Losing your hearing is most commonly associated with aging as it is most common for those over 50, however, hearing loss can occur in people younger than 40, and these numbers are increasing each year.
A hearing loss may result from an ear injury or exposure to loud noise — also known as noise-induced hearing loss. Otherwise, most hearing loss occurs gradually over many years, making it hard to recognize when it occurs. But like with all challenges we face in the world today, there is always a solution.
Fortunately, many innovations have been developed within the smartphone technology we use daily to help those who are hard of hearing.
This means there is no need to go out and purchase any new additional device to assist in a fundamental human ability. One of these recent additions to existing technology is available in Android smartphones.
Android Sound Notifications
Whether you are suffering from hearing loss due to old age or being deaf, it is relatively easy for you to miss essential sounds, more so if you are asleep. That is where this interesting Google feature comes in.
It’s an accessibility feature that will provide you with push notifications whenever it detects a sound. For example, if the android feature detects a tap running, you will notice the same.
You will also get text notifications for sounds such as dog barks, fire alarms, smoke alarms, a knocking on the door, a baby crying, and many more. But this feature is not just compatible with android phones.
It is also compatible with other devices such as Wear OS from Google. When you get a sound notification on your phone, you also get wrist vibrations when detecting a crucial sound.
Incredibly, you also get a timeline view. That way, you can determine what lead to the sound occurrence through a snapshot of sounds over the previous hours. From this, you could figure out what set your baby off crying or what caused your dog to bark!
If your android lacks this accessibility feature, you can easily find the same settings under accessibility. But you still have to download both the sounds notifications and Live Transcribe from the play store before enabling it.
Here are some of the reasons that make this a great innovation;
It is incredibly convenient. While you can’t keep track of every little noise around you when you’re asleep, this feature makes it possible. You can connect it with other devices, too, to increase the chances of you being notified.
It also comes in handy in ensuring you are safe. By providing a variety of text, vibration, and flashlight notifications of the detected sound, you can quickly get to safety when a fire or smoke alarm goes off.
Here are more innovations that make life safer for the hard of hearing.
Speech to Text Technologies
Communication is one of the most challenging parts of living as a hard of hearing person. However, some innovations can help assist you in communicating with others. Most smartphones can easily translate speech into text.
Apps like Live Transcribe help translate speech into text and enable people hard of hearing to take part in conversations.
Sound Amplification
As a person with hearing loss, you may need help with making the sounds more explicitly. Communication becomes even more difficult if there is background noise.
But once again, there is an innovative solution for that. There are numerous apps with filtering capabilities that can help you block out the background noise and allow you to focus solely on the noise directed at you.
Sound Amplifier is also a great app that people with hearing loss can use. It filters any irrelevant noise while at the same time amplifying the environmental sound. That way, you get close to the natural hearing experience.
We’re Here to Help
These innovations are significant, and you can link any of them with your mobile device. However, we understand that technology is not always so straightforward. If you need help with connecting your hearing devices with your android phone, feel free to reach out to us for assistance. Contact us today!
