FCC says all US smartphones must work with hearing aids

According to a press release from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 48 million people in the United States suffer from some degree of hearing loss.

On their behalf, the FCC is now mandating that all new smartphones work with hearing aids. The rule will go into effect after a “grace period,” which wasn’t specified by the announcement (PDF).

It’s a big deal for those users. Though both iPhones and most Android devices have some degree of compatibility with wireless hearing aids, that compatibility isn’t standardized and some devices fall well below the ideal M4 and T4 ratings. It can also be hard to determine ahead of time whether a phone you want to buy is compatible — and if so, to what degree — and that’s something the FCC wants to address with stricter labeling requirements at both in-person retailers and on websites.

Hearing aids have become a lot more accessible in the United States after the Food and Drug Administration cleared them to be sold without a prescription (or “over the counter”) in 2022. That makes them easier to buy and far cheaper, as more companies rush in to compete in this new market. You can now walk into a store like Best Buy and get wireless hearing aids from brands such as Sony, Jabra, and Sennheiser.

Other guidelines in the FCC order include distortion-free volume control benchmarks and a requirement for universal Bluetooth pairing standards used by both standard and OTC hearing aids.

As someone whose hearing isn’t great and will probably require some kind of aid in the future, I appreciate this.