Hi @trailmixed,
and welcome to this Apple (user-to-user) Community!
Re: "iPhone 17 mono audio randomly switches to stereo with hearing aids"
Commiserations on the situation you have been "juggling". Am no expert in this area, yet your post to the community deserves some response.
Wondering whether or not your hearing-aids are "Made for iPhone" (MFI) compatible or not. If you need to check see the: List of Made for iPhone hearing devices - Apple Support
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If not: Seems you would have to rely on bluetooth, and possibly an app from the manufacturer for hearing-aid control.
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If so:
There may be accessibility settings or features that you can use for more control. (as I don't have hearing-aids available, am unable to check settings thoroughly)
You may also be able to use control centre to quickly control your hearing-aids.
See how to: Use Made for iPhone hearing devices - Apple Support
Eg:says:
"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.
- Mac: From the Apple menu, choose System Settings. Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Hearing Devices on the right. Find out more about Hearing Devices settings.
For quicker access to some settings and features:
On iPhone and iPad, you can also turn on Live Listen from the settings screen.
If your hearing device has its own app from the manufacturer, that app might offer additional settings and controls."
If nothing above is helpful, you may want to reach out to Apple:
See: How to contact Apple for help with accessibility features - Apple Support
All the best :-)
