Summary
- Samsung’s One UI 7 (debuting on the Galaxy S25) and Android 16 are bringing significant accessibility improvements for hearing aid users, including personalized audio adjustments, hands-free calling, and low-latency connections via Bluetooth LE Audio.
- Android 16 allows users to customize the volume of ambient sound picked up by their LE Audio hearing aids, enabling them to fine-tune their surroundings (e.g., amplifying announcements on public transit or reducing noise in a restaurant).
- Android 16 will also enable users to easily switch between their smartphone’s microphone and their hearing aid’s microphone during calls, which is helpful in noisy environments or when the hearing aid battery is low.
Samsung’s latest One UI 7 shows a significant boost in accessibility with new features, some of which were developed alongside Google. Debuting on the new Galaxy S25 series, Samsung has implemented new Bluetooth LE Audio features that allow users to set presets, play around with personalized audio adjustments, enable hands-free calling, alongside support for low-latency connections with a GN ReSound and Oticon Intent hearing aid.
At the time, Google announced that the integration would land on Pixel 9 series devices with the first Android 16 beta. The latter has dropped now, and Google’s support for the new hearing aid accessibility features seems to be going live, but it likely won’t be until stable Android 16 that those who need it the most will be able to utilize it.
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As highlighted by credible Android analyst Mishaal Rahman in a report for Android Authority, last week’s Android 16 beta and accompanying documentation have now shed extra light on upcoming features that users who rely on hearing aids can be on the lookout for.
For starters, legacy Bluetooth profiles like Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) are being phased out in favor of LE Audio over Bluetooth Low Energy. This should not only result in better power efficiency in hearing aids, but also unlock enhanced performance and compatibility across various platforms.
With hearing aids that support LE Audio paired with an Android 16 device, users will be able to customize the volume of ambient sound picked up by the hearing aid’s microphones. This will essentially allow users to fine-tune sounds coming from their immediate surroundings. For example, if the user is on public transit, they’d be able to turn the ambient sound up, ensuring that they can hear announcements over the PA. Similarly, in a loud restaurant, the user will be able to reduce ambient noise, allowing them to focus only on the conversation at their table.
According to Rahman’s findings, users will be able to control ambient sounds coming through one or both hearing aids, alongside an option to completely mute or unmute ambient noise with one tap.
Google likely to flesh out these features by the time stable A16 comes around
<string name=”hearing_device_notification_settings_button”>Settings</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_notification_switch_button”>Switch</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_status_active”>Active</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_status_connected”>Connected</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_status_disconnected”>Disconnected</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_status_loading”>Loading</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_switch_hearing_mic_notification_text”>You can use your hearing aid microphone for hands-free calling. This only switches your mic during the call.</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_switch_hearing_mic_notification_title”>Switch to hearing aid mic?</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_switch_phone_mic_notification_text”>For better sound or if your hearing aid battery is low. This only switches your mic during the call.</string>
<string name=”hearing_device_switch_phone_mic_notification_title”>Switch to phone mic?</string>
Elsewhere, Android 16 should also unlock functionality that allows hearing aid users to seamlessly switch between the microphone on their smartphone and their Bluetooth LE Audio hearing aids while on a call. Primarily helpful in cases where the hearing aid’s battery is low, this should also benefit users when they’re in noisy environments where a smartphone’s microphone would do a better job at only picking up your voice and not ambient noise.
Code found in the first Android 16 beta hints at dedicated ‘Switch’ buttons that will appear within the hearing aid’s status notification and on the call screen. While this is a welcome addition, the first beta remains silent on other potential hearing aid-related features spotted in the past. For reference, code discovered in the Google Play Services 24.50.32 beta hints at upcoming Fast Pair support for hearing aids — a feature absent from the current Android 16 beta.
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