iOS 11 does not work correctly with MFi hearing aids and Apple MUST fix this ASAP, right?

I have my Resound Linx hearing aid that is a year and a half old, and it has paired with all of my iPhones, and is currently paired with my iPhone X with iOS 11.2.6. I suggest you contact your audiologist and ask them for assistance with pairing your hearing aid. Depending on the brand/model it may require some type of update, or the company can explain if it is compatible or not.

I would work with your audiologist and have them work with Oticon. There are other posts about the Oticon being a problem. Apple provides support for the latest version of Bluetooth, and the hearing aid manufacturer would need to support that. Oticon's failure to work with you and point fingers at Apple does not sound like support. Knowing what I paid for my Resound, I know I would expect more from the manufacturer.

Chrisj4203, I suspect that you may have relatively recent Resound hearing aids. I have a pair of the original Linx hearing aids which stream uselessly erratically with my iPhone 8 running iOS 11.3 but still work fine with an iPhone 5 running iOS 10. However, the current model Linx 3d hearing aids, which I have on trial, stream perfectly (well nearly). I suspect from anecdotal evidence that the Linx squared models, which followed the original Linx, are still fully supported. I have an email from Apple's accessibility team responding to bug reports which I submitted. This states that Apple didn't knowingly withdraw support for earlier model hearing aids and that they are working on the issues that I reported but can give no date for a fix. I'm pretty confident that there's nothing that an audiologist can do to solve support for older hearing aids except lobby to bring pressure on the hearing aid manufacturers to work more effectively with Apple to ensure that Apple carefully test backwards compatibility when the MFi hearing aids interface evolves. I'd like to think that the hearing aids manufacturers would do this testing on iOS betas, but, being realistic, their attention is going to be focused on the performance of their current models.

iOS 11.4.1

Just a quick bit of background. There may be two separate issues in this thread (leaving aside irrelevant issues). The original issue was that iOS 11, from its launch last autumn, caused severe streaming problems with some hearing aids; it became clear later that recent model hearing aids were working fine with iOS 11 and that only those of us with older models seemed to have problems. (Mine were only a little over 3 years old.) If I understand other posts correctly, iOS 11.4 seems to have introduced MFi streaming problems specific to iPhone SE. I'm an iPhone 8 user, so can't comment on the SE issue. Because streaming is very important to me (I also use VoiceOver, the talking interface for the blind), I reluctantly decided to buy a new pair of hearing aids, Resound Linx 3d and these have worked fine with all versions of iOS 11 since I acquired them. I upgraded to iOS 11.4.1 yesterday from iOS 11.4 and the Resound Linx 3d continued to stream well, so there was no regression due to iOS 11.4.1.

Today, I took the plunge, instructed my iPhone to forget the Linx 3d aids, put fresh batteries in my old Linx 9 hearing aids and - they may be a little better, but performance is still erratic. It takes over ten seconds for both aids to start streaming (streaming starts with just one aid in my tests today) and I've experienced disconnections with streaming reverting to the iPhone speaker. I did have one good music streaming session, but, on the whole, if there is an improvement, it's by no means a total fix and certainly doesn't offer acceptable performance.

Maybe it will work better for some other manufacturers' older hearing aids.

Others, please try the update and let us all know what your experience is.

My conjecture it that Apple's message that iOS 11.4.1 fixed MFi hearing aids bugs was sent to me in error and that they were referring to the SE-specific issue. So, perhaps, SE owners will find their problems solved? Of course, it may also be that iOS 11.4.1 doesn't contain the hearing aids fixes that were in the beta. There is certainly no mention of hearing aids fixes in Apple's release notes.

Brian

BobPort,

First off, I would like to thank you for your service.

Secondly, I am saddened to hear that you're unable to use your hearing aids with your iPhone. Since none of us in the Apple Support Communities work for Apple, we can't change the software ourselves.

I would recommend that you submit a feedback to Apple directly using the following link: http://apple.com/feedback/ .

Hope this helps,

Richard

Bob, you're right to expect your iPhone 8 and hearing aids to work correctly together. We should all keep pressing Apple to support their users with disabilities better. I'm pretty confident that this is an Apple issue and that is confirmed by my audiologist. I suggest that you also email accessibility@apple.com to let them know your individual story. It's important that we all let Apple know that we feel they have let us down badly. With best wishes, Brian

Yes, it's very frustrating. I've reported several hearing aids bugs via accessibility@apple.com and I recently requested a progress report. I was told that Apple are working on these issues but can give no date for a fix. To be honest I think we are low down the priority list, especially given all the other issues that Apple are having to deal with right no. Error reports from a few more of us to accessibility@apple.com could do no harm and may persuade Apple to give us some more priority. The hardware fix that I purchased for my Resound Linx hearing aids gives me reliable, if slightly sluggish, connection and I've been surprised just how much I've come to rely on the hearing aids connection to the iPhone and how wonderful it is to have it back. Let's hope we don't have too long to wait, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

It isn't unusual for Bluetooth devices to not always work well when you get a new phone and restore that new device from the backup of an older one. Things can hang over and cause the issue, the identification of the Bluetooth devices doesn't match, and other things. It should work for you after that. I had to do that once with my older phone after an update, and it never caused a problem again. You should be fine, but if you do have a problem, either your audiologist, or Resound support should help.

