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Widex phone app not working - cannot communicate with servers

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This has made my expensive aids almost useless to me in public settings. What is the best route for giving feedback?

In reply to @OcramSagev

More information from an . she explains how to use IOS for controlling the aids directly without the app

Dr. Laura Pratesi, Au.D.123WS Audiology Data Breach, Widex Hearing Aid App Not Working? Here’s What You Need to Know

I noticed the same thing since yesterday.

I've found a workaround for Android (I unfortunately cannot check the iOS version). If you set your locale to Chinese it bypasses the gate. What seems to be happening is that Widex and Coselgi apps try to connect to converge-api.one.wsa.com5 when the app starts. This is no longer replying with something that the app understands, and you get the retry loop.

I exported the APK using adb, and had a look what the app is doing, and I found that it skips that request when the device locale is set to Chinese.

Now, obviously this is quite annoying - as I unfortunately do not understand Chinese. If you're tech savvy enough you could patch the apk. It doesn't have Play Integrity, so you can install the patched version with adb again.

I send an email to WSA about my findings, and got an email back that they are aware of the issue, but no estimate of when it is resolved.

Edited

I also noticed the problem yesterday in the middle of teaching my class! Couldn't switch to my in-class preset that I like to use. I recently updated the Widex app and foolishly allowed the Widex Moment app to share data. I've never done that before. N ow when I get the app running, it won't communicate with the servers in order to allow me to turn off my consent selections. I'm almost certain that the app's needing to check in with the Widex servers to start gathering session use data is the problem here. I'm curious if others have those data sharing services selected, and if those who don't are also running into issues with the app needing to connect to the Internet for some reason.

At any rate, I can confirm 1) turning off WiFi and Cellular on my iPhone allow the app to open and I can interact with my presets; 2) once set up, I can turn back on WiFi and Cellular and the app continues to work; 3) if I close the app and re-open, it won't load until I turn off WiFi and Cellular again; 4) the iPhone's Accessibility --> Hearing allows me to access my Widex and choose between the three standard presets that I use (Universal / PureSound / Music) and one custom preset. I have two custom presets, one for home and one for my classroom. The iPhone only reads the first preset you have created.

I'm confident now that I can continue to use the app with these workarounds and until they get the issue resolved. At which point I'll be turning off data sharing, which seems to be culprit here in terms of why the Widex app doesn't load while it's trying to ping to their servers.

Edited
@pharmanaut said:

culprit here in terms of why the Widex app doesn't load while it's trying to ping to their servers.

I don't have that enabled and I am having issues.

Features like ""find my aids" and sound assist use internet.
The issue is that recently they made a change to the app that mandates internet connectivity . Before, if you had no internet connectivity, the find my aids feature just showed a blank page.

Soon we will get one of those emails "Your data was exposed, we are offering XXX data protection with credit check for a year blah blah blah".


 

In reply to @OcramSagev

Android user here with widex moment, getting same "unable to proceed" message but if i go into phone Bluetooth settings and forget my hearing aids then repair then open the widex app and step through app setup again, it will proceed. It's a royal pain.

Someone with the time may want to petition and EU regulators to ban mandatory cloud connection for these sort of apps that control needed functionality for hearing aids and other medical devices. A cyber attack is an event but this is an added issue due to choices Widex made that perhaps it shouldn't be allowed to make. This may be a good case for an inquiry and eventual changes. Otherwise this will happen again with a hearing aid or something else.

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