Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

Remote calling party cannot resolve keypresses on MY phone's keypad

6 replies156 viewsLast reply

Link to this topic
Reply

I’ve worn hearing aids now for about a decade. My first were Phonak branded; currently I wear Costco KS-10s (MADE by Phonak, of course).

I have a frustrating but uncommon problem that MAY be tied to hearing aid use. I’ve used iPhones since the very first generation, so through ALL generations of iOS, and with multiple different carriers over the years. Sometimes, when a call comes in I’m asked to make choices by pressing numbers on my keypad. Example: “Press 1 to accept the call, press 2 to reschedule, or press 3 to cancel.” I THINK (but I’m not certain) that the behavior is consistent as far as the caller’s equipment is concerned. For example, Apple Inc.’s support calls ALL come from a number in Texas that cannot RECEIVE calls, and I’ve had similar issues with the call processing software at the mail order pharmacy “ExpressScripts.” But, it’s uncommon enough that I’ve not attempted to determine it’s cause until yesterday, when I tried to get Apple iPhone support for a different issue with my iPhone 17 Pro (current model, running the latest version of iOS, with T-Mobile the carrier). At one of the local Apple retail stores a support tech said he’d NEVER heard of this problem before and expressed undeserved certainty that the issue lay with my cell carrier. I’m certain that’s NOT the cause because when I’m at home my phone is on Wi-Fi provided by a VERY reliable router with 500 mb/sec fiber symmetrical internet service from my ISP. When I posed this question on an Apple users email support forum, one of the first responses I received came from a person who’d identified the issue as related to simultaneous use of Apple AirPods (which of course are Bluetooth devices). I’m uncertain whether that’s MY issue, because I typically don’t wear my first thing in the morning until I’m with other people. So, I’m posing the question here.

Thanks so much,

Jim Robertson

5 people in this conversation4 min readJump to latest

This sounds like an issue with WiFi calling (not uncommon ). Try disconnecting your phone’s WiFi and see if the issue continues.

I can’t see how this can be related to the use of devices.

I’ve had more than one incident where the remote party didn’t recognize keypad tones while I was wearing my Oticon Real aids connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth, and the problem resolved when I hung up, turned off Bluetooth on the phone to disconnect the aids, and called back.

I sometimes get this too (not iphone). I do a slightly longer press of numbers. Not a tap but not a press and hold.

I get this when I get a call from the clinics. My phone tells me who is calling and instead of answering the call with a double tab on my aids, I answer it from the phone screen and all is good. I have Samsung S25FE phone and this works with my Phonak Spheres as it did with my Oticon INTENT1 aids.

Thanks to you and the others who’ve responded thus far. The variety of “solutions” makes two points:

  1. The issue is FAR more common than the tech companies who make phones realize.
  2. Sorting out what’s causing it is hobbled because it’s unexpected until it occurs, and demonstrating what’s causing it requires effort on the part of the remote system that’s causing it.

In my case, neither “long presses” nor VIOLENT long presses (nor even violent long curses accompanied by vocal invectives) helps a bit.

My first visit to an Apple Retail store led to recommendations that I update iOS to the latest, because it obviously was a bug that MUST have been corrected by now. I pointed out all the evidence I already possessed (in my first post) that a software update would not help, but went home and did it anyway. Of COURSE that didn’t help, so I had the folks in the store arrange a phone support call from Apple, which (duh!!!) failed because when Apple support calls, the first conversation is a recorded message that ends with “Press 1 to accept this call; press 2 to reschedule; press 3 to cancel.” NONE of my keypresses were recognized, and (flustered and angered by my inability to make that known to the “bot” controlling the call) I didn’t have time to change my sound settings or network settings. So, I’m no closer to knowing whether, in my case, it’s because I DO use Wi-Fi calling at home, or whether it’s because my hearing aids are bringing in the incoming call, but clearly it’s NOT because I’m not using the phone’s screen, because that’s SUPPOSED to be how I make my responses (it’s not “press or say ‘1””.

I guess I’m prepared to experiment the next time it happens. I did return to my Apple Retail Store yesterday, where they verified that their phone diagnostics software found no problem with my device, but they suggested just resetting ALL my network and cellular settings. The only result of that is a bunch of BT devices that require reconnection.

More to come (I hope).

The problem isn’t necessarily the hearing aids, I believe it is just the nature of Bluetooth

Related discussions