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How to connect hearing aids to a computer (Mac and Windows PC)

Quick answer: It depends on your hearing aids and your computer. Newer Macs (select M1 models and all M2 or later) pair with Made for iPhone hearing aids in System Settings › Accessibility › Hearing Devices. Windows 11 PCs with Bluetooth LE Audio pair with LE Audio hearing aids in Settings › Bluetooth and devices › Add device. Phonak hearing aids pair like a regular Bluetooth headset. If yours can’t connect directly, a brand accessory can bridge the gap.

Last checked: 2026-10-30. Steps come from the official support pages listed at the bottom.

First: which kind of Bluetooth do your hearing aids use?

Computers can only stream to hearing aids that speak the same kind of Bluetooth. There are three main kinds:

Made for iPhone (MFi): many Oticon, ReSound, Starkey, Signia and other models. These can pair with newer Macs. On its own, MFi doesn’t work with Windows PCs. Apple keeps a full list of MFi hearing aids.
Bluetooth LE Audio: newer models such as Oticon Intent, ReSound Nexia, and Starkey Omega AI and Edge AI. These can work with Windows 11 PCs that support LE Audio. Many are also Made for iPhone, so they can work with a Mac too. Microsoft says LE Audio hearing aids started arriving in early 2024.
Classic Bluetooth: Phonak hearing aids and Signia Pure Charge&Go BCT IX. These pair with a Mac or PC much like a Bluetooth headset.

Not sure which you have? Your user guide or hearing care professional can tell you.

Which method fits you

Brand	Mac	Windows PC	If direct doesn’t work
Phonak	Pairs like a Bluetooth headset in System Settings › Bluetooth	Pairs like a headset in Bluetooth & devices › Add device	Phonak says to switch phone-call Bluetooth from “adaptive” to “fixed” bandwidth in the myPhonak app (or ask your provider), then restart the hearing aids
Oticon	Hearing Devices on newer Macs; Oticon says macOS 15 or later works with its Bluetooth models	Oticon Intent or newer with LE Audio, on Windows 11 version 24H2 or newer	Easy LE Adapter (USB-C, for LE Audio hearing aids) or ConnectClip (older computers or hearing aids)
ReSound	Hearing Devices on select M1 and all M2-or-later Macs with macOS 15 or later	LE Audio models (Nexia, Savi, Vivia, Sensia, Enzo IA) on Windows 11 24H2 PCs with LE Audio	Ask your hearing care professional
Starkey	Omega AI+, Omega AI, Edge AI, G Series AI and Genesis AI on select Macs with macOS Sonoma 14 or later	Omega AI+, Omega AI and Edge AI on LE Audio PCs with Windows 11	StarLink Edge LE Adapter (USB-C; Omega AI+ and Edge AI)
Signia	Made for iPhone models on compatible Macs (see Apple’s list)	Pure Charge&Go BCT IX pairs like a headset. Signia says IX models on firmware 25.5.972.3 or newer should, in theory, stream from LE Audio devices	StreamLine Mic (works with Signia AX, Xperience and Nx Bluetooth models)

Models and requirements change. Check your brand’s compatibility page (linked below) or ask your hearing care professional before buying a new computer or accessory.

Mac steps (Made for iPhone hearing aids)

Check your Mac. Apple says Made for iPhone hearing aids pair only with select Macs with the M1 chip and all Macs with the M2 chip or later (for example, MacBook Air from 2022 or later, MacBook Pro from 2021 or later, iMac and Mac mini from 2023 or later). Update macOS first.
Charge your hearing aids and keep them close to the Mac. If they are already paired with your iPhone or iPad nearby, turn Bluetooth off on that iPhone or iPad while you pair. You can turn it back on afterward.
On the Mac, open the Apple menu › System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Hearing Devices. You may need to scroll down.
Restart your hearing aids to put them in pairing mode: open and close the battery doors, turn them off and on, or take them out of the charger.
Click Set Up and follow the on-screen steps, then click Pair. If you don’t see Set Up, click Connect next to your hearing aids’ name when it appears.
To hear the Mac through your hearing aids, click Control Center (or the Sound icon) in the menu bar and choose your hearing aids under Output. You only pair once; after that they reconnect by themselves when they are on and nearby.

