Android Gets Streaming Support for Hearing Aids

Google has made its Android OS a little more accessible to those with hearing disabilities. The company has finally added support for streaming via hearing aids. It has released an open specification for hearing aid streaming support on future versions of Android. This basically means, if you are using a hearing aid, you will be able to connect, pair, and monitor your device to hear a phone call clearly and loudly. It will also support listening to music or other audio.

Called Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA), the protocol specification uses Bluetooth and has been designed to have minimal impact on battery life with low-latency. It also maintains a high-quality audio experience for users who rely on hearing aids, Google said in a blog post. So, for instance, you will be able to control the sound for your hearing aid using your supported Android device, control the battery life and listen to any audio content.

Any hearing aid manufacturer will be able to build the support for Android using the specification, and the first such company the Internet search giant is partnering with is Denmark-based company GN Hearing. With ASHA, direct streaming will become available on GN Hearing's recently launched ReSound LiNX Quattro and Beltone Amaze hearing aids with a future release.