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Samsung S25 hearing support with Oticon Intent 1 and Bluetooth LE/ASHA

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I have very recently bought a new Samsung S25 phone yay! Finally hoping to take advantage of being able to stream phone calls and Google Map instructions direct to hearing aid.

I have paired the aids to both my phone as well as to the Oticon Companion app.

Is there any value to the Oticon Companion app as I never use the app to adjust volume just program? It seems like Samsung S25 Hearing support allows me to change programs just fine.

As far as I can determine and this is very unclear on the Internet, using Bluetooth LE audio - which is what I have enabled will make calls hands free as in use microphone of hearing aid instead of phone for my voice. This is not desirable because the tiny microphone in the hearing aid is nowhere near the quality of the microphone on your phone and results in a poor quality audio for the listener on the other end of the call. What is recommended here and what have other people found. My ideal preference would be to stream audio from call to my aids, but allow me to use the microphone of the phone to talk to the other person. Is this possible on Samsung?

What have people found better for real world use? or Bluetooth ? I think I can use both on my phone by disabling Bluetooth LE Audio - which I presume then defaults back to ASHA?

I have noticed something really annoying about Samsung S25. When I connect my hearing aids to the phone (not the Oticon app), it disables sound of keyboard taps because this would be understandably disruptive to stream to aids. But I don’t want it muted - just simply not streamed. I believe Iphone treats keyboard taps as an alert (so it is not streamed) whereas Android treats it as media. I could probably get used to no sound when I am typing and have hearing aids in, but people are used to keyboard sound, which makes typing more accurate.

I have not tested making or receiving phone calls, just streaming youtube videos. I am not sure if I need to select speaker source (phone/aid) for streaming to phone? What happens if aids are in charger? I notice that Oticon app shows aids as charging, but Samsung phone Hearing support does not show the aids are charging, so I have no idea if it thinks the aids are ready to receive audio?

Anyone with any experience of streaming phone calls, Google Maps specifically on Android or even better newer Samsung phones - could you advise. I have zero experience of using my hearing aids to stream to other than the tv streamer. Thank you.

11 people in this conversation13 min readJump to latest

I have the Samsung S25FE and when I wear my INTENT1 aids I used hands free without any issues. The ones on the other end of the conversations never complained. I just got the Phonak Spheres and I use full hands free and no one complains.

Perhaps the bluetooth technology has improved so much that it is no longer an issue? Thanks for the feedback.

Does the phone automatically stream the call to your aids or do you have to specify which speakers (phone/aids) to use?

I should be on again tomorrow to follow up. Thanks

In reply to @Roberto

Hm. Intriguing question here! What model Oticon do you wear?

I wear Phonak Lumity Life 312 battery aids that work beautifully with my Samsung Flip7 Android. I totally get the confusion over WHICH mic is used from WHAT source when streaming a phone call.

I don’t think you need to manually select the speaker source when streaming. Your aids would be paired + connected in Bluetooth, so that would automatically happen. But you CAN remove various choices from the list. For instance, in the list of “available devices” to pair with my Phonaks, I removed the options with LE_R and LE_L as that was too confusing. My audi named my two pairs of 312s “Pink” and “Pirate” for the colors they are. I can instantly see which aids are connected to my Samsung for phone calls, cuz once in a blue moon, the aids become disconnected.

Not sure what you mean about Google Maps streaming to Android? But I use Wayz, and those directions are indeed streamed into my aids as I drive, so I don’t have to take my eyes off the road and look at a MAP.

I didn’t know that you could tap your hearing aids to answer the call. Interesting. I will have to try that. Cool.

@1Bluejay I am wearing Oticon Intent 1. For Google Maps which is like Wayz, I just simply mean that when the phone talks telling me to turn left 300 metres ahead etc - I hear it streamed directly to my hearing aid instead of it coming from the phone speaker.

Does your flip7 phone support bluetooth ? I had thought that only the Samsung S23 and above supported the new bluetooth version and the other phones only supported ?

Just for reference, I have determined that using ASHA will not be satisfactory. Everyone says that ASHA is worst for audio quality, then MFI (Iphones) is the next step up and then Bluetooth LE Audio is apparently the best out of all three.

In addition, it appears that Google Pixels with Android 16 now have the ability to select the microphone to use for calls. Unfortunately this is not available yet on Samsung - even with the Android 16 update (which I have). So I am guessing it will come out with the Samsung 18.5 Oneui update. So hopefully in a few months I will be able to select microphone for calls and hearing aids for speakers.

I am not sure why microphone quality is so inconsistent. Many people report no issues with using the microphone of the hearing aid, yet an equally large number report having issues where they say the person on the other end can’t hear them properly - everything is muffled etc. My preference will always be to use the microphone of my phone for calls as the phone microphone is much better quality audio experience for the listener on the other side.

