Accessibility - Hearing (2024)

Captions can help everyone, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing. LiveCaptions offer real-time, on-device-generated transcriptions of conversations so you can follow along with auditory and visual media including Phone and FaceTime calls, as well as content from the web, securely on your device.³ They can even capture and caption live in-person speech. And you can customize the LiveCaptions window so that the size, placement, fonts, and colors suit yourneeds.⁴ LiveCaptions also work with AppleVisionPro, so you can follow along with spoken dialogue in live conversations on FaceTime as well as audio from appssystemwide.

Apple has worked with top manufacturers to create hearing aids, cochlear implants, and sound processors designed specifically for Apple devices.⁵ These advanced hearing devices provide outstanding sound quality, offer many helpful features, and are as easy to set up and use as any other Bluetoothdevice. Instantly apply your audiologist’s environmental presets as you go outdoors or enter noisy locations, like restaurants, without having to rely on additional remotes. When using Made for iPhone hearing devices, you can also have Siri announce notifications from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or AppleVisionPro.

MusicHaptics syncs the iPhone TapticEngine — which creates your device’s vibrations — with the rhythm of songs so you can enjoy music with taps, textures, and refined haptics.⁶ MusicHaptics works with millions of songs across the AppleMusiccatalog.

Sound Recognition listens for certain sounds and uses on‑device intelligence to notify you when they are detected. This feature recognizes 15 different sounds — or you can train your device to listen for electronic sounds that are unique to your environment, like the beeping of appliances in your kitchen, specific types of alarms, or doorbells. On HomePod, Sound Recognition can also detect the sound of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. And now Sound Recognition supports CarPlay, too. Your iPhone will listen for and detect sirens andhorns. You’ll receive a notification — onscreen in your car if you’re using CarPlay — when a particular sound isdetected.⁷

With high-quality video and a fast frame rate, FaceTime is a great way to communicate using sign language on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AppleTV. It can detect when you are using sign language in GroupFaceTime calls and automatically make you prominent. And staying connected is even easier with LiveCaptions in FaceTime, which can caption speech in one-on-one and GroupFaceTime calls with speaker attribution, so you can easily track who is speaking during groupcalls.³

Live Listen is an assistive listening feature that helps you have conversations in loud places. Just turn on the feature and move your device toward the people you’re talking with. Audio is picked up by the device’s microphone and sent to your wireless headphones or Made for iPhone hearing devices, so you can hear what they’re saying moreclearly.⁸

Your device lets you know when something’s up, in a way you’ll notice. Choose visual or vibrating alerts for incoming Phone and FaceTime calls, new text messages, new and sent mail, and calendar events. You can set an LED light flash for incoming calls or have your iPhone display a photo of the caller. If you’re on your Mac, have it flash its screen when an app needs your attention. Or if you’re on the go, turn on the TapticEngine on your AppleWatch to give you a gentle tap every time a notification comesin.

Use your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or AppleWatch to make and receive RTT calls.⁹ Standard texting involves composing an entire message and tapping Send, but RTT provides instant transmission of a message as it is being composed. LiveCaptions can also be used with RTT to automatically display captions during Phone calls. Transcripts for RTT calls are saved in your callhistory.¹⁰

Closed captions are a text transcription displayed onscreen in sync with a video’s dialogue and action. In addition to transcribing speech in a scene, they also capture nonverbal communication, music, and sound effects. Supported in apps like the AppleTV app, closed captions are available in more than 40 languages for movies, TV shows, videos, and podcasts — just look for the CC icon. Customize captions with different styles and fonts, including styles that are larger and outlined for betterlegibility.

The Noise app tracks decibel levels of the ambient sounds around you, helping you identify when sound levels in your environment, or from your headphones, could negatively affect your hearing. When you configure the Noise app on AppleWatch and connect compatible headphones, ControlCenter shows you if the sounds playing through the headphones reach unsafe levels.¹² And all your information is stored securely in the Health app on iPhone for easy access to your data whenever you needit.

Siri, your digital assistant, can help you with the things you do every day — all through your keyboard. TypetoSiri makes it easy to get the help you need right away, even on your AppleWatch. Interact with Siri using the keyboard and text field on AppleWatch. Ask questions, set up reminders, issue commands, and more.¹³ Made for iPhone hearing devices can also use Siri to announce notifications for iPhone andiPad. You can customize Siri to speak at a slower or faster rate depending on your needs and preferences. And on AppleVisionPro, you can use Siri to launch a shortcut from the Shortcutsapp.