By Stephen Pate – You cannot make a stand-alone cell call on your Apple Watch Series 3, released last September, if you have Apple approved MFI Hearing Aids. You can’t receive an incoming call either.
Update May 19, 2018 – Recent rumours say Apple is building the broken link for Apple Watch and hearing loss. Apple Watch and Made For iPhone hearing aid users may be able to stream audio from the Watch. We should know more after the Apple WWDC June 3 – 7, 2019 when Apple usually announces new operating system features. Apple To Build Broken Link For Watch And Hearing Loss
Update September 12, 2018 – Apple will be releasing Watch OS 5 on September 17th, 2018. Nothing in the announcement relates to this issue. I’ll report more when the ships.
This comes as a shock to everyone with MFI Hearing Aids who bought an Apple Watch Series 3 since last fall when the iPhone-free cell call feature was announced.
If you bought into the Apple Event big promise last fall, like I did, you could have spent a few frustrating months trying figure it out.
The 2014 introduction of Made For iPhone hearing aids was a boon to the 48 million Americans with hearing loss. They purchase almost 4 million hearing aids annually at an average cost of $4,700.
I’m taking Apple Watch announcements this year with a grain of salt. If they work for people with hearing disabilities, I’m from Missouri – Show Me.
Apple Support knows this. Their only response is to offer a refund for the Watch if you call soon enough after purchase.
MFI Hearing Aid Setup
MFI Hearing Aids are Bluetooth devices. They have a special section in Settings…General…Accessibility on the iPhone and iPad.
MFI Hearing Aids are not included in the Apple WatchOS Setup
That section is missing in Settings…General…Accessibility on the Watch.
Why Apple didn’t add the MFI Hearing Devices to Watch OS Setup is anyone’s guess. Maybe the Bluetooth modem on the Watch isn’t powerful enough. No, that can’t be it since the Watch streams to AirPods.
AirPods are not a subsitutute for real hearing aids which execute complicated programs to help us hear.
Maybe the programmers didn’t have time to make it work. Who knows? Apple doesn’t say no matter how many times people ask.
Apple Music doesn’t stream on the Watch to MFI Hearing Aids
The Apple Watch Series 3 can only stream music to AirPods not MFI Hearing Aids
You can’t listen to Music on the Apple Watch through your MFI hearing aid unless you’re playing the music from your iPhone. See How To Stream Music to Hearing Aids With The Apple Watch
Phone Calls on the Apple Watch Matter
Apart from the promise made at the Apple Event, being able to make or receive a phone call from the Watch matters to people with hearing and other disabilities.
On an incoming call, both the Watch and iPhone will ring. The Watch is obviously the closest and the easiest device to answer. However, you must pull out your iPhone and answer it. In the meantime, the Watch will keep ringing, even after the call is accepted.
For people with mobility or dexterity disabilities, this is high wire act that results in dropped calls and fumbled phones.
Using the Watch as a remote control for your iPhone is a frustrating experience. The Watch regularly loses control of the phone and you can’t stop music or change the volume without finding your phone. Or the Watch switches to controlling music from the Watch and it searches for a compatible Bluetooth device.
It can be crazy if someone starts to talk while you’re listening to music and you start fumbling for the phone.
Apple Watch and MFI Hearing Aid Disclosures by Apple
Apple doesn’t disclose the disconnect between the Watch and MFI hearing aids anywhere. The hearing aid manufacturers all claim they are compatible with the Apple Watch; however, they neglect to say they can’t handle phone calls or Music.
On the Apple MFI Hearing Aids page, Apple implies the MFI hearing aids are compatible with your iPhone and “iOS devices”
“Use Made for iPhone hearing aids
Made for iPhone hearing aids can help you hear more clearly on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Learn how to pair your Made for iPhone hearing aid to your iOS device, control it, and more.” Apple
The Apple Watch Series 3 small print does not warn you that phone calls can’t be made or received.
“Wireless service plan required for cellular service. Apple Watch and iPhone service provider must be the same. Not available with all service providers. Not all service providers support enterprise accounts; check with your employer and service provider. Some legacy plans may not be compatible. Prepaid plans are not supported. Coverage dependent on carrier network. Roaming is not available outside your carrier network coverage area. Contact your service provider for more details. Check www.apple.com/ca/watch/cellular for participating wireless carriers and eligibility.”
Apple Revolutionizes Hearing Aids
“An estimated 48 million Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss,” says Consumers Reports, ” the vast majority of them older adults. Almost one-third of people ages 65 to 74 report difficulty hearing, and the number rises to about half at 75.”
At an average cost of $4,700 a pair, that makes hearing aids the third-largest purchase in most people’s lives after a house and a car. Scientific American There were 3.5 million hearing aids sold in 2017 – Hearing Review
When Apple created the MFI Hearing Aid standard in 2014, it was a major technological advance and accessibility improvement. With MFI compatible hearing aids, you could answer your phone through the hearing aids.
Before MFI Hearing Aids, we had to wear a dongle around our necks for the Bluetooth link, which was a flaky connection with poor quality sound. Streaming music was tinny and unpleasant.
Apple does not make hearing aids: they created the Bluetooth protocols for hearing aids which includes sound quality and low power standards. Apple partnered with the big names in hearing aid manufacturing.
At first, Resound was the only hearing aid manufacturer to include MFI technology, but now most of the brands come with a model that is MFI compatible.
To my knowledge none of the Android phones have direct links to hearing aids. They still need the intermediate Bluetooth device.
NRK
I have tried four different hearing aids that were supposed to work with the iPhone and Apple Watch… not! Spent hours with the various tech support folks, about three levels up the chain from the help desk, to no avail. They are all broke and have no intention to fix the software to meet their functionality claims. For $6K+ I expect more.
Stephen Pate
I hear you. All of the MFI Hearing Aid companies have web pages that proclaim their compatibility with the Apple Watch. It’s just not true.
What they have is a volume and program app.
Stephen Pate
Bloomberg has published rumours that Apple is adding Watch to MFI Hearing Aid audio streaming. See Apple To Build Broken Link For Watch And Hearing Loss