Hopefully in a future update, there will be an easier way to get to the hearing aid preset settings on Samsung. Currently I go to Quick Access, select my hearing aids next to the bluetooth button which takes me to the hearing support area. Then I have to click details, click my hearing aid settings cog and then finally I see the preset option. There is a Hearing support button, but unfortunately it doesn’t work properly first time and my choices are either to have it in my navigation bar (next to my back, home, recent buttons) or to have it as a floating hover button over the screen. Why they couldn’t add a shortcut to the homepage I will never know!

Unless someone tells me otherwise, I think I will remove the Oticon Companion App, because I am not seeing any point in the app any more, particularly as I dislike programs that want location turned on.

@Roberto said:

Does your flip7 phone support bluetooth LE Audio? I had thought that only the Samsung S23 and above supported the new bluetooth version and the other phones only supported ASHA?

The scoop on that is sorta kinda, but not exactly as read here3.

I don’t want to discourage you, but when I trialed the Intent 2 yrs ago, I turned it in after 10 days. It simply WOULD NOT work reliably with my older Samsung Flip4 phone. Calls always dropped, and every single time the phone rang, I’d have to repair AND reconnect the dumb aids. It was just not for me. Phonak is ROCK solid with streaming, so I remain in that camp for now.

Edited

In reply to @Roberto

@Roberto said:

Unless someone tells me otherwise, I think I will remove the Oticon Companion App, because I am not seeing any point in the app any more, particularly as I dislike programs that want location turned on.

I have the Intent 1s and a Honor Magic 7 pro phone running Android 16.

Whilst my phone shows a dialog box to select the phone mic when a call is answered, I have found using the mics to be fine & had no reports of any difficulties hearing me,

I have kept the Companion app for the following reasons

The streaming sound equaliser is available. Its not available on the phone settings and I have adjusted the equaliser settings.

The presets are shown on the home screen on opening the app, making it easy to change the preset. So far I haven’t needed to change from General.

Location is not required unless you need to know where you last left your aids. I don’t and have turned off the location permission. This is an absolute must, otherwise the app will constantly get the location, significantly & quickly draining the phone battery.

@dhj49er said:

Location is not required unless you need to know where you last left your aids. I don’t and have turned off the location permission. This is an absolute must, otherwise the app will constantly get the location, significantly & quickly draining the phone battery.

I had not realised that the program would work without location. I will test it again and see if it will work without location. I seem to recall it kept nagging for location. I agree, I don’t have location enabled because it just chews the battery.

@1Bluejay said:

The scoop on that is sorta kinda, but not exactly

I don’t want to discourage you, but when I trialed the Intent 2yrs ago, I turned it in after 10 days. It simply WOULD NOT work reliably with my older Samsung Flip4 phone. Calls always dropped, and every single time the phone rang, I’d have to repair AND reconnect the dumb aids. It was just not for me. Phonak is ROCK solid with BT streaming, so I remain in that camp for now.

I am not too concerned with this because two years ago is a long time in terms of Bluetooth and phone technology. Things have changed considerably particularly as older phones only supported which apparently was never that great. I will see how it goes with Bluetooth on my new phone. Early days yet.

@Roberto said:

What have people found better for real world use? ASHA or Bluetooth LE Audio? I think I can use both on my phone by disabling Bluetooth LE Audio - which I presume then defaults back to ASHA?

Le Audio & are game changers.

I could not go back to .

The sound quality is superb especially when streaming.

When I’m at home I tend to leave my phone in the lounge and move around the house and garden without it. I spend a few hours a day streaming my favourite radio stations.

With ASHA I could barely leave the lounge before losing one or both streams. However, with LEA, the streaming is rock solid anywhere in house and garden. It’s light and day different

I’m now using Auracast to broadcast my TV sound. I bought a cheap Auracast transmitter (£25) and connected it to the TV optical output. I use my phone to select the broadcast and I hear the TV sound without having to select a preset. I think this is the future and soon more new TVs will have built in Auracast transmitters. This is cheaper and far superior to using the manufacturers TV streamer (£100++)

I recommend embracing this newer technology.

In reply to @dhj49er

I have no familiarity with except for the understanding that it will replace the Loop system one day. My understanding is that Auracast has problems. For example, a railway station would notify via auracast that the train is delayed. This would kick the hearing aid user out of their streaming program like streaming music from their phone so all they could hear was announcements. Or some scenario like that. So, they have put Auracast on hold because of these kind of issues.

If I have understood you, with regards to the TV sound - instead of changing the preset from General to TV in the hearing aid - you are effectively remaining in General mode on your hearing aid and you join a broadcast - like you join a teams meeting or something. It certainly is cheaper than the TV streamer. But better? I have no complaints with the Oticon TV streamer which I have to say works flawlessly. One issue I can see with the Auracast is that if you might use for General mode and want to use for TV streaming mode - Auracast would not really help here. But I do concur - much cheaper as a tv streamer and device independent.

I wonder what Bluetooth protocol the TV streamers use?

