Tips and tools to make digital devices easier to use for people with hearing impairments.
There are tools and settings that can make phones, tablets, laptops and browsers easier to use for people with hearing impairments. Some settings or tools may not be available or work on older phones, tablets or laptops.
You can find settings for Android, iOS/iPadOS, Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS in the sections below.
Look for the cog icon. This is usually on your home screen, in your app list on phones and tablets, or in the Start menu on Windows.
My Computer My Way from AbilityNet also offers step-by-step instructions to change settings to meet your needs.
You can set up shortcuts on your smartphone for quick access to settings you find useful.
Accessibility features
- Live caption – automatically caption speech as text on screen e.g. videos, phone calls
- Caption style – change how the captions look to suit you
- Flash notifications – flashes the torch or screen when you get a notification
- Notification duration – make notifications stay on screen for longer
- Real-Time Text (RTT) – send and receive text during a live phone call
- Visual audio alerts – see visual cues for sound alerts e.g. flashing light for an alarm
- Mono and stereo audio – adjust how audio is balanced or combined across both ears
- Background sounds – play ambient background sounds to mask background noise or help with tinnitus e.g. ocean waves or rain
- Vibration and haptics – set physical feedback for calls, notifications and screen taps
- Hearing devices – connect a compatible hearing device to amplify sound and stream calls, music and audio directly via Bluetooth e.g. hearing aids
- Name recognition – get a notification when your device detects your name being said
- Sound recognition – get a notification when your device detects certain sounds e.g. doorbell, siren, crying baby
- Type to Google Assistant / Gemini or Siri instead of speaking
Android settings
Live caption
Accessibility > Captions
Caption style
Accessibility > Caption preferences
Flash notifications
Accessibility > Flash notifications
Real Time Text
Phone app settings > Accessibility > TTY mode
Mono audio
Accessibility > Audio adjustment
Vibration & haptics
Accessibility > Vibration and haptics
Hearing devices
Accessibility > Hearing devices
Type to Assistant
Swipe from bottom corner of screen
Apple iOS/iPadOS settings
Live caption
Accessibility > Live Captions
Caption style
Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning
Flash notifications
Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Flash for Alerts
Real Time Text
Accessibility > RTT/TTY
Mono audio
Accessibility > Audio & Visual
Background sounds
Accessibility > Audio & Visual
Vibration & haptics
Accessibility > Sounds and haptics
Hearing devices
Accessibility > Hearing devices
Name recognition
Accessibility > Sound & Name Recognition
Sound recognition
Accessibility > Sound & Name Recognition
Type to Siri
Accessibility > Siri
Microsoft Windows settings
Live caption
Accessibility > Captions
Shortcut: Win + Ctrl + L
Caption style
Accessibility > Captions
Notification duration
Accessibility > Visual effects
Visual audio alerts
Accessibility > Audio > Hearing > Flash my screen during audio notifications
Mono audio
Accessibility > Audio
Hearing devices
Bluetooth & devices > Devices
Hearing devices
Bluetooth & devices > Devices
Tools and apps
TapSOS – a non-verbal way to connect with Emergency Services
Real-time text – instant transcription of audio to text in meetings and conversations e.g. AVA, Otter.ai
Rogervoice – captions phone calls in multiple languages
Braci Sound Alert – record sounds in your environment and get a visual and vibrational alert when your smartphone recognises them
Music haptics – experience music on iPhone with taps, textures, and refined vibrations that are synchronized with a song’s audio
Subtitled cinema screenings – find subtitled screenings at your local cinema
myNoise – play ambient background sound to mask background noise or help with tinnitus
Signly – adds sign language to website
Download the guide
Need further support?
Get in touch with our Support Line if you have any digital support questions or if you would like support to change your settings.