How to Pair Phonak Audio Device to iPhone: Complete Guide

Pairing Phonak hearing aids to an iPhone lets you hear phone calls, music, and other audio through compatible hearing aids. You can also use the myPhonak app to adjust sound settings on supported models. The setup is straightforward, but connecting for audio streaming and connecting to the app are not always the same process.

Understanding How Phonak Hearing Aids Pair With an iPhone

Phonak hearing aids use Bluetooth to connect with compatible iPhones. Depending on the hearing aid generation, you may need one connection for calls and music and another for the myPhonak app.

This difference matters because your hearing aids can appear in the app without being ready to stream phone calls.

For earlier generations, pairing one hearing aid for Bluetooth audio normally lets both hearing aids receive the streamed sound. You do not need to create two separate streaming connections.

However, the app communicates with the left and right hearing aids individually. It may request permission to pair each device.

Phonak explains these differences in its official iPhone pairing instructions.

How to Enable Bluetooth on Your iPhone

You must turn on Bluetooth before your iPhone can discover nearby Phonak hearing aids. Use the Settings app rather than relying only on the Bluetooth shortcut in Control Center.

1. Unlock your iPhone and open Settings.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
3. Switch Bluetooth to the on position.
4. Keep the Bluetooth settings screen open while preparing your hearing aids.

Your iPhone will look for nearby Bluetooth devices that are ready to pair. New devices usually appear under the available devices list.

Apple’s Bluetooth accessory setup instructions also explain how to select an available device and remove an existing pairing.

If you use myPhonak, make sure the app has permission to use Bluetooth. On your iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth and check that myPhonak is allowed.

How to Restart Phonak Hearing Aids for Pairing Mode

Restarting your Phonak hearing aids activates Bluetooth pairing mode. The devices remain discoverable for approximately three minutes after restarting, so have your iPhone ready.

The restart method depends on whether your hearing aids are rechargeable or use replaceable batteries.

Rechargeable Phonak Hearing Aids

1. Place both hearing aids in their charger for at least 10 seconds.
2. Make sure the charger has power or sufficient built-in battery charge.
3. Remove the hearing aids from the charger.
4. Wait for the green light that indicates the hearing aids have restarted.
5. Return to the Bluetooth screen on your iPhone.

This method requires the hearing aids’ automatic power-on feature to be enabled. Phonak normally enables this feature by default.

For compatible rechargeable models, you can also restart the hearing aids using their physical buttons:

1. Press and hold the lower part of the hearing aid button until the indicator blinks red.
2. Press the button again until the indicator blinks green.
3. Repeat the procedure with the other hearing aid if you wear two.

These steps are confirmed in Phonak’s rechargeable hearing aid pairing guide.

Phonak Hearing Aids With Replaceable Batteries

1. Open the battery door on each hearing aid.
2. Leave the doors open for approximately five seconds.
3. Close the battery doors.
4. Allow the hearing aids to restart and enter pairing mode.

Use fresh batteries if the hearing aids have low power or fail to restart.

If your devices do not appear on the iPhone before the pairing period ends, restart them again.

How to Find and Pair Phonak Hearing Aids in Bluetooth Settings

Once the hearing aids enter pairing mode, their Bluetooth name should appear on your iPhone. Look for a name such as R-Phonak hearing aid or L-Phonak hearing aid.

Your hearing care professional may have assigned a different name, so the exact wording can vary.

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone.
2. Look for the Phonak device under the available Bluetooth devices.
3. Tap the hearing aid name to start pairing.
4. Accept a pairing request if your iPhone displays one.
5. Listen for the confirmation beep from the hearing aid.

For compatible older-generation Phonak hearing aids, a single Bluetooth audio pairing connects the hearing aid system for calls and media streaming.

If both hearing aids were fitted together as a pair, audio can play through both even when the iPhone shows only one main streaming device.

Do not confuse the main Bluetooth audio connection with entries beginning with LE_. These Low Energy connections are commonly used by the myPhonak app to communicate with individual hearing aids.

If you have Infinio Ultra hearing aids or newer and already paired successfully through myPhonak, you generally do not need to repeat this manual audio pairing process.

How to Confirm Your Phonak Hearing Aids Are Connected

A confirmation beep indicates that Bluetooth pairing succeeded. However, the best way to verify the connection is to test the feature you actually want to use.

Perform these checks:

• Bluetooth status: Open Settings > Bluetooth and look for the connected Phonak device.
• Music playback: Play a short audio clip and confirm that you hear it through the hearing aids.
• Phone calls: Make a test call and confirm that the caller’s voice reaches your hearing aids.
• App controls: Open myPhonak and check whether both hearing aids appear and respond to available controls.

If audio plays through your iPhone speaker instead, select the Phonak hearing aids as the output device from the audio controls.

