Bluetooth air buds / hearing aids questions

[patcacmt]

Hi - a couple of questions; one for my daughter: will she be able to listen to music on her iPhone via air buds while walking the track on board?  Does she need to be “online” (WiFi) for this?  For some reason, I don’t think so for her downloaded playlists, but I’m also somewhat tech challenged, so I wanted to be sure. Now, for me; I recently had to start wearing hearing aids and they are Bluetooth-enabled so I can adjust the volume, filter background noise, check battery level, etc., through an app on my phone. I’m thinking I will need to be online for this?  Also, they serve as my “air buds” for listening to my playlist music. Same question as above?  

[Clarea]

The earphones will connect to the phone via Bluetooth without any need for VOOM.  No problems if she wants to listen to media already stored on her device.  However, if she also wants to stream audio from the internet, she would need VOOM.

[gatour]

I will address your second question first.

 

My wife has bluetooth hearing aids.  I just checked with her.  In her opinion for basic functionality, like you described you don't need to be online.  If you want to tweak some advanced setting then you may need to be online, if you want to adjust them from current settings

 

In regards to playlist music and if it is downloaded to your phone or other device you don't need internet access.

Edited August 18, 2019 by gatour

[vacationlover_mn]

What bob said 🙂

[h20skibum]

51 minutes ago, patcacmt said:

Now, for me; I recently had to start wearing hearing aids and they are Bluetooth-enabled so I can adjust the volume, filter background noise, check battery level, etc., through an app on my phone. I’m thinking I will need to be online for this?  Also, they serve as my “air buds” for listening to my playlist music. Same question as above?

You can check out the functionality of your hearing aid app by turning off WiFi and putting your phone in airplane mode.  You can test it that way.  

 

If your aids have a setting to automatically change to a different memory while traveling in a car, turn that option off while you are on the cruise.  Typically these will engage when traveling over a certain speed.  Otherwise, it may randomly change memories on you on the ship.  

Edited August 18, 2019 by h20skibum

[patcacmt]

Great, thanks so much for all the responses!  I’m still learning all the different functions of these aids and will definitely test them out. Of course, I feel I’m too young to need them but it’s always the people around you who disagree, yes?  Like my daughter who told me she wasn’t traveling with me anymore unless I got them!  🙄

[gatour]

9 minutes ago, patcacmt said:

Great, thanks so much for all the responses!  I’m still learning all the different functions of these aids and will definitely test them out. Of course, I feel I’m too young to need them but it’s always the people around you who disagree, yes?  Like my daughter who told me she wasn’t traveling with me anymore unless I got them!  🙄

Shh, don't tell anyone but wife got hers two years ago when she was in her early 50's.  It has made our conversations easier, as I don't have to repeat my self as often.  🙂

 

I definitely recommend testing them in air plane mode to verify what is functional with just bluetooth.

 

My wife also described a "repeater".  She plugs one end into her storage device and there is a wired repeater  that  clips onto her collar/blouse near her earbud.  I hope this makes sense.

[LadyBeBop]

Regarding your daughter’s playlist, what is she using?  

 

If she already bought music through iTunes, she’s fine. The songs are already on her device. 

 

If her playlist is from a streaming service such as Spotify or Apple, she’ll have to download her playlist to her device. Normally, that costs money. I have Spotify Premium for about $15 a month. That’s the only way I can download my Spotify playlist. 

 

HTH. 

Edited August 19, 2019 by LadyBeBop

[papaflamingo]

2 hours ago, patcacmt said:

Hi - a couple of questions; one for my daughter: will she be able to listen to music on her iPhone via air buds while walking the track on board?  Does she need to be “online” (WiFi) for this?  For some reason, I don’t think so for her downloaded playlists, but I’m also somewhat tech challenged, so I wanted to be sure. Now, for me; I recently had to start wearing hearing aids and they are Bluetooth-enabled so I can adjust the volume, filter background noise, check battery level, etc., through an app on my phone. I’m thinking I will need to be online for this?  Also, they serve as my “air buds” for listening to my playlist music. Same question as above?  

