It's estimated that more than 28 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids
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How to stream your favorite shows through your hearing aids
Want to hook up your TV to your hearing aids for seamless viewing? Get started with these tech tips.
Maybe you love to watch detective series or reality cooking shows. Or you’re a football fan who never misses a game. Watching your favorite TV shows may be harder when you have hearing loss.
In fact, one of the signs of hearing loss is that you keep raising the TV volume to catch the dialogue.1 Or you might be relying more often on closed-captioning for every show.
That could all change once you get hearing aids or upgrade your older devices. Now there are several ways to stream TV audio directly to your hearing aids. Why stream? It provides a better listening experience. You don’t have to struggle to hear if you’re sitting across the room or if there’s background noise, like a fan whirring.2 You can even set the TV volume to zero and listen to the TV through your hearing aids without bothering anyone else in the room.
To get started, have a conversation with your hearing care professional about your options for streaming with your hearing aids. They can advise you on what you need once they learn your viewing habits.
First step: Discuss your TV routine
“I like to ask patients, ‘What are your listening needs?’” says Joe W. Griffith, III, Au.D. He’s an audiologist and the owner of Accessible Hearing Aids in Metairie, Louisiana. He also asks his patients to walk him through their average day.
If they don’t mention their TV-viewing habits, Griffith asks about it anyway. “It is something that I always bring up to try and tailor a solution to it.” For instance, he may ask people if they watch TV on their own or with their partner or family. Do they live in their own home or in a group setting?
Here are some good options if you live in your own home.
Option #1: You have a smart TV
Most hearing aids come with some form of Bluetooth connectivity, says Griffith. That means you can pair them to your tablet, smartphone or laptop to stream music, phone calls and other audio directly through your hearing aids.
And if you have a smart TV, it probably has Bluetooth capability. If so, you may be able to stream the TV signal directly into your hearing aids.
To do that, go into the settings of your TV and find Bluetooth. Then pair your hearing aids so the audio connects directly to them.
What to know: You are the only one who will hear the dialogue and sounds when you stream audio directly via Bluetooth, says Griffith. This is a good option if you watch your shows alone.
Option #2: You get a TV streamer
If you don’t have a smart TV, you can buy a TV streaming box. Most hearing aid manufacturers also offer these TV streamers. That way, you can pair the same brands together.
The streamer connects the TV through the “audio out” port on your TV. “Then you pair and sync the hearing aids to that box,” says Griffith. “The audio signal goes from the TV directly into the patient's hearing aids.”
What to know: This choice is best if you watch your shows with other family members. Your volume is custom fit for your hearing aids, says Griffith. But your partner or best friends can control the volume of the speakers without interfering with your own.
Option #3: You have a Roku
Unlike most commercial streaming devices that plug into your TV, Roku features a way to connect Bluetooth-enabled devices to the TV. But Roku can only do this through its own smartphone app, notes Griffith.
What to know: You’ll be able to hear your TV show, but other family members won’t be able to hear it once you start streaming. So this is best for people who watch something by themselves or who live alone.
Option #4: You buy special headphones
Digital wireless TV headphones, such as TV Ears Digital, come with a transmitter and charger. The transmitter plugs into the “audio out” port on your TV. You slip on the headphones, and then the audio pickup is transmitted into them. This helps you hear the dialogue more clearly. You can also adjust the volume for your degree of hearing loss.
What to know: Digital headphones aren’t meant to be used with your hearing aids. But they are a good choice for people who may not be ready to try hearing aids but need something to help them hear their shows, says Griffith.
To find the best choice for you, talk to your hearing care professional. And then get ready to enjoy your favorite shows again — without blasting your TV.
Through EPIC Hearing Healthcare, you get up to 3 follow-up visits at no extra cost and a trial period to try out your new prescription hearing aids. Learn more.
Sources
- Symptoms Hearing Loss Association of America. Accessed June 18, 2025.
- Assistive listening and alerting devices American Academy of Audiology. Accessed June 18, 2025.
Information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed medical provider. Consult your provider prior to making changes to your lifestyle or health care routine.
Hearing aids purchased in the Silver technology level will receive 1 follow-up visit.