A hearing aid may also appear as connected for app control while phone calls still require a separate streaming connection on earlier models.

How to Connect Phonak Hearing Aids to the myPhonak App

The myPhonak app lets you control compatible hearing aid settings from your iPhone. It uses Bluetooth connections to communicate with your hearing aids and may require pairing both devices separately.

Follow these steps to complete the app setup:

1. Open the App Store and install myPhonak.
2. Turn on Bluetooth and connect your iPhone to the internet.
3. Open myPhonak and complete its initial setup screens.
4. On the Home screen, select Pair hearing aids or the corresponding pairing option.
5. Follow the restart instructions for rechargeable or replaceable-battery devices.
6. Wait until both hearing aids appear in the app.
7. Tap the green Pair button.
8. Accept the Bluetooth pairing request for each hearing aid.
9. Continue through the remaining setup screens.

If you wear two hearing aids, wait for both devices to appear before completing the pairing.

For hearing aids with replaceable batteries, Phonak provides a separate myPhonak setup procedure.

For earlier-generation hearing aids, the app may display See instructions or Optional settings after pairing. Follow that option to enable phone calls and audio streaming if they are not already working.

Customizing Hearing Aid Settings

After pairing, myPhonak gives you access to several hearing aid controls. The exact options depend on your hearing aid model, its fitting, and the supported app features.

Common options include:

• Volume Control: Adjust hearing aid volume directly from your phone.
• Program Selection: Change between available listening programs for different environments.
• Equalizer: Adjust the balance of bass, middle, and treble frequencies where supported.
• Noise Reduction: Modify supported settings that help manage background noise.
• Speech Focus: Adjust compatible programs to emphasize speech in challenging listening situations.
• Remote Support: Connect with a hearing care professional for supported remote adjustment services.

These controls let you make practical changes without opening the iPhone’s Bluetooth menu each time.

Remember that app controls and Bluetooth streaming are different functions on some Phonak generations. An app that opens successfully does not always mean the hearing aids are paired for calls.

Health Tracking Features in myPhonak

Some compatible Phonak hearing aids provide health and activity information through myPhonak. These features depend on your hearing aid model and are not available on every device.

Depending on compatibility, available measurements may include:

• Wearing Time: Information about how long you have worn your hearing aids.
• Steps: Daily step activity recorded by supported hearing aids.
• Activity Levels: Information about physical activity.
• Distance: Estimated walking and running distance on supported models.
• Heart Rate: A feature available on compatible Audéo Fit hearing aids.
• Calories: Activity-related estimates available on selected devices.

Phonak’s health feature compatibility list identifies the models that support each measurement.

Common Phonak Hearing Aid Pairing Problems and Fixes

Most Phonak Bluetooth pairing problems involve an expired pairing window, low battery power, existing Bluetooth connections, or an app connection that needs to be refreshed.

Start with the simplest checks before removing any saved Bluetooth pairing. This avoids unnecessary setup work.

Why Is Bluetooth Not Detecting My Phonak Hearing Aids?

If your iPhone cannot find the hearing aids, first confirm that they are powered on and in pairing mode. Restarting them usually provides a fresh opportunity for discovery.

Check the following:

1. Battery power: Charge rechargeable hearing aids or replace weak disposable batteries.
2. Pairing mode: Restart the hearing aids and search again within the three-minute window.
3. Bluetooth setting: Turn Bluetooth off and back on through iPhone Settings.
4. Distance: Keep the hearing aids near your iPhone during setup.
5. Nearby devices: Temporarily disconnect other phones or devices that may be connected to the hearing aids.
6. Phone restart: Restart the iPhone if detection still fails.

Bluetooth interference can also affect discovery. Moving away from other electronic equipment may help if repeated attempts fail in the same location.

What to Do When Your Hearing Aids Still Will Not Pair

If basic troubleshooting fails, you may need to remove the existing Phonak connections and pair them again. This is especially useful after a failed app setup or a connection problem following a software update.

To reset the connection:

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone.
2. Find the entries associated with your Phonak hearing aids.
3. Tap the information icon beside each relevant entry.
4. Select Forget This Device.
5. Repeat until the old Phonak pairing entries are removed.
6. Open myPhonak and go to Devices.
7. Open the connected device information and select Forget my devices, if available.
8. Return to the app’s Home screen and follow its pairing instructions again.

The number and names of Bluetooth entries depend on your hearing aid generation.

Earlier models may display a main streaming connection and two additional app connections, often beginning with LE_. Infinio Ultra and newer hearing aids commonly use a different two-entry arrangement.

Phonak describes this procedure in its official iPhone connection repair guide.

If pairing continues to fail, try reinstalling myPhonak after removing its saved device connections.

