AI Hearing Aid Apps: Everything You Need to Know

October 21, 2024 0

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized how we manage our health, and hearing loss care is no exception. The development of AI hearing aids and complementary apps for smartphones is a key part of this innovation. AI hearing aid apps like Thrive Hearing Control and My Audibel, offer a wide range of features that maximize the power of AI hearing aids and put control of your hearing health at your fingertips. 

In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about AI hearing aid apps—how they work, the features they offer, and the benefits of using them. Whether you’re new to hearing aids or ready to upgrade, read on to learn more about this life-changing hearing technology.

What are AI Hearing Aid Apps?

AI hearing aid apps are mobile applications designed to work in tandem with AI hearing aids. These apps provide greater control and customization options, right from your smartphone or tablet. With just a tap of your screen, you can fine-tune settings, switch between different hearing modes, and even check your hearing aid battery level. But that’s not all. 

Unlike standard hearing aid apps, AI-powered hearing aid apps go far beyond basic setting controls and volume adjustments. AI apps combine advanced sound and speech enhancement with AI virtual assistant capabilities and health monitoring technology.  

For instance, some AI hearing aid apps can monitor daily activity and engagement stats, detect serious falls and send alerts, track down lost hearing aids, and even translate languages. You can find all these features and more in both of the most widely used smartphone apps for Audibel AI hearing aids: the Thrive Hearing Control app, and My Audibel app.

What Features Are Available Through AI Hearing Aid Apps?

AI hearing aid apps have redefined personalized hearing loss care. These apps are packed with innovative features all designed to provide you with the highest degree of clarity, convenience, and quality of life.  

While specific functions will vary for different devices and smartphone apps, below we highlight some of the most life-changing AI hearing aid app features available today. 

Hearing Aid Control Features

An older man wearing a Bluetooth hearing aid looking down at his smartphone pairing them together via a wireless Bluetooth connection

As you move through your daily routine, you will undoubtedly encounter a huge range of varying noise levels. As your sound environment shifts, your hearing aid settings must also change. AI hearing aid apps make this incredibly easy, allowing you to discreetly control your hearing aid settings directly from your smartphone.  

You can adjust volume, switch between different custom modes, and manage other settings without even touching your hearing aid. This makes it easier to fine-tune settings for any environment while on the go. 

Location-Based Custom Sound Profiles

In addition to switching between profiles, these hearing aid apps also allow you to create and save (geotag) custom sound profiles for specific locations. Once geotagged in the app, these hyper-personalized hearing settings will then be automatically activated anytime you arrive at those places. 

Streaming Phone Calls

Through these apps, you can also quickly and easily adjust settings while actively streaming a phone call through your hearing aids. Instead of having to interrupt a phone conversation to adjust your settings, you can fine-tune the volume, adjust the background noise-cancelation, and more, all directly in the app.

Streaming Audio Entertainment

Similarly, when streaming music or audio from the television, AI hearing aid apps let you customize the audio experience to suit your needs and preferences. Instead of using a remote or getting up to adjust external devices, everything is right at your fingertips. 

You can enhance the clarity of speech in shows or movies, turn up the volume independently from the sound coming out of the TV, and more.

Sound and Speech Clarity Features

Happy mature women on vacation, on her smartphone, using a hearing aid app for traveling

With AI-driven sound processing, these apps can optimize your sound environment on-demand, enhancing speech clarity, and reducing background noise with just a press of a button. Whether you’re in a crowded restaurant or having a one-on-one conversation, the app can analyze your environment and make smart settings adjustments for the clearest listening experience. 

For Muffled Speech

With just a tap of your smartphone screen, AI-powered hearing aid apps can identify and prioritize the voice of someone speaking and automatically enhance clarity. By analyzing the environment you’re in, as well as speech patterns, the app can instantly optimize your settings to boost their voice.

This is especially useful if the person speaking is wearing a face mask, or you are in a noisy environment.

Health Monitoring Features

Healthy and happy senior couple walking together through a beautiful neighborhood park with their dog

Beyond enhancing sound—AI hearing aid apps also help you monitor personal health and wellness metrics. You can track daily steps, measure movement, and even monitor more vigorous physical activities like exercise. 

