Several with hearing aids since iOS 11 upgrade...

Since I performed the upgrade to 11, I've had several issues with my hearing aids. I've used them with my iPhone for several years now so am aware of how they usually behave, etc.

First, one side will often cut out and go silent. Then it will reconnect. It makes listening to audio rather difficult as it cuts in and out.

Second, multiple times in a day, I will suddenly start hearing a rushing sound like surf that fades in and out, then cuts in and out to silence after several seconds. It is in both channels, and I am able to reproduce it by simply toggling Bluetooth off then back on again. I have a hunch that each time I hear it, it's because my hearing aids have lost and regained the connection to the phone.

Is anyone else having issues after the 11 upgrade?

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 11

Posted on Sep 25, 2017 10:51 AM

Top-ranking reply

JordanK

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Nov 12, 2017 7:36 AM

My Resound Linx 3D hearing aids have been working flawlessly with my iPhone 7 Plus since I purchased these hearing aids a few months back. Last week I installed the iOS 11.1 security update before leaving on a business trip to Europe on Sunday night. When I landed at the airport in Amsterdam, the hearing aids wouldn’t connect to my iPhone. I figured the hearing aid batteries were low so I replaced them while I was waiting for my flight to Manchester. After restarting, the right hearing aid wouldconnect but not the left one. Opening and closing the battery door multiple times generally resulted in one hearing aid connecting but not the other. Sometimes, neither hearing aid would connect. When I arrived in the UK (and for the 3 days that I was there) this problem persisted. Sometimes the hearing aids would connect just fine. Other times, one or none would connect. I tried quite a few things including forgetting and repairing the connection between the iPhone and the hearing aids multiple times. Nothing helped. At times, It almost felt like therewas Bluetooth interference everywhere and the hearing aids were struggling to get a signal lock.

I think I may have solved the problem and I’m posting here to pass along the info. I have both my iPhone and my iPad setup to connect to my Linx 3D hearing aids. It occurred to me that every time the disconnecting issue pops up, I am sitting near my iPad. I think what may be happening is that both devices are trying to compete for the connection at the same time and that is why one or both ears won’t connect. They are dropping off to connect to the iPad. I’ve unpaired The hearing aids with the iPad and turned off Bluetooth on the iPad too in order to test this theory. This also explains why some people don’t have the issue. The other interesting datapoint is that the iPhone had the iOS 11.1.1 update and the iPad did not. Maybe this was an issue...not sure.

If you have similar issues with disconnection and you have multiple devices paired, try unpairing your hearing aids from everything but your iPhone and see if the problem stops. I did that and all is well again. I think there is a bug in iOS that causes issues when you pair multiple Apple devices to the same hearing aids.

Jordan

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35 replies

Kerryrk

Level 1

4 points

Jan 22, 2018 3:35 AM in response to IdahoNative

I am in the same position! APPLE our hearing aids ade our life line Please we need an upgrade to ISOS to prevent this continuing.

Mar 9, 2018 1:02 PM in response to pbarnfield

Hi, you happened to mention that you found something for the Starkey Halo’s. Would you please elaborate since I have Starkey Halo’s - thx

jym626

Level 1

4 points

Oct 31, 2017 10:41 AM in response to Henry_Pootel

I am a new hearing aid user and am having this issue with both ones I have tested (the Widex and the Starkey Halo iQ i2400) Is there a solution or update for either of these products? The hearing aid company wants me to do a hard reset on my phone and apple says doing that too often is bad for the phone. Is that true? What is the solution? Is there a firmware update for Widex?

Oct 31, 2017 12:45 PM in response to jym626

I have one older Widex and one new Widex (within the last 2 weeks) and both have issues. Updating the firmware did not resolve my issue. I have reset my phone 3 times and that has not fixed the issue. I have connected my hearing aids to an Android phone and a phone with iOS10, both resolved the issue. This issues is clearly with iOS11. I've reported this to Apple and they told me to wait for an update. I've decided to discontinue the use of Apple devices.

Ballja

Level 1

8 points

Jan 4, 2018 9:49 AM in response to Henry_Pootel

Phone connections a mess, had to disconnect until they fix it.

Worse, they said battery slowdown affected speaker volume. Well, it dropped below my threshold, thought my phone died and spent $1,000 on an 8+ which I probably did not need.

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Several with hearing aids since iOS 11 upgrade...