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Auracast explained: how to hear broadcasts through hearing aids and cochlear implants

Quick answer: Auracast is a Bluetooth LE Audio feature that lets one transmitter, such as a venue’s sound system, a TV streamer or a phone, send audio to any number of compatible hearing aids, implant processors or earbuds nearby, a bit like tuning a radio. You join by picking the broadcast from a list or scanning its QR code, using your hearing aid app or a supported Android phone. Only some newer hearing aids can receive it, and support differs by brand, so check the table below or ask your clinic.

Last checked: 2026-11-09. Steps come from the official support pages listed at the bottom.

What Auracast is

The Bluetooth SIG, the group behind Bluetooth, describes Auracast broadcast audio as a Bluetooth capability built on LE Audio. A transmitter sends out one audio signal and any number of in-range receivers can tune in, the way radios pick up one station. Sound quality doesn’t drop as more people join.

No pairing with the transmitter. Oticon explains that, unlike regular Bluetooth, you don’t pair your hearing aids with the broadcast. You just join it.
An “assistant” finds it for you. The SIG says a phone, smartwatch or hearing aid remote scans for broadcasts and shows a list, much like choosing a Wi-Fi network. The list can be in the phone’s settings or in your hearing aid app.
Three ways to join: pick from a list, scan a QR code, or (the SIG expects) tap your phone on a sign.
Public or private. Broadcasts can be open to anyone or password-protected.

It isn’t the same as the everyday streaming you use for phone calls. That still works as before. See Will my hearing aids work with Android? for how LE Audio, ASHA and Bluetooth Classic differ.

Where it’s showing up

The Bluetooth SIG says Auracast is already in places such as theatres, universities, churches, museums and stadiums, and in October 2026 it pointed to deployments in clinics, houses of worship, stadiums, theatres, universities and a nationwide cinema chain in Japan. Hearing aid makers describe it for silent TVs in airports, gyms, sports bars and waiting rooms, announcements at airports and stations, museum tours and conference talks (ReSound, Oticon, Starkey).

Oticon calls Auracast a new technology that is still being rolled out across devices and makers worldwide, so many places won’t have it yet. Starkey says a venue with Auracast or any other assistive listening system should have a sign; if you aren’t sure, ask staff. ReSound notes Auracast can work alongside a telecoil (hearing loop), so keep using the loop where a venue offers one.

Which hearing aids and implants support it

Brand	What the maker says about Auracast	How to join
Oticon	Oticon says its hearing aids that work with the Oticon Companion app and support Bluetooth LE Audio are compatible with Auracast. Check your model on Oticon’s compatibility guide.	Oticon Companion app (Android 10 or later, iOS 15.2 or later): Sound tab › three dots (…) › Auracast broadcast, then Scan QR Code or pick from Nearby broadcasts and tap Join. Or use Android 15’s own settings (below).
Phonak	Phonak says you need myPhonak 7.5 or newer and Phonak Audéo E, Audéo E-Sphere or newer hearing aids. For other Phonak models, check with your clinic.	myPhonak: open the Auracast Assistant (menu Streaming, in the Devices section, or by changing the program), tap Scan QR code, point the camera at the venue’s Auracast QR code, then tap Join broadcast. The app switches to the Broadcast program. Phonak’s instructions describe joining with the broadcast’s QR code.
ReSound	ReSound says that with ReSound Smart 3D app version 1.39, ReSound Vivia, Enzo IA, Savi and Nexia hearing aids can join Auracast broadcasts on every phone that’s compatible with the Smart 3D app.	In the ReSound Smart 3D app, or from your phone’s Bluetooth menu on phones that support it, as ReSound describes. ReSound’s TV-Streamer+ and Multi-Mic+ can also send out an Auracast broadcast.
Starkey	Starkey says the Auracast assistant in My Starkey needs a compatible, LE Audio hearing aid with hearing aid firmware 10.3.1.5 or later, and describes Omega AI+ as Auracast-ready. Ask your clinic whether your hearing aids qualify and have the update.	My Starkey: Home screen › Stream options icon › Auracast broadcasts › tap the broadcast. Starkey lists broadcasts as supported or unsupported; only supported ones work with hearing aids. If a broadcast has more than one language, you can pick one.
Signia	Signia’s U.S. support page currently says Signia hearing aids do not support Auracast, even though some Signia IX models support LE Audio.	Not available yet per Signia. Check with your clinic for updates.
Widex	Widex says Widex Allure wearers with an Auracast-compatible Android phone may be able to join broadcasts using Android’s built-in Auracast assistant, but Widex hasn’t officially released its Auracast support (firmware and app updates) and can’t guarantee the sound or experience.	Android settings only, for Allure (below). Nothing official yet for iPhone. Check with your clinic.
Cochlear (implant sound processors)	Cochlear says Nucleus 8 and Kanso 3 are ready for Bluetooth LE Audio and will be able to connect to Auracast broadcasts in the future, and that a firmware update may be needed for some features. Our Cochlear + Android guide notes that Cochlear’s compatibility tool lists LE Audio and Auracast for Baha 7 on Android 15 or later.	Ask your implant clinic whether your processor has the firmware it needs, and check Cochlear’s compatibility tool for your phone.

