Hearing assistance

Live caption all speech

Your phone can automatically caption videos, podcasts, audio messages, and recordings.

Turn live captions on/off

To enable captions, go to Settings > Live Caption and turn it on .

Then, to quickly turn captions off/on:

  • Tap the live caption text, then tap more options icon > settings icon and turn captions off .
  • Or, press a Volume button, then turn captions on or off . (If you don't see this icon, change caption settings to add it.)

To remove the captions, go to Settings > Live Caption and turn it off .

Battery use: When your battery gets low and Battery saver is on, Live Caption automatically turns off.

Use the caption box

  • To move captions, drag the box.
  • To expand or shrink captions, touch the box twice.

Change caption settings

You can hide or show:

  • Profanity
  • Sound labels (laughter, applause, music)
  • Caption icon () in volume controls
  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption.
  2. Turn settings on or off .

Turn on video captions

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility.
  2. Tap Caption preferences and turn Show captions on .
  3. Specify options (language, text size, and style) for closed captioning.

Use hearing devices

Pair your hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other amplification devices with your phone and adjust settings for improved sound with reduced ambient noise.

Pair through Connected devices (best for most hearing aids)

  1. Turn the hearing aids or other devices on, then use the manufacturer’s instructions to set them to pairing mode.
  2. Go to Settings > Connected devices.
  3. Tap plus icon.

  4. Select your hearing aid from the list of available devices.

    For more than one hearing aid, connect the first, then once connected, tap the second hearing aid in the list of available devices. After both are paired, you’ll see “Active, left and right.”

  5. To change settings, next to the name of the hearing aid, tap settings icon.

Pair through Accessibility (best for ASHA-compatible hearing aids)

ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids) is a technology standard developed by Google that allows hearing aids to connect directly to Android devices via Bluetooth. This lets you stream audio from your phones, including phone calls, music, and other media, directly to your hearing aids without the need for an intermediary device.

  1. Turn the hearing aids or other devices on, then use the manufacturer’s instructions to set them to pairing mode.
  2. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing devices.
  3. Tap plus icon to put the phone in pairing mode.

  4. Select your hearing aid from the list of available devices.

    For more than one hearing aid, connect the first, then once connected, tap the second hearing aid in the list of available devices. After both are paired, you’ll see “Active, left and right.”

Use mono audio or adjust left/right balance

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio adjustment.
  2. To combine channels when playing audio, turn Mono audio on .
  3. To adjust left/right balance, drag the slider.

Use real-time text (RTT) during calls

Not all carriers support this feature.

Real-time text (RTT) lets you use text to communicate during a phone call. Your phone sends text as you type and the recipient can read your message while you write.

RTT:

  • Uses call minutes, just like a voice call
  • Doesn't require additional accessories

Turn RTT on

  1. Tap .
  2. Tap more options icon > Settings > Accessibility.

  3. Tap the real-time text option and turn it on or select when you want it to appear.

Make a call with RTT

  1. Tap .

  2. Call the number.

    While the phone rings, the other person's screen displays an RTT indicator.

  3. After the other person answers, enter a message in the text field.

    The text that you enter is visible to the other person as you type.

  4. During a call, you can tap more options icon to mute the call, turn on the speaker, return to the keypad, or add a call.
  5. To end the call, tap .

Set up TTY device

Not all carriers support this feature.

For text-based communication, you can use text messaging and email.

If you prefer to connect to a TTY device:

  1. Tap .
  2. Tap more options icon > Settings > Accessibility > TTY mode.

  3. Select a mode:

    • TTY Full: Type and read text on your TTY device.
    • TTY HCO: Type text on your TTY and listen to voice replies on your phone.
    • TTY VCO: Speak into your phone and read text replies on your TTY.
  4. Connect your phone and TTY with the audio cord that came with your TTY.