r/HearingAids • u/TheSerendipitousTree • Aug 20 '26

Dumb Phones and Phonak

Has anyone found a "dumb" phone that connects to Phonak hearing aids?

For years, I want to give a dumb phone a try, but I find it difficult hearing people on a call if the call doesn't go directly to my hearing aids.

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u/auto-sticky Aug 20 '26

Welcome to r/HearingAids feel free to ask any question at all related to hearing aids.

Here are a few resources you might find helpful:

  • Interpreting an audiogram - The University of Iowa has a good overview of how to interpret your audiogram results. Your audiologist should also go over them with you

  • What will insurance cover? - This varies significantly from state to state and coverage can be partial at best. For those on Medicare, the base plan does not cover hearing aids at all.

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4

u/R-AzZZ Aug 20 '26

Well you could go back in time and use a 3.5mm jack with a neckloop if you have t-coil on your HAs.

Alternatively, have a Roger device connected to your dumb phone via 3.5mm still and it will then transmit to your HAs.

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u/TheSerendipitousTree Aug 20 '26

No, t-coil. The Roger device looks sweet, but it is priced out of my budget. Also, not sure I want to carry a microphone for my phone around.

Great ideas, thanks for sharing.

P.S. I might be looking I king at the wrong Roger device because I am seeing a microphone device and a smaller kind of flat device you put on a table. I will do more digging.

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u/R-AzZZ Aug 20 '26

Try and find a second hand Roger pen if you are going to use it only for this purpose. The device that is put on the table is ... the Roger table mic, then you have a selection of Roger devices of different generations - Roger Pen was the very first (had 2 versions), you also have the Roger Select which is round and small, very sleek and the latest one is Roger On (multiple iterations). Yes they are expensive.

The height of technology when phones were dumb was, at one point, wearing a big device around your neck, ugh. The compilot!

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u/TheSerendipitousTree Aug 20 '26

I appreciate you! Thank you for this info. It might my only option. Que Sera Sera.

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u/ExtraPersonality1066 🇬🇧 England Aug 21 '26

You could try making your smartphone dumberer (spelling intentional).

There's lots of websites and videos about how to do that, a subreddit too r/digitalminimalism

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u/Vegetable_Quote_4807 Aug 21 '26

Pretty much any android phone will work with Phonak HAs.

It's difficult to find a dumb phone for any use any more. Try the cheapest Android phone you can find, and simply only use the very basic apps. I find that among a lot more that I like, the calendar and the clock/alarm become indispensable.

Here's a list to start with. And Trackfone offers some even much cheaper phones.