After updating their iPhones to iOS 15.4, some users of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids—including many or most of the global brands of hearing aids—may experience problems pairing the devices to their apps, according to several updates from manufacturers and online posts from hearing care professionals. Hearing Review has seen online comments from professionals and technical updates that involve (at least) ReSound, Starkey, and Oticon hearing aids, and it would appear the issue originates with Apple. As noted by ReSound, “Initial investigations indicate that the update breaks the established connection between the phone and the app, resulting in a black screen and prompts the user to pair the hearing aids again.”
The company goes on to recommend:
1) Un-pair the hearing aids in IOS settings with the app running in the background.
2) Re-pair your hearing aids with the app still running in the background.
3) Go back to the app and complete the pairing flow as prompted.
Oticon also released a similar service update which essentially recommends these same steps. “The connection between the [Oticon] ON app and the hearing instrument will not be available until the user un-pairs and re-pairs the hearing instruments with the iPhone. The user will be unable to control the hearing aids through the app until this is done.”
In early March, Keystone Audiology in Warwick, RI, posted this helpful YouTube 2.5 minute video titled, “Troubleshooting Hearing Aid & iPhone Connectivity” that might be useful for hearing aid users who encounter this problem.
About the author: Karl Strom is editor in chief of The Hearing Review and has been reporting on hearing healthcare issues for over 25 years.
Correction: A previous version of this report included Phonak hearing aids experiencing problems associated with the Apple iOS 15.4 update. Hearing Review apologizes for this error.
I’m having problems with Oticon rechargeable hearing aids and will attempt the fix today. What is also aggravating is now there is not a seamless transition between my iPhone 11 and my iPad after the iPad recent update. I use the iPad to watch Netflix and listen to news, this is requiring (often), multiple pairing and unpairing, turning off both devices, reconnecting to desired device. When I want to change, I have to go through the same procedures. This is really ridiculous, I hope Apple can fix what they screwed up.
I have Oticon More 1 hearing aids. After my iPhone 11 upgraded itself to iOS 15.4.1, my hearing aids were no longer connected. I followed the above instructions a couple of times with no luck.
I then decided to RESTART my phone and then follow the above steps. Eureka! It worked.
Same problem here with ReSound ONE hearing aids, ReSound Smart 3D app, and iPhone 13 Pro with iOS 15.4. Apparently, the re-pairing works for as long as you keep your iPhone on. If you turn off your iPhone at night and turn it back on in the morning, you have to re-pair your hearing aids again. This wasn’t a problem before iOS 15.4. By the way, simply un-pairing then re-pairing your hearing aids to your iPhones will not work. After you do the un-pairing and re-pairing, you must also uninstall and reinstall the ReSound app. Which means that iOS 15.4 error requires us to re-pair our hearing aids AND the app. If you’re in the habit of turning off your iPhone at night, don’t do that for one night and see if that works. Which defeats the entire purpose of needing to turn off our iPhones to refresh stuff (I was taught to always reboot (that is, turn off and then back on) my iPhone after updates). I hope Apple fixes this ASAP.
I have managed to re-pair my hearing aids to my iPhone and app but I now have to do this every morning when i put in my hearing aids. Will I have to do this all the time now?
Many Thanks Sue