Summarized from each maker’s support pages, checked 2026-11-09. Other brand names made by these companies (see who makes your brand) may have their own apps and timing. The Bluetooth SIG said in October 2026 that all five big hearing aid groups now offer hearing aids that support Auracast, but individual brand support pages, like Signia’s and Widex’s above, can lag behind. If your brand isn’t listed or you’re not sure, ask your clinic or the maker.

How to join a broadcast: the basic steps

Check that your hearing aids or sound processor can receive Auracast. Only some newer models can. Use the brand table below, or ask your hearing care professional.
Update everything. Update your hearing aid app and your phone’s software. Ask your clinic whether your hearing aids need a firmware update; Starkey and Cochlear both say some features depend on one.
Connect your hearing aids to your phone the usual way, so your phone or app can act as the “Auracast assistant” that finds broadcasts for them.
Look for an Auracast sign or QR code at the venue, or ask a staff member. Starkey suggests asking an attendant if you aren’t sure.
Open the Auracast option. In your hearing aid app (for example Oticon Companion, myPhonak, ReSound Smart 3D or My Starkey), or on a supported Android phone in the Bluetooth settings for your hearing aids (Find an audio stream on Pixel, Find a broadcast or Audio broadcast on Samsung).
Scan the QR code or pick the broadcast from the list, enter the password if it asks for one, then tap Join or Listen.
Set a comfortable volume with the stream volume control in your app. To stop, tap Disconnect or Leave; Starkey says the broadcast also disconnects when you walk out of range.

Join from an Android phone (Pixel, Samsung)

Check your phone supports LE Audio and Auracast. Google’s September 2025 list includes the Pixel 8 series and newer, Samsung flagship phones released since 2023 (Galaxy S23, S24, S25, Z Fold5, 6 and 7) and some Xiaomi and POCO models. Oticon says the built-in option needs Android 15 or later. Both the phone and the hearing aids must support LE Audio.
Connect your hearing aids to the phone. Swipe down from the top of the screen to Quick Settings.
Pixel: tap the Bluetooth tile with your hearing aids’ name, tap the gear icon, then tap Find an audio stream. Tap Scan QR code, or pick a stream from the list. Google also says you can scan a broadcast’s QR code with the Camera app, tap the Playlist button, then tap Listen.
Samsung Galaxy: Google’s help says to tap Bluetooth in Quick Settings, tap the gear next to your LE Audio device, then Find a broadcast. Samsung says that from One UI 8.5 the feature is called Audio broadcast: open Quick Settings, tap Audio broadcast, then the Listen tab, and pick a stream. Earlier versions call it Listen to Auracast broadcast.
Enter the password if asked. Oticon says Pixel phones show Listening now once you’ve joined, and Stream paused if the stream isn’t available.
To leave, swipe down and tap Disconnect in the audio stream notification (Oticon), or tap Leave on Samsung.

Menu names differ between phone makers and software versions. Oticon notes that phone makers may call Auracast by different names, such as “audio stream” on Pixel or “Audio broadcast” on Samsung.

iPhone: what works today

Apple’s iPhone hearing device support pages (checked 2026-11-09) don’t describe a built-in way to find or join Auracast broadcasts. On iPhone, joining depends on your hearing aid maker’s app:

Oticon Companion includes an Auracast broadcast assistant on iOS 15.2 or later.
myPhonak joins with the broadcast’s QR code (Audéo E and newer).
ReSound Smart 3D (version 1.39) lets supported ReSound hearing aids join on every phone compatible with the app.
My Starkey has an Auracast assistant for compatible hearing aids.
Widex and Signia haven’t published an iPhone way to join yet.

Apple may change this with a future update. Check your hearing aid app and Apple’s hearing devices guide.

