Phonak or app questions

My question is: how much do you have to use the phone app throughout the day? Nothing bugs me more than having to lug my phone around all day long, so I simply don’t use myPhonak at all. Even these older Lumity Life 312s do a good job of compensating for environmental noise, so I rarely have to change the program or put them into “Speech in Loud Noise” even.

Do you have to keep myPhonak running all day long in order for your aids to operate as “Set and Forget”?

I am lefthanded and I naturally gravitate to my left ear, if I have to use a phone without streaming. My left ear is also my best ear to hear with if I don’t have my aids in even though I can’t understand speech without my aids. Even with my aids in my right ear everything is muffled. We have tried everything to improve it but to no real help.

Well that IS interesting! I’ve never given it much thought, but I’m the same: left-handed, can ONLY process speech in left ear if I’m not streaming to both aids. It’s like my right ear/brain connection is muddied - doesn’t work! If I put an aid in my right ear before inserting the left aid in left ear, volume is much lower and sound is more muffled. But if I put aid in LEFT ear first, I’m just about good to go right off the bat. Putting in the right aid only rounds out the sounds a bit, but I could get through my day with just the LEFT aid in.

I will ask my audi about the “master” aid when I get in to pick up my 2nd set of titanium ear tips. Perhaps she should switch it over to the LEFT side. Thanks for your insight!

BT master is really only something I’d consider at this point if:

1. I was streaming with just one ear. That would have to be the master.

2. Streaming load on battery plus much worse ear on one side. My rt used to be worse than lt, and that plus streaming on the p90s meant it made sense to move master to lt aid.

1 isn’t an issue for me, and 2 streaming battery load is negligible as far as I can tell on ultras. So I’m not bothered with the ultras.

Also, for all my talk about having spherical and sin programs, I haven’t used them except for testing since the ultra upgrade

WH

OK, thanks. However, I don’t see the Acoustic program in Target for the P90 or the Infinio Sphere 90. The illustration you sent was dated 2020. Maybe they dropped that program somewhere along the line or I am just not looking in the right place. Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing an Acoustic program somewhere along the line, maybe in my KS7s? Obviously it was there somewhere since it was shown in your P90 screen.

Cheers

Ray

Edit: I misread the date, it looks like Nov 2020 since it is for the I90. I think it would be a great program if I can find it, but since I have closed molds in both ears it probably would not help me.

@1Bluejay said:

how much do you have to use the phone app throughout the day?

I rarely open myphonak except at the end of the day to check battery remnant. (OCD Curiosity?) If you want to change programs, you can also use the HA buttons.

WH

I’ve had Phonak Breo 3 HAs, from Costco, for 6-7 years. They’ve worked well, but are obviously getting old. One or the other will turn off by itself sporadically. Since Medicare (US) now covers HAs, I requested a pair of Phonak Audeo Sphere i70 HAs. I did not consider other brands because I bought and long used a Phonak TV Connector allowing my TV to transmit directly.

BUT, and in response to your question, immediately upon receiving my original Phonak HAs, I found the Phonak App to be virtually useless! At least on an Android device.

I have read that the App was specifically designed for Apple OS devices. For multiple reasons, I will never again own an Apple branded product so I am not familiar with the iOS App.

It is designed to be simple for people that want simple and detailed for people who want detailed. For me it depends on my mood..

It is indeed “Acoustic Phone” as WhiteHat points out!

I am a HAPPY HAPPY camper using this program for many years now - ever since Zebras mentioned I should look into it! GAME-CHANGER!

Seriously, sometimes you’re in a situation (at family gathering, doc’s office, store) and the phone is passed over to you for a live call. I just put my aids into the dedicated Acoustic Phone program and take that call with confidence, cuz it almost “streams” the call to both ears. It’s kind of like wearing headphones, cuz you can hear the caller stereophonically even as ambient noise is around.

LOL! You must have rechargeable aids, and YES, I think it’s a great idea to get the end-of-day reading, altho that also shows up in BT on my Android phone on the screen where all the paired devices are listed. Um. For RECHARGEABLES o’course! My old-fashioned 312 battery aids I gotta wing on my own. Every 5th day, no matter the usage, I change the batteries. I’ve VERY rarely had batteries that don’t make it to that point, but when it happens, I ALWAYS have spares on me so I can do a quick switcheroo.

As for the master aid, I think I’ll just keep mine on the RIGHT side, cuz let’s face it, I’m equally DEAF as a stone in both ears.

@1Bluejay said:

My question is: how much do you have to use the phone app throughout the day?

I only use it if I want to try and tweak an additional programme I’ve added, when I’m out and about. I then make notes, to amend it next time I’m in target.

I certainly don’t like using it in a social situation. For example: “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you so I’m going to fiddle with my phone, then ask you to repeat in 20 seconds”. You’ve lost that person already. With additional programs added in target, you can long press to the one you think will work, while carrying on talking.

App programs are often deleted, if you make adjustments in Target, so are never a permanent solution.

The cheap remote control works nicely in a social or work situation since you can change programs or volume inconspicuously.

My desire is that my audiologist can accomplish with my new Spheres what he accomplish with my INTENT1 aids. That is I have only the default program plus the TV adapter or EduMic. With the Spheres I understand that I will have autosense so I am hopeful for just leaving it in auto and not worrying about them. I am not a control freak. I believe with have computers and smart hearing aids that should be able to allow me freedom of not even thinking about my aids after I put them in my ears until I am getting ready for bed. I have that with the INTENT1 aids and it works well except for extremely noisy environments. Luckily I don’t run into them very often.

@PeterH said:

I only use it if I want to try and tweak an additional programme I’ve added, when I’m out and about. I then make notes, to amend it next time I’m in target.

This sounds like a great strategy, and to your point of app programs being DELETED, SPOT-ON! You’ve invested the time and interest in Target, which is a place I have yet to explore. I wish they didn’t make it so difficult for users to plunge in and truly optimize the devices we get, but it seems there’s this barrier to our even educating ourselves about these very necessary devices!

For now, you’ve convinced me I’m not missing much without the myPhonak app on my phone. I LOATHE carrying my phone all over the place, like I’m some kinda gwamma ready to FALL DOWN and call the ER folks to come get me. My cell is more like a nuisance device nagging me all day long, who’s coming over to do what, where in my house. I’m lucky to have an audi who has become my partner in this journey of hearing optimization, cuz I must get in to see her 4-6 times a year with all kinds of issues and tweaks.