In the app, you can also set and track personal wellness goals, providing a simple, yet effective way to motivate yourself to stay active and healthy.

Engagement Tracking

Additionally, some apps can also track hearing health metrics including hearing aid usage, active listening times, and other useful benchmarks. This can help you gain insights into how your hearing aid supports cognitive health, social engagement, and overall quality of life.

This holistic approach makes these advanced AI hearing aid apps powerful tools for managing both hearing and general wellness.

Automatic Fall Detection

In addition to health and engagement tracking, some of the most advanced AI hearing aid apps incorporate another crucial feature: automatic fall detection. This innovative technology utilizes built-in sensors to identify sudden changes in movement or orientation that can indicate a serious fall.

If detected, the app can then automatically alert someone on your behalf, ensuring timely assistance if it’s needed. Currently, Thrive Hearing Control and My Audibel are the only hearing aid apps with automatic fall detection and alerts.

Remote Hearing Aid Adjustments

AI hearing aid apps also make it easy to get in contact with your hearing specialist through virtual appointments and video chat. This means you can get remote adjustments made to your devices and have easy access to professional care without the need for as many in-person visits to the hearing clinic. 

Hearing Aid Self-Diagnostic Tests

A self-diagnostic test is a feature available through some apps that allows you to check the performance of your hearing aids and troubleshoot any issues. With the press of a button, the app can tell you which parts of your hearing aid need to be cleaned and which components need professional maintenance. The self-diagnostic test can also provide instructions for how to fix any smaller issues at home.

By identifying and addressing issues promptly, you can ensure your hearing aids continue to deliver the best possible listening experience and uninterrupted hearing health care.

AI-Powered Assistant Features

An older man using Siri with hearing aids to have a phone conversation with his iPhone

You’ve probably already heard of, and maybe even used AI virtual assistants like Alexa or Siri. Now, some hearing aid apps have their very own AI-powered assistant features. Through hearing aid apps like Thrive and My Audibel, AI assistant technology can do a variety of digital tasks and search for answers to your questions.  

Using simple voice commands or following the on-screen instructions in these AI hearing aid apps, you can set reminder alerts, translate different languages, and so much more.

Set Alarms and Reminders

With these AI-powered features, you can have your virtual assistant set alarms and reminders for you. While in the app you can simply say “Remind me to take my medication at 12:00 pm,” or add it manually, and your AI assistant will play a gentle alert through your hearing aids at the time you specified.

Get Answers to Hearing Aid Questions

AI hearing aid apps like Thrive and My Audibel have an extensive knowledge base built-in to their software. This means you can ask questions and troubleshoot common hearing aid issues directly in the app. You can ask questions like, “How do I create a custom profile?” and get an immediate answer and step-by-step instructions.

Real-Time Language Translation

With the language translation features available in some AI hearing aid apps, you can communicate with just about anyone, anywhere. When engaged, your hearing aid app will use your phone’s microphone to detect speech. Then using AI, it will translate it into your preferred language, stream the translation directly into your ears, and display it on screen.

The Thrive Hearing Control app and the My Audibel app are both equipped with real-time language translation features, capable of translating up to 27 languages instantly.

Find Lost Hearing Aids

Small devices like hearing aids are easy to misplace, which is why some AI apps have a “Find My Hearing Aids” feature to locate them. When enabled, the app essentially turns your mobile phone into a signal detector that will indicate a stronger signal the closer you are to your hearing aids.

Instead of searching high and low, you can simply use this app feature to pinpoint their exact location on a map and track your hearing aids down effortlessly.

Demo the Latest Hearing Aid Technology at Audibel

Hearing aids are more powerful than ever, thanks to technology like artificial intelligence (AI), and the wealth of features offered through innovative AI hearing aid apps. These apps help improve communication, simplify tasks, and support your overall long-term wellness goals.  

The hearing healthcare specialists at Audibel are excited to help you find the best hearing aids for your needs, lifestyle, and budget. Find an Audibel clinic near you today to demo the latest AI hearing aid technology for free.

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