Hi Larry,

it's really interesting that your MFi hearing aids are working fine with your iPhone 8. I know for sure that several people are experiencing problems following iOS11 and that they have fully up to date hearing aids. This might suggest that there are faults on some iPhone 8 models which might have been fixed in later production. My hearing aids work fine with an iPhone 5 running iOS 10 but they're rubbish with my iPhone 8. I'm going to book a Genius bar appointment at my local Apple store and get them to pair my hearing aids with a new iPhone 8 in store and see if they work better. For what it's worth, I'd have expected tyhe TV adapter to work fine since the the persistent weak link appears to be the low energy bluetooth signal from some iPhones. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'll let you know how I get on at the Genius Bar.

Brian

Good day All,

I have an iPhone 6 at IOS 11.2.2 and updated the Cochlear Smart App to 2.02

Initially, the behaviour was the same, namely notifications galore but no automatic switching of location based programs.

Then:

Sunday evening 21 January

Installed the latest version of the Baha Smart App Version 2.02

Based on some discussions I had with my Step-Son, I left the lock screen to NEVER lock. To save the battery, I brought the brightness down.

We went to church and at Church set my Baha Program to a location-based program named: Outdoor CCH.

After the service we received the MSG “you are leaving the area Outdoor CCH”

There were no MSG’s about the Processor getting disconnected.

At home, when we reached the location-based area named: Noise WPRV, a large white MSG block with black lettersappeared:

“You have left area Outdoor CCH, and arrived in Noise WPRV, do you want to switch to Noise WPRV Y/N?”

When I took the Y option the Baha switched to Noise WPRV.

So the secret is to never get to the lock screen.

But it does not work as advertised – it does not switch automatically.

Regards,

Willem

I understand your frustration. My Resound Linx 9 aidsstopped working with iOS 11 and eventually I decided to buy a new set of Resound Linx 3d aids at substantial expense. But at least I find that the Linx 3d aids work near perfectly with my iPhone 8. I've certainly found that the phone can't be too far away from my hearing aids if I'm using it to stream a talking book, for instance. I keep the phone in a shirt breast pocket when I'm using it to stream media and a jacket over the shirt pocket can be sufficient to lose the connection. I very rarely have problems with hearing aids an phone calls. Like you, I don't plan to install the beta. I've waited this long; I can wait a little longer - and the financial damage is already done.

Your audiologist is as clueless as the Apple techs. The Hearmax app works on both IOS and android but you cannot receive streaming from Android. I had a SE too worked sporadically Mifi is the only way the aids can hear your phone. I wasted money on the SE got an 8 and it works pretty well. Sorta broke even since Verizon had a 25% sale + trade in but over all paid full price for the 8. DO NOT get an android they will never work with your aids but if you read above Apple is supposed to release 11.4.1 that is supposed to fix it and ios 12 is in beta as we speak. Apple told me 90 of the problems are Resound/costco/Beltone because other makers did a firmware update. 90% of those issues are with SE and 6 models.

I downloaded IOS 11.4.1 today to my new iPhone 8 which replaced my iPhone SE. Drive 2 hours and successfully streamed podcasts, Waze directions and received 2 phone calls flawlessly. Don’t know if this will help those with SE phones. I have Resound Cala HAs

ChsisJ4203, thanks again. A quick check on GN's web pages confirm that you have Linx squared hearing aids. (They write this as Linx with a superscript 2). The Linx squared is the model that followed my Linx model and, in turn, the Linx squared is now replaced by Linx 3d.

I was unlucky to buy the Linx model when I did since there was obviously a significant change in the MFi hearing aid specification which is embodied in the Linx squared and 3d, but not in the Linx. I suspect that people having problems with hearing aids from other manufacturers have a similar issue.

I just hope you get a few more years of reliable service from your Linx squared than the three years I got from my Linx aids!

Apple state that they are working on the issues that I and others have reported, but I'm guessing we may still have to wait a long time for the fix. As others are saying here, we should all be lobbying accessibility@apple.com for a fix.

Thanks for confirming that Linx squared still work OK. That's useful information.

Brian

I'm hoping the remove and add back will make the iOS integration more reliable. It will be easy for me to notice any improvements as soon as I get my first phone call, or listen to a podcast. If this works, I'm going to feel rather stupid, as I really should have tried this after EVERY OS update. I suppose with the strange behaviors I've notice in iOS 11 and 10.13.x I just assume it's an Apple issue rather than some oddity of my system. FYI I'm using an iPhone 8+ would have gotten the X but I didn't want to wait, will pick one up next cycle.