Auracast and your TV

Don’t expect your TV at home to broadcast Auracast on its own. The Bluetooth SIG expects many TVs will need new hardware to do it, and says plug-in Auracast transmitters can add it to existing TVs. For now, the simplest route is usually your hearing aid brand’s own TV streamer:

ReSound TV-Streamer+ sends TV sound to ReSound hearing aids and, with Auracast, can let any number of Auracast-enabled devices listen at once.
Cochlear lists the TV-Streamer+ for its LE Audio-enabled sound processors.
Samsung Galaxy phones can broadcast their own audio. Samsung says to turn on Allow hearing aids to connect so hearing aid users can join.

See Hearing aids and your TV for each brand’s streamer and setup.

Troubleshooting

No broadcasts show up? Make sure the broadcast is actually running and you’re within range. Oticon says Android needs Location turned on to detect nearby broadcasts.
You can see it but can’t join? Oticon suggests joining through its app instead of the phone’s settings. Starkey notes that not every broadcast supports hearing aid streaming; those appear under Unsupported. If it asks for a password, ask the venue or host for it.
Joined, but no sound? Phonak says to check that your hearing aids are connected and support LE Audio, that the broadcast is active, that your phone’s system and media volume are up, and that you’re within range. Then leave and rejoin (Phonak’s Try again).
Sound delayed or cutting out? Phonak says to move closer to the QR sign or transmitter, because the signal varies with distance.
Restart. Turn Bluetooth off and on and restart your hearing aids (Oticon). Then update your hearing aid app and your phone.
Auracast option missing in your app? Your model or firmware may not support it yet. Starkey and Phonak both list minimum app or firmware versions. Ask your clinic about an update.
Ordinary phone or TV streaming dropping too? That’s a regular Bluetooth problem. Work through Hearing aid keeps disconnecting.

When to ask your clinic

You’re not sure your hearing aids or processor can receive Auracast, or the option is missing from your app. Your clinic can check your model and install firmware updates.
You want the broadcast and the room sound balanced differently. Your clinic can tell you what your app and programs allow.
You wear a cochlear implant or bimodal setup. Cochlear notes LE Audio isn’t compatible with certain bilateral and bimodal configurations, so ask your implant clinic.
A broadcast sounds uncomfortably loud or distorted. Lower the stream volume or leave the broadcast, and tell your clinic.

If your hearing itself suddenly changes, that isn’t a Bluetooth problem: see a doctor or audiologist right away. Our medical disclaimer explains what HearFlow can and can’t help with. Clean, dry hearing aids stream best too; our cleaning helper has free email reminders.

Common questions

What is Auracast?

A Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast feature. One transmitter, such as a venue sound system, TV streamer or phone, sends audio that any number of compatible hearing aids, cochlear implant processors, earbuds or headphones nearby can join, like tuning in to a radio station. The Bluetooth SIG created it.

Do my hearing aids support Auracast?

Only some newer models do. Oticon, Phonak, ReSound and Starkey list Auracast support for certain models, apps or firmware versions. Signia's support page says its hearing aids don't support it yet, and Widex says it hasn't officially released Auracast support. Ask your clinic about your exact model.

Do I need to pair with the Auracast transmitter?

No. You don't pair with the broadcast. Your phone or hearing aid app finds it and tells your hearing aids which broadcast to join. You pick it from a list or scan its QR code, and enter a password if it's private.

Can I use Auracast with an iPhone?

Apple's hearing device support pages don't describe a built-in Auracast option. Some hearing aid apps include their own Auracast assistant on iPhone, including Oticon Companion, myPhonak (by QR code), ReSound Smart 3D and My Starkey. Widex and Signia haven't published an iPhone option yet.

Which Android phones work with Auracast?

Google's September 2025 list includes the Pixel 8 series and newer, Samsung flagship phones released since 2023 such as the Galaxy S23, S24 and S25 and Z Fold5 to 7, and some Xiaomi and POCO models. Oticon says the built-in option needs Android 15 or later. Both the phone and the hearing aids must support LE Audio.

Why can I see a broadcast but not hear it?

Phonak suggests checking that the broadcast is active, your phone's system and media volume are up, and you're in range, then leaving and rejoining. Starkey notes that some broadcasts don't support hearing aid streaming and shows them as unsupported. Oticon says joining through its app can help if the phone's settings won't connect.

Does Auracast replace hearing loops or my TV streamer?

Not for now. ReSound says Auracast can work alongside telecoil, Oticon says it is still being rolled out, and the Bluetooth SIG expects many TVs will need new hardware to broadcast it. Your brand's TV streamer is still the usual way to hear your own TV.

Can cochlear implant users use Auracast?

Cochlear says Nucleus 8 and Kanso 3 are ready for LE Audio and will be able to connect to Auracast broadcasts in the future, and a firmware update may be needed. Ask your implant clinic what your processor supports today.

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