How to use Apple Watch to MFi hearing aids for phone calls... without iPhone present!

Can anyone forecast when/if Apple will put MFI (low energy Bluetooth protocol) into Apple Watch? Does the current Watch hardware chipset even enable use of that frequency/protocol? Years off, if not? As many hearing aids (like our Widex) don’t appear on iPhones as ordinary common Bluetooth devices, these appear under the ‘Accessibility’ area as hearing device connections. btw the Widex ComDex accessory has a mic and bridges the two types of protocols as for a PC or TV, and easier to wear that around the neck than carry the iPhone on a run.

If I may and my 2 cents, none of the people in our senior lounge ever goes out with only their Watch and I would restrict the practice for workouts only. Apple advise not leaving cellular on for long periods to save battery and all day hearing aid connection would be unlikely unless you have an Ultra model .

amspectrum wrote:

It IS Apple's fault. What about the Americans with Disabilities Act? It's discrimination.

Apple is not preventing you from using your hearing aids. Apple provides many accessibility features that will allow you to use their devices if you have difficulty hearing. But they are not obligated by the ADA to make your third-party hearing aids work with every device they make.

I have Widex Enjoy hearing aids. My experience is the same. Pairing with Apple Watch ver. 9 is not possible !! Alas !! I wish, Apple would EITHER update their Watch software / firmware so it would be able to communicate with my hearing aids

..... OR supply the name of one or more make of hearing aid, that IS able to communicate !!!!!

I am surprised, so few people write about this subject !

To further clarify, it appears your saying that you can’t make calls from your Apple Watch without your iPhone. Do you mean that the call can’t be connected on your watch without your iPhone being present OR you just can’t hear or speak (through your hearing aids) during a connected call on your watch without your iPhone being present? There is a difference.

HoustonDave wrote:

We are protesting here to Apple

As Apple doesn't read here in this user-to-user technical support forum for feedback or suggestions, "protesting" to them here is likely to be ineffective.

You can let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

You've got it backwards. To believe Apple can magically make any brand of hearing aid instantly compatible with Apple Watch is not feasible. It's up to the hearing aid manufacturers to make their products compatible with a device. One would think that they'd understand they likely have a lot of users who wear Apple Watch. And they should do something about it. But your supposition Apple needs to fix this is totally flawed. Apple doesn't own then, nor the code used in their devices.

I love your statement about "the countless hearing aid producers." So you think Apple should go out and buy every hearing aid from the countless hearing aid manufacturers, tear them down, try to figure out the code the manufacturer used to program them, then somehow incorporate whatever code was used to make some other companies product compatible with Apple Watch? That's just not going to happen.

That’s like writing that phone companies and computers should radio via any frequency Apple chooses. LE Bluetooth( that most hearing aids use) is a ubiquitous standard like WiFi and cellular…bigger than Apple, so yes it’s their action to adopt it on Apple Watch. And yes Apple developers and marketers read this too, when they want to know why sales fall short of expectations…

I can't answer why. No one here can answer why. We aren't Apple. We don't work for Apple. We also don't work for the company who made your hearing aids.

You are more than welcome to contact Apple or your hearing aid manufacturer and ask them.

I'm not single siding with anyone. You're asking questions that no one on this forum can answer. This is and always has been a user to user only forum, which Apple doesn't participate in.

I'm glad you got your answer.

I Got New Oticon miniRite T hearing aid MFI Yesterday.

Mye Old healing aid used a streamer around my nack and I loked forward to MFI.

But now I can’t use mye hearing with my Apple Watch as stand alone device.

I often use my Apple Watch as stand alone, jogging, gym, fitness, walking I nature. Now this is no longer an option. I am very disappointed. 😏

I can se this problem has been adressed for long time without apple has solved it. 😏🤔

Hi, I don’t have the cellular watch but all of my watches have the BeMore app on them but I would like to be able to leave my phone in my pocket/bag and be able to answer a call on my watch and have it stream through to my hearing aids GN Resound Ambio S77 however if I answer via the iphone then the call automatically goes to my aids but if I answer on the watch even with the iphone next to it then the call isn’t streamed to my hearing aids, but from what I can see in your post they could?

Watch <--> iPhone using normal bluetooth. iPhone <--> hearing aids using MFi.

Maybe there’s a setting that Ive not set up on my watch etc?

TIA

You didn't abuse anything and it's fine you asked. But we can't help you with someone else's device. I'd be confused too. I hope the manufacturer can help you.