If only one hearing aid repeatedly appears in the app, your hearing care professional may need to check whether the devices are fitted together correctly or require a firmware update.

How to Stream iPhone Calls and Music Through Phonak Hearing Aids

Once Bluetooth audio pairing is complete, compatible Phonak hearing aids can receive phone calls and media audio directly from your iPhone.

You can test this by playing music, watching a video, or making a short phone call.

What If Music Plays Through the iPhone Speaker?

First, confirm that your hearing aids are connected for Bluetooth audio, not just through myPhonak.

Then open the audio playback controls on your iPhone and select the Phonak hearing aids as the output device.

If you cannot select them, return to Settings > Bluetooth and confirm that the audio connection is active.

What If Phone Calls Do Not Play Through the Hearing Aids?

During an active call, tap the Audio button on your iPhone’s call screen and select your Phonak hearing aids.

If the caller cannot hear your voice clearly, check the hearing aid microphone openings for debris and move to a quieter environment.

Phonak’s iPhone call troubleshooting guidance explains how call routing and microphone pickup affect conversations.

Tips for Better Bluetooth Audio Performance

• Keep your iPhone within reliable Bluetooth range.
• Maintain sufficient battery power in both hearing aids.
• Use myPhonak to adjust supported sound programs.
• Keep your iPhone software and myPhonak app updated.
• Reduce unnecessary phone notification sounds if they repeatedly interrupt your listening program.

If audio repeatedly cuts out despite a stable Bluetooth connection, contact your hearing care professional to check hearing aid firmware and device settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Set Up myPhonak Hearing Aids With My iPhone?

To set up myPhonak hearing aids with an iPhone, install myPhonak, turn on Bluetooth, and open the app. Select Pair hearing aids and restart your devices as instructed. Wait for both hearing aids to appear and accept the pairing requests. Older models may need separate Bluetooth audio pairing.

Why Isn’t the myPhonak App Connecting to My iPhone?

The myPhonak app may fail to connect because Bluetooth is disabled, the hearing aids have low battery power, or a previous connection needs refreshing. Restart the app, toggle Bluetooth, and restart your hearing aids. Also confirm that myPhonak has Bluetooth permission in your iPhone settings.

What iPhone Settings Affect Hearing Aid Use?

Bluetooth, app permissions, audio output selection, and call routing can affect Phonak hearing aid connections. Check Settings > Bluetooth and the Bluetooth permission for myPhonak. You can also select the hearing aids during phone calls and adjust notification sounds if they interrupt audio streaming.

How Do I Reconnect My Hearing Aid to My iPhone?

To reconnect a previously paired Phonak hearing aid, turn on Bluetooth and restart the hearing aid. Check whether the connection returns automatically. If not, select its name in Bluetooth settings. For persistent problems, forget the existing pairing and follow the initial pairing instructions again.

Why Do My Phonak LE Bluetooth Connections Say Not Connected?

Phonak Bluetooth Low Energy connections may show Not Connected when the myPhonak app is closed. On earlier-generation hearing aids, these connections often activate when the app communicates with your devices. This does not automatically mean audio streaming has failed. Test music or a phone call separately.

Why Does Only One Phonak Hearing Aid Appear on My iPhone?

Only one main Bluetooth audio connection may appear because compatible paired Phonak hearing aids share the streaming connection. However, myPhonak should normally detect both hearing aids when you use two. If one device remains missing from the app, restart both hearing aids and repeat app pairing.

Conclusion

Pairing Phonak hearing aids with an iPhone usually requires only a few Bluetooth steps. The key is knowing whether your hearing aids need separate connections for audio streaming and myPhonak controls.

Start by enabling Bluetooth, restarting your hearing aids, and completing the appropriate pairing process. Then test a phone call, play some audio, and confirm that the myPhonak app works as expected. If connection problems continue, your hearing care professional can help check the device fitting and firmware.

Sources

1. Phonak: iPhone Bluetooth Pairing: Restart procedures, pairing window, device names, and audio connection instructions.
2. Apple Support: Connect a Bluetooth Accessory: iPhone Bluetooth pairing and unpairing procedures.
3. Phonak: Rechargeable Hearing Aid App Setup: myPhonak pairing, restarting rechargeable hearing aids, and integrated streaming setup.
4. Phonak: Non-Rechargeable Hearing Aid Setup: Replaceable-battery pairing and app connection instructions.
5. Phonak: Smartphone Audio and App Connections: Separate streaming and Low Energy connections for earlier-generation hearing aids.
6. Phonak: Health Feature Compatibility: Supported hearing aid models and available activity measurements.
7. Phonak: Repair myPhonak Connections on iPhone: Bluetooth connection reset and app re-pairing instructions.
8. Phonak: iPhone Call Audio Troubleshooting: Call audio routing and microphone troubleshooting.

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