I have bluetooth hearing aids.  Bluetooth is private and irrelevant to wifi.  So they should work no problem on the ship. Same with the airbuds.   

[patcacmt]

34 minutes ago, LadyBeBop said:

Regarding your daughter’s playlist, what is she using?  

 

If she already bought music through iTunes, she’s fine. The songs are already on her device. 

 

If her playlist is from a streaming service such as Spotify or Apple, she’ll have to download her playlist to her device. Normally, that costs money. I have Spotify Premium for about $15 a month. That’s the only way I can download my Spotify playlist. 

 

HTH. 

I think she does both, but she does have songs that she has purchased through iTunes and has created playlists with those, so she will be good. 

[sushitex]

I didn't purchase Voom on our first cruise with Royal this past June/July, and I wore my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids during most of my waking time. I had put my iPhone on airplane mode to try to access the free Royal app (the app didn't always work, btw) and when my iPhone is in airplane mode, the app for my Resound hearing aids does not work at all. I can change the setting from restaurant to all-around, and back, on my hearing aids by touching a small button on each aid, but everything else is on the app. I decided against taking my iPhone off airplane mode because I noticed that my carrier (Sprint) was starting to set up roaming while we were at sea. Oh no, I'd rather do without the use of my hearing aid app if I can avoid those roaming charges, lol.

 

BTW, I probably needed hearing aids in my mid to late-thirties, but kept ignoring my husband's complaints until a physical needed for my new job brought my hard-of-hearing condition out from "under the rug." I think that I got them when I was about 43 or so; they make being hard-of-hearing bearable. I just wish that insurance companies would help more to pay for them. 😞 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by sushitex

[SRF]

4 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

I have bluetooth hearing aids.  Bluetooth is private and irrelevant to wifi.  So they should work no problem on the ship. Same with the airbuds.   

 

Bluetooth is a HUGE security hole.  So much, that many offices do not allow it to be used.

[papaflamingo]

4 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Bluetooth is a HUGE security hole.  So much, that many offices do not allow it to be used.

Actually "private" was a misnomer.   What I meant was that Bluetooth was not dependent on  wifi, but simply hooking up directly to the phone irrelevant to wifi.

[brillohead]

11 hours ago, sushitex said:

I didn't purchase Voom on our first cruise with Royal this past June/July, and I wore my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids during most of my waking time. I had put my iPhone on airplane mode to try to access the free Royal app (the app didn't always work, btw) and when my iPhone is in airplane mode, the app for my Resound hearing aids does not work at all. I can change the setting from restaurant to all-around, and back, on my hearing aids by touching a small button on each aid, but everything else is on the app. I decided against taking my iPhone off airplane mode because I noticed that my carrier (Sprint) was starting to set up roaming while we were at sea. Oh no, I'd rather do without the use of my hearing aid app if I can avoid those roaming charges, lol.

I recommend getting some technology lessons with a more knowledgeable family member.  

Airplane Mode turned off your Bluetooth functionality.  You needed to TURN ON BLUETOOTH after going into Airplane Mode.  If you had done so, your phone's hearing aid app would have been able to communicate with your devices again.

Your phone communicates on a variety of different networks -- it's important to know which networks are appropriate for which tasks.  Using Bluetooth Mode has nothing to do with internet, WiFi, or cellular systems.  

[sushitex]

Thanks for letting me know - I guess the only "lessons" that I received regarding the hearing aid app were when I first received my hearing aids, from the hearing aid specialist/technologist, several years ago. Live and learn, please don't make me feel bad just because I didn't know a fact about Bluetooth technology. 😞

 

[spookwife]

18 hours ago, patcacmt said:

Hi - a couple of questions; one for my daughter: will she be able to listen to music on her iPhone via air buds while walking the track on board?  Does she need to be “online” (WiFi) for this?  For some reason, I don’t think so for her downloaded playlists, but I’m also somewhat tech challenged, so I wanted to be sure. Now, for me; I recently had to start wearing hearing aids and they are Bluetooth-enabled so I can adjust the volume, filter background noise, check battery level, etc., through an app on my phone. I’m thinking I will need to be online for this?  Also, they serve as my “air buds” for listening to my playlist music. Same question as above?  

