Use Made for iPhone hearing devices

Use Made for iPhone (MFi) hearing aids to listen and talk on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Vision Pro.

• Check compatibility with your Apple device

• Put your hearing device in pairing mode

• Pair and connect your hearing device

• Control your hearing device

• Unpair your hearing device

• If you need help

Check compatibility with your Apple device

Check the list of MFi hearing devices to find out whether you have an MFi hearing device, and that it meets the system requirements for compatibility with your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Vision Pro:

List of MFi hearing devices and system requirements

Put your hearing device in pairing mode

After making sure your hearing device is compatible, bring it near your Apple device, then put it in pairing mode to make it discoverable by your Apple device. The user guide for your hearing device explains how to put it in pairing mode, but these methods are typical:

• If your hearing device has batteries that you can replace, open the battery door on each device. Then close the door when you’re ready to pair and connect to your Apple device.

• If your hearing device has an on/off switch, turn it off and back on when you’re ready to pair and connect to your Apple device.

• If your hearing device has built-in rechargeable batteries and no on/off switch, remove the device from its charger when you’re ready to pair and connect to your Apple device.

Pair and connect your hearing device

After checking compatibility and putting your hearing device in pairing mode, pair and connect it to your Apple device. If you previously paired a different hearing device, your new hearing device replaces the previous one.

iPhone or iPad

1. Make sure iOS or iPadOS is up to date on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Open the Settings app.

3. Tap Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices.

4. Tap Pair MFi Hearing Device, then follow the onscreen instructions. You’ll be asked to select your available hearing device, then tap Pair:

   

If you don’t see Pair MFi Hearing Device, tap the name of your hearing device when it's displayed in Hearing Devices settings. Then tap Pair when you see one or more Bluetooth pairing requests.

Mac

1. Make sure macOS is up to date on your Mac.

2. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings.

3. Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Hearing Devices on the right.

4. Click Set Up, then follow the onscreen instructions. You’ll be asked to select your available hearing device, then click Pair:

   

If you don’t see a Set Up button, click Connect next to the name of your hearing device when it's displayed in Hearing Devices settings.

Vision Pro

1. Make sure visionOS is up to date on your Vision Pro.

2. Open the Settings app.

3. Tap Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices.

4. Tap Pair MFi Hearing Device, then follow the onscreen instructions. You’ll be asked to select your available hearing device, then click Pair.

If you don’t see Pair MFi Hearing Device, tap the name of your hearing device when it's displayed in Hearing Devices settings. Then tap Pair when you see one or more Bluetooth pairing requests.

Control your hearing device

When your hearing device is connected to it, your Apple device can control microphone level (volume), audio presets and more for your hearing device. Find the settings here:

• iPhone, iPad or Apple Vision Pro: open Settings, tap Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices. To see more settings, tap the name of your connected hearing device. On iPhone and iPad, you can also turn on Live Listen from the settings screen.

• Mac: from the Apple menu , choose System Settings. Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Hearing Devices on the right.

For quicker access to some settings and features:

• Use the Hearing module in Control Centre. To add the Hearing module, customise Control Centre on iPhone or customise Control Centre on iPad or customise Control Centre on Mac.

• Use the Accessibility Shortcut on iPhone or iPad or the Accessibility Shortcuts panel on Mac.

If your hearing device has its own app from the manufacturer, that app might offer additional settings and controls.

Unpair your hearing device

If you no longer want to use your hearing device with your Apple device, you can unpair it. It will not reconnect to your Apple device until you pair it again.

• iPhone, iPad: Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then tap Hearing Devices. Tap the name of your hearing device, then tap “Forget this device”.

• Mac: from the Apple menu , choose System Settings. Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Hearing Devices on the right. Click "Forget this device."

• Vision Pro: Open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Hearing Devices, then tap "Forget this device."

If you need help

Try these solutions if your hearing device doesn't connect or work as expected.

Hearing device doesn't appear in Hearing Devices settings

• Make sure your hearing device is compatible with your Apple device.

• Make sure your hearing device is in pairing mode.

• Restart your Apple device.

• If your hearing device is paired with a different Apple device, unpair it from that device. Then try again on your other Apple device.

• Make sure your hearing device is updated with the latest firmware from the manufacturer. If it has its own app, that app can probably find and install firmware updates.

Hearing device is dimmed in Hearing Devices settings

• Make sure your hearing device is near your Apple device.

• Unpair your hearing device if possible, then pair it again.

• On Mac, if you’re using a Bluetooth mouse, trackpad, keyboard or other Bluetooth input device, turn off the input device. If that allows your hearing device to connect, your input device is incompatible with the use of MFi hearing devices on Mac. Solutions:

  • Use a wired input device that connects to your Mac via USB instead of Bluetooth.

  • Use a Bluetooth input device known to work with MFi hearing devices on Mac, such as the latest models (not earlier models) of Apple Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

Hearing device disconnects unexpectedly

• When using your hearing device, make sure your paired Apple device remains nearby.

• If your hearing device is paired with more than one Apple device, it might switch (handoff) to the other Apple device when it detects an incoming call on that device, or when you start playing audio on the other device. You can control this by changing the Handoff setting in Hearing Devices settings on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

• Check the battery level of your hearing device. You might need to replace or recharge the batteries.

• Check for wireless interference.

Hearing device is connected but you don't hear audio

• Choose your hearing device as the sound output device, as you would do when using AirPlay to stream audio to another device.

• Check the microphone level in Hearing Devices settings.

Mouse or trackpad feels different while using your hearing device

While using your hearing device with a Mac, the performance of a Bluetooth pointing device such as a mouse or trackpad might feel slightly different when moving the pointer or clicking. This is expected and necessary to get the best performance from your MFi hearing device, which also uses Bluetooth. This doesn't affect the built-in trackpad of Mac laptop computers, or any pointing device that connects to your Mac via USB instead of Bluetooth.