I concur that is not that reliable for bluetooth because I notice with my cheap Samsung tablet it sometimes loses connectivity to the Anker bluetooth speaker. I think that Bluetooth will probably be released to that tablet as it’s only a couple of years old.

I am very pleased that I waited before buying a new phone. It sounds like Samsung S25 was the perfect time to buy as Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast are starting to become mainstream.

Thank you for the real world feedback. Very helpful indeed.

If I’m streaming and I turn on my transmitter, it doesn’t stop the streaming.

I have to select Auracast & that does stop streaming as is required to listen to the TV.

So I’m not sure that a public Auracast can stop streaming.

One of the benefits of Auracast is that many can simultaneously receive the broadcast, but requires each individual to select the broadcast to be able to listen to it.

In your example, I can envisage a passenger selecting the station auracast broadcast whilst waiting for a train, to hear all the announcements. But the passenger will not be able to stream at the same time.

@dhj49er said:

In your example, I can envisage a passenger selecting the station auracast broadcast whilst waiting for a train, to hear all the announcements. But the passenger will not be able to stream at the same time.

I don’t think it’ll work like that, it’ll be like phone calls when your streaming now, seamlessly switching between the two, as anything else would be a step backwards?

In reply to @Roberto

@Roberto said:

This would kick the hearing aid user out of their streaming program like streaming music from their phone so all they could hear was announcements.

But would automatically switch back when no announcements right, so your saying even if you get a call on your phone you’d have to take it through the phone, it wouldn’t automatically switch to Bluetooth headset profile, that would be a step backwards if true?

If your Oticons have the right firmware and if you have the right release of the app and if the right programs are configured for your , I’d expect to do everything you mentioned via LEA and with minimal effort.

*****

There’s no generic ‘ performance’. I looks like it needs to be emphasized that, as stated above, Auracast is usable only if phone, HAs, and other devices in a chain all support BT LEA and Auracast … except that a few companies (2 active on this forum) produce devices that allow exploiting Auracast for devices that don’t support Auracast.

IOW, I wouldn’t look for generic instructions on implementing BT LEA for streaming. Rather, I recommend asking a chatbot something like, ‘How do I configure my Samsung S25 and Oticon 1 to stream audio/TV/Goodle maps waze instructions to my hearing aids?’

*****

I can do all you mentioned, I think, with my -only Jabra EP 10 HAs and TV Streamer 2’, even with a PIxel 9/Android 16 phone.

The pre-LEA Jabras stream audio fine, stream Google Maps directions to the Pixel (didn’t try it with the iphone, but that probably works, too), stream TV with a TV Streamer from ReSound. They don’t answer calls with a tap, but they end a call with one, IIRC. They can use the phone mic or HA mic. Every time I receive a call I have to choose how to listen - stream, listen to phone, listen to external speaker - though it’s not burdensome unless I want to change the output

I’d expect to listen to streaming via my HAs via Auracast with properly configured FlooGoo or Avantree or ? devices.

But it would be easier if I had Auracast devices in the whole system.

In reply to @tenkan

I can’t remember what the guy said, but I think the problem was that it didn’t switch back to the program that the person was streaming music on. The conversation was a while ago, so my memory is not clear, but I think that was the gist of the problem.

Good afternoon everyone. With the permission of the topic author, I will join this topic with an additional question. I recently bought and started using Intent1 (I updated it to the latest firmware 1.3 in Genie2). I have a Samsung S23 Ultra with the latest firmware (Android 16, 8.0). And I am observing the following problem. When I use Intent as a hands-free, the device microphone works by default, not the phone microphone. And my interlocutor hears a terrible metallic sound (the sound is very distorted and my speech cannot be understood). I searched all the settings in both the phone and Genie2 (the latest version. I have access to the programming of my device). But I did not find a microphone switch for the speaker microphone anywhere.
Tell me where to look for a solution to this problem?
P.S. before that I had a Real2 and with the same phone in hands-free mode, the phone microphone worked by default.
Thank you for your attention.

@ATVTARKO said:

But I did not find a microphone switch for the speaker microphone anywhere.
Tell me where to look for a solution to this problem

I assume you turned on on your phone, yes?

I don’t have a Samsung, but a Pixel 9. With the goggle dialer, when I receive an incoming call I get a notification to switch to the phone mic. During the call, I can see the call is using my , and I can tap the icon, and switch to speaker, or mic. The notification is still available in the notification shade.

So, I can switch at anytime. Unfortunately, it seems android 16 eliminated the call routing option, where you could assign it permanently.

Also in the Genie 2 sidebar menu, look for Finish. Click on it and check your phone settings, where you can adjust volume, mic to ambient, etc.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for responding. I have Le turned on by default. Thanks for responding. I have Le turned on by default (it wasn’t on Real2). I tried turning it off but nothing changes except the wireless coverage area. I went into Genie2.I didn’t see the “phone” item at all. Can you post a screenshot? I had the idea to check my intent1 with sams22 and iphone15pro (I’ll post the results later).

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