No need to be online for either.  My husband has those same type HA. no internet required at any point except for updates to the software

 

as for using the earbuds.. as long as her music is downloaded to the device she’s fine.  She needs to create a playlist if she’s normally just streaming 

[spookwife]

12 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Bluetooth is a HUGE security hole.  So much, that many offices do not allow it to be used.

Yup.  He can bring the HA into work, but his portable device where he can make simple adjustments cannot be.  Of course he also can’t bring the phone inside the building, let alone his office....

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, sushitex said:

Thanks for letting me know - I guess the only "lessons" that I received regarding the hearing aid app were when I first received my hearing aids, from the hearing aid specialist/technologist, several years ago. Live and learn, please don't make me feel bad just because I didn't know a fact about Bluetooth technology. 😞

 

I typed out a huge long response, and as I submitted it, the website went into "update" mode and I lost it all!

My intention wasn't to make you feel bad about not knowing about technology, and I'm sorry if it came across that way.  The person who SHOULD be feeling bad is the one who sold you the hearing aids without explaining everything about the system -- I'm sure they earned a hefty commission off the sale, the least they could do is explain it all!!!

If you Google the name of your hearing aids and the app that controls them, you should find both written and video tutorials explaining the various settings and how they work. 

 

And I do recommend getting some basic tech lessons from a knowledgeable friend or family member.... everything has changed so much in the past twenty years, nobody would be expected to know it all unless it had been explained to them!

At least now you know for the future -- when in Airplane Mode, you can turn on your Bluetooth function regardless of whether you have WiFi, and adjust your settings the same as you would do back home.  

 

Again, sorry for any misunderstanding I may have caused, I hope you will forgive me.

[brillohead]

20 hours ago, gatour said:

My wife also described a "repeater".  She plugs one end into her storage device and there is a wired repeater  that  clips onto her collar/blouse near her earbud.  I hope this makes sense.

 

A coworker's husband has hearing aids.  She has a little microphone she can clip onto her lapel, and it transmits directly into his hearing aids.  She loves it, because she can be in another room and ask him to bring her something to drink while she's nursing the baby, without ever raising her voice!

Edited August 19, 2019 by brillohead

[fred30]

17 hours ago, sushitex said:

 I had put my iPhone on airplane mode to try to access the free Royal app (the app didn't always work, btw) and when my iPhone is in airplane mode, the app for my Resound hearing aids does not work at all.

 

 

When you put an Iphone in Airplane mode both Cellular and Bluetooth turn off.  You would need to just turn off the cellular and make sure the Bluetooth is on.

 

 

 

Quote

 

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by fred30

[sushitex]

Brillo,

Thank you for clearing up any misunderstanding, and all is forgiven and good. 🙂

I didn't realize that I could turn Bluetooth back on, and yes, I will do so next time I put my iPhone in airplane mode.

I guess I am lucky in one sense - normally, I do not need to adjust my hearing aids very often. So, when I didn't use the hearing aid app while on the cruise, it didn't make much difference, because I never actually needed to make adjustments. 

 

I am grateful that message boards like these exist. Not only have I just learned how to keep my hearing aid apps while cellular service isn't available (or viable), I also recently found, through a recent message board, how to enable and use wi-fi calling using my iPhone. Since I plan to buy Voom on our next cruise, I believe that wi-fi calling will be my new method of placing and receiving phone calls while at sea.  🙂  

 

 

[Small is better]

Has anyone used a dongle as a bluetooth transmitter with the Quiet Vox used for excursions so their hearing aid can be connected to the Quiet Vox?