, and pair again. Android Bluetooth behaves inconsistently across phone brands, and a clean re-pair fixes most of it.
How to Connect Hearing Aids to a TV
Three approaches, in order of how well they usually work.
Option 1: A TV Streamer (Recommended)
A TV streamer is a small box that plugs into your television’s audio output and broadcasts straight to your hearing aids. Starkey, Signia, and most major manufacturers each make one matched to their own devices.
Setup takes about ten minutes: plug the streamer into the TV’s optical or 3.5mm audio output, connect its power, then pair it to your hearing aids using the manufacturer’s app.
We recommend this to most patients: audio stays in sync with the picture, the connection is dedicated so it does not drop when someone walks past with a phone, and the range covers a normal living room.
Option 2: Direct Bluetooth from the TV
If your television has Bluetooth output, you can sometimes skip the streamer entirely.
Check TV Settings, then Sound, then a menu named something like Bluetooth Speaker List or Audio Output. Put your hearing aids in pairing mode and select them from the list.
The tradeoff: many televisions introduce noticeable audio delay over Bluetooth, so lips and voices drift out of sync. Some sets have a lip-sync adjustment in the sound menu. Many do not.
Option 3: Telecoil and a Neckloop
If your hearing aids have a telecoil (a “T” program) but no Bluetooth, a neckloop plugged into the TV’s headphone jack broadcasts to the telecoil directly. It is older technology, and it still works well. Switch your aids to the T program and adjust volume from the TV.
Troubleshooting Common Connection Problems
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Hearing aids do not show up at all | Restart the aids, check charge, confirm Bluetooth is on, tap “See more devices” on Android |
| Audio cuts in and out | Move closer, keep the phone on the same side of your body, disconnect unused Bluetooth devices |
| Connected, but no sound | Check that media audio is enabled and not just call audio, and confirm you are not in a hearing aid program that blocks streaming |
| One ear works, the other does not | Unpair both, restart the aids, pair again and let the first finish before tapping the second |
| Everything worked until a phone update | Forget the devices and re-pair. OS updates routinely break existing hearing aid pairings |
| Manufacturer app will not connect | Force-close the app, reopen it, and if that fails, restart the phone before re-pairing |
If you use Starkey devices specifically, our guide to fixing Starkey Bluetooth problems goes deeper on the app-side issues.
Tips for Getting the Best Streaming
- Keep the phone on you. Walls and body mass weaken the signal. A phone in your front pocket streams more reliably than one in a bag across the room.
- Adjust streaming volume separately. Every manufacturer app lets you balance streamed audio against the microphones. If you can hear the TV but not your spouse next to you, that balance is the setting to change.
- Set up programs for different situations. Most apps let you save presets for phone calls, music, and TV. It takes a few minutes once and saves fiddling every time.
- Close Bluetooth connections you are not using. A smartwatch, a car, and a tablet all competing for the same radio is a common cause of stuttering audio.
Need Help Pairing? We Will Set It Up for You
Pairing trouble is one of the most common reasons patients come in, and it is almost never a broken hearing aid. It is usually a menu buried three levels deep, or a device still connected to something else in the house.
Bring your hearing aids, your phone, and if the TV is the problem, the streamer box. We will pair everything, set up your programs, and show you how to change them yourself.
Call (918) 493-4000 or stop by 2323 S. Sheridan Rd. in Tulsa, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm. If you are still deciding which devices suit you, our guide to Bluetooth hearing aids covers which models support direct streaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect my hearing aids to my smart TV?
Often yes, if the TV has Bluetooth audio output. Check Settings, then Sound, then the Bluetooth or audio output menu. A TV streamer from your hearing aid manufacturer is usually the better option, because direct TV Bluetooth frequently introduces a delay that puts audio out of sync with the picture.
How do I connect hearing aids to my Android phone?
Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then Hearing devices, then Pair new device, and select your hearing aids while they are in pairing mode. If they do not appear there, try Settings, then Connected devices, then Pair new device instead. Menu names vary between phone brands.
Why can’t I hear the TV with my hearing aids connected?
Check that media audio is enabled for the hearing aids rather than call audio only, confirm your aids are not in a program that blocks streaming, and make sure the TV audio output is set to Bluetooth rather than the built-in speakers. If audio plays but lags behind the picture, look for a lip-sync or audio delay setting in the TV’s sound menu.
Do all hearing aids work with Bluetooth?
No. Most hearing aids sold in recent years support wireless streaming, but older devices and some entry-level models do not. If yours do not, a separate streamer accessory from the manufacturer can bridge the gap.
How do I put my hearing aids in pairing mode?
Depending on the model: open and close the battery door, turn the aids off and back on, or remove them from the charging case. Any of these makes most hearing aids discoverable for a couple of minutes.
Can I stream from two devices at once?
Most hearing aids pair with several devices but stream from only one at a time, switching to whichever is actively playing. Some newer models support two simultaneous connections. Check your manufacturer’s app to see what yours allows.