Requirements: Apple lists macOS Sonoma 14 or later for hearing aids with two-way (hands-free) streaming and macOS Sequoia 15 or later for one-way models. For quick access to volume and programs, add the Hearing control to Control Center or the menu bar. In recent macOS versions that is System Settings › Menu Bar › Add Controls › Hearing.

Phonak on a Mac or PC (Classic Bluetooth)

Phonak says its hearing aids support Classic Bluetooth for music, videos and hands-free calls, but not every computer supports this.

Turn on Bluetooth on the computer. Mac: Apple menu › System Settings › Bluetooth. Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Add device › Bluetooth.
Restart the hearing aids: open and close the battery doors, or turn rechargeable models off and on. You now have about 3 minutes to pair.
Select the hearing aid in the computer’s list of Bluetooth devices. On Windows it shows with a headset icon. You’ll hear a confirmation if you’re wearing them.
If it doesn’t show up as a headset, or won’t connect to your Mac, Phonak says to change the phone-call Bluetooth setting from “adaptive” to “fixed” bandwidth in the myPhonak app (or ask your provider), then restart the hearing aids.

Signia’s Pure Charge&Go BCT IX pairs with a Windows PC the same way: restart the hearing aids, then Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Add device › Bluetooth device, and click the hearing aid name.

Windows 11 steps (LE Audio hearing aids)

Check your PC. Open Start › Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Devices and look for Use LE Audio when available. Turn it on. If that setting isn’t there, your PC can’t connect to hearing aids directly right now (a driver update from the PC maker may add it later).
Check your hearing aids. They must support Bluetooth LE Audio. Microsoft notes that Made for iPhone and ASHA (Android) hearing aids are not LE Audio, even if they say “Bluetooth LE.” Your user guide or hearing care professional can tell you.
If your hearing aids are paired with a phone nearby, turn Bluetooth off on the phone while you pair.
Restart your hearing aids to put them in pairing mode. Oticon says pairing mode lasts about three minutes.
On the PC, go to Settings › Bluetooth & devices, click Add device, then Bluetooth. (Or open Quick Settings next to the clock and choose Manage Bluetooth devices.) Click your hearing aids when they appear under New devices.
If Windows shows a pop-up saying it found your hearing aid, click Connect. If it says “We found the other hearing aid. Connect now?”, click Connect again so both sides are paired.

Requirements: Microsoft says your PC needs Windows 11, Bluetooth LE built in from the factory, and LE Audio drivers from the PC maker. LE Audio isn’t supported on Windows 10 or Windows 11 version 21H2. Oticon and ReSound ask for Windows 11 version 24H2 or newer. On 24H2 or newer you can change hearing aid presets and surrounding-sound volume: Quick Settings › Manage Bluetooth devices › your hearing aids › Properties.

When direct doesn’t work: brand accessories

If your computer or hearing aids can’t connect directly, your hearing aid brand may sell a small accessory that connects for you. Each one works only with the models its maker lists.

Oticon Easy LE Adapter: plugs into a USB-C port and streams to Oticon hearing aids that support LE Audio. If your computer has no USB-C port, Oticon says you can try a third-party USB-C to USB-A adapter, but not every adapter is guaranteed to work.
Oticon ConnectClip: for older computers or older Oticon hearing aids. You pair ConnectClip with your hearing aids, then pick ConnectClip in the computer’s Bluetooth menu. It also sends your voice back for calls.
Starkey StarLink Edge LE Adapter: connects USB-C phones, tablets and computers to Omega AI+ and Edge AI hearing aids for hands-free streaming.
Signia StreamLine Mic: streams from Bluetooth devices including PCs and laptops to Signia AX, Xperience and Nx hearing aids. To pair it with a computer, press the multi-function and + buttons together for about 6 seconds until it flashes blue, then pick “StreamLine Mic” in the computer’s Bluetooth menu (PIN 0000 if asked).

Ask your hearing care professional which accessory fits your exact model.

Troubleshooting

Sound still comes out of the computer speakers

Mac: click Control Center or the Sound icon in the menu bar and pick your hearing aids under Output. Apple also says to check the microphone level in Hearing Devices settings.
Windows: click the speaker icon on the taskbar, click the arrow next to the volume slider (Select a sound output), and choose your hearing aids. Some apps have their own volume controls, so check those too.

