Millions of people use Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, to control smart home devices, play music, get weather and news updates, and more. With the growing popularity of this kind of helpful virtual assistant technology, it’s natural to wonder if you can use Alexa with your hearing aids.
Unfortunately, Alexa cannot collaborate directly with your hearing aids. However, thanks to Bluetooth, you can connect your hearing aids to the Alexa app and many Amazon® accessories. In this guide, we explain how to use your hearing aids with the Alexa smartphone app, Amazon Echo products, and Fire TV devices.
What Is Alexa?
Alexa is a cloud-based virtual assistant software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to respond to spoken commands. Like how some people use Siri with their iPhones, Alexa is a voice-activated virtual assistant built into Amazon smart devices. By simply saying “Alexa,” you can activate the software and ask questions, play music, make calls, set timers, and many other helpful things.
Alexa can be accessed through a smartphone app and various other Amazon products like the Echo. It is also available on over 100 million1 third-party devices, such as speakers, headphones, smart TVs, and more.
How to Connect Alexa to Your Hearing Aids
To use Alexa with your hearing aids, you will need Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids. Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows electronic devices to connect and communicate with each other over short distances. To find out if your hearing aids have Bluetooth, this information will be available in the user manual or online.
While Alexa can’t directly connect to your hearing aids, you can use your smartphone and the Alexa app to bridge the gap.
Amazon Alexa App
Using Bluetooth technology, your smartphone acts as a bridge between Alexa and your hearing aids. Once your hearing aids are paired with your smartphone, here’s how to connect them to the Alexa app:
- If you don’t already have it, download the Alexa app from your smartphone’s app store.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Alexa account.
- Verify that your smartphone is connected to your hearing aids via Bluetooth.
- You should now be able to stream audio from the Alexa app to your hearing aids.
This allows you to talk to Alexa and enjoy many of the app’s benefits including streaming music, audiobooks, and other audio directly through your hearing aids. With the Alexa app, you can also add and manage your Echo and other smart home devices.
How to Pair Your Hearing Aids to Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo is a voice-controlled home assistant powered by Alexa, that can help you perform a variety of hands-free tasks. All Amazon Echo devices have Alexa capabilities. However, not all Bluetooth hearing aids are directly compatible with the Echo.
Depending on the make and model of your hearing aids, you may be able to connect them to your Echo device using the Alexa app and a wireless hearing aid microphone.
Hearing Aid Remote Microphone+
The Remote Microphone+ is a wireless hearing aid accessory that provides a classic Bluetooth connection to the Amazon Echo. This easy-to-use hearing aid microphone allows you to talk to Alexa and stream audio from your Echo through your hearing aids.
To connect the Remote Microphone+ to your chosen Amazon Echo device, follow these steps:
- Put your Remote Microphone+ into pairing mode by holding down the Input Mode and Volume Down buttons until the LED light flashes blue.
- Open the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone and go to the Settings menu.
- Select your Echo device and choose “Bluetooth Devices” under “Wireless.”
- Tap “Pair A New Device” and select Remote Mic+ from the list.
- A Bluetooth icon will appear next to Remote Mic+ when connected. This means the devices have successfully paired.
The specific steps might vary slightly depending on your hearing aid make and model. Always refer to the user manuals for detailed instructions.
Once the pairing is complete, you can then use the Remote Mic+ to control your Amazon Echo and talk to Alexa. All audio from the Amazon Echo device will stream directly into your ears instead of playing through the Echo speakers.
How to Use Your Hearing Aids with Fire TV Devices
If you have compatible Bluetooth hearing aids, you can also use them with your Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd and 3rd Gen), Fire TV 4-Series, and more. Pairing your hearing aids with your Fire TV allows you to stream audio from movies, TV shows, and other entertainment directly to your ears.
To pair your hearing aids to the Fire TV, follow these steps:
- Ensure your Fire TV device and hearing aids are compatible. (Refer to your user manuals or online)
- Follow the instructions in your hearing aid manual to put them in pairing mode.
- On your Fire TV menu, go to “Settings” and select “Accessibility,” then “Hearing Aids,” and finally “Add Hearing Aids.”
- When pairing is complete, you’ll be alerted that your hearing aid is paired successfully.
- The TV screen will then prompt you to pair a second hearing aid. If you only have one, the pairing process is complete.
- If you have two hearing aids, you’ll need to complete the process again to pair both with your Fire TV.
- Once the pairing is complete, you can use the Fire TV remote to control the volume of the audio in your hearing aids or access more detailed audio settings in the Accessibility menu.
The specific steps might vary slightly depending on your Fire TV and hearing aid make and model. Always refer to the user manuals for detailed instructions.
Learn More About the Latest Hearing Aid Technology Available Now at Audibel
Artificial intelligence and virtual assistants like Alexa have changed the world of hearing loss care for the better. With all the amazing features, you can simplify your everyday life and focus on enjoying the sounds around you. The hearing care professionals at Audibel are passionate about helping you find the best hearing aids for your unique needs. To learn more about the latest hearing aid technology and what it can do for you, find an Audibel hearing clinic near you.
Resources
- Amazon Alexa Official Site: What is Alexa? (n.d.). Amazon Alexa. https://developer.amazon.com/en-GB/alexa
- Amazon. (n.d.). Audio Streaming for Bluetooth Hearing Aids and Devices with Fire TV. In Amazon Fire TV [Press-release]. https://d1ergij2b6wmg5.cloudfront.net/S3+Cloudfront/FireTV/ASHA/Audio+Streaming+for+Bluetooth+Hearing+Aids+and+Devices_FireTV_Getting+Started.pdf
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