The microphone doesn’t work on video calls

Some hearing aids only stream one way: you hear the call, but they can’t pick up your voice. Apple’s list marks the two-way (hands-free) models. With a one-way model, choose a different microphone, such as the computer’s own, for the call.
Mac: pick your microphone in Apple menu › System Settings › Sound › Input.
Windows: go to Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone and make sure microphone access is on for your call app.
Oticon notes that its hearing aid buttons don’t answer or end calls on a PC. Use the call app on the computer.

Hearing aids don’t show up, or look grayed out

Restart the hearing aids so they are in pairing mode, and keep them close to the computer.
Mac: Apple suggests checking compatibility, restarting the Mac, unpairing the hearing aids from any other Apple device first, and checking for a hearing aid firmware update (your brand’s app or your provider can do this). If they look grayed out, a Bluetooth mouse, keyboard or trackpad may be the cause. Turn it off. If the hearing aids then connect, use a wired (USB) one or a newer Apple Magic Keyboard, Mouse or Trackpad.
Windows: make sure Use LE Audio when available is on (see the Windows steps). If that setting is missing, your PC can’t pair LE Audio hearing aids directly. Classic Bluetooth models like Phonak, or a brand accessory, may still work.

Choppy sound, dropouts or delay

Keep the computer close and check for wireless interference. Charge or replace your hearing aid batteries.
Windows (LE Audio): if sound glitches while the microphone is on, go to Settings › System › Sound, click your hearing aids, then under Output settings › Format set Format when microphone is active to Mono.
Microsoft says LE Audio has lower delay than Classic Bluetooth, so on an LE Audio PC with LE Audio hearing aids, make sure Use LE Audio when available is on.
Oticon suggests not turning the PC’s Bluetooth off and on to fix streaming, because it also disconnects a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard. Reconnect the hearing aids, or pair them again.

Using your phone and computer at the same time

Hearing aids can be paired with both, but they stream from only one device at a time.
To switch to your phone, disconnect the hearing aids on the computer (Windows: Settings › Bluetooth & devices, then Disconnect), then turn on Bluetooth on the phone. To switch back, turn off the phone’s Bluetooth (or disconnect there) and click Connect on the computer.
With an iPhone and a Mac, Apple says hearing aids may hand off to the other device for an incoming call or when it starts playing audio. You can change this with the Handoff setting in Hearing Devices settings.
More fixes are in our hearing aid keeps disconnecting checklist.

Helpful gear: Wired Mouse And Keyboard (link coming soon)

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Common questions

Can I connect my hearing aids to my laptop?

Often yes, if both support the same kind of Bluetooth. Newer Macs (select M1 models and all M2 or later) work with Made for iPhone hearing aids, Windows 11 PCs with LE Audio work with LE Audio hearing aids, and Phonak hearing aids pair like a headset. Otherwise, a brand accessory can help.

Why don't my hearing aids show up on my Windows PC?

Most often the PC or the hearing aids don't support Bluetooth LE Audio. Check Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Devices for the Use LE Audio when available setting. Microsoft says Made for iPhone and ASHA hearing aids are not LE Audio, and LE Audio isn't supported on Windows 10.

Which Macs work with hearing aids?

Apple says Made for iPhone hearing aids pair only with select Macs with the M1 chip and all Macs with the M2 chip or later, on macOS Sonoma 14 or later (two-way models) or macOS Sequoia 15 or later (one-way models).

Can I use my hearing aids for video calls on my computer?

Yes, if your hearing aids support two-way (hands-free) streaming with your computer. If they only stream one way, you'll hear the call through them but should use another microphone, such as the computer's own.

My Signia hearing aids appear in the computer's Bluetooth list but don't play sound. Why?

Signia says some of its hearing aids can show up on other devices because they use Bluetooth Low Energy to talk to the Signia app, but they only stream audio through Made for iPhone, ASHA or LE Audio.

Can my hearing aids stay connected to my phone and computer?

They can be paired with both, but they stream from only one at a time. Disconnect on one device, then connect on the other.

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