Best captioned phone

Assistive Listening Devices
#1

Hello,

Does anyone use the actual phones CapTel, CaptionCall and ClearCaptions? I never heard of ClearCaptions. I found CapTel still requires a telephone service. I haven’t had telephone service in several years.
What kind of low-cost telephone service do you use? I looked into MagicJack VOIP. Anything similar low cost to MagicJack?

Does the phone have to be where the modem is or can you connect in another room?

The HamiltonCaptel and CaptionCall apps lose connection a lot or does not connect. I don’t know if it’s my cell company causing this, but a lot of people complain of Hamilton Captel having this problem.

I know there’s Olelo, and I have yet to download it. You have to register with each app. There’s Innocaption which I have and so far seem stable.

I think it’s a good idea to keep a phone when there’s these issues…maybe Captel?

#2

You could check out Voipo.com, I use that as a home phone and it works well. No idea about captions capability though.

#3

I use Innocaption. Love it…
With Innocaption I am finally able to make phone calls again.

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#4

I find my Pixel phone (from Google) is very adept at captions. To the point I don’t even need a captioning service. It has special caption and transcribe modes.

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#5

How do you talk, listen and read on your phone at the same time? Earbuds?

#6

Hi, same question, … how do you talk, listen and read on your phone at the same time? Earbuds?

#7

The cell phone is on speaker .
You can listen to the conversation at the same time reading the captions.
You can also have innovations on your desktop.

#8

Thanks! Obviously that was a dumb question since with hearing aids we could use headphones or streaming, but not earbuds. I hesitate to use speaker phone because it just makes the audio quality worse for everyone. It’s odd that we can have 4k TV but such a crappy phone system. I probably would wear headphones.

#9

You are correct. We have really old cell phones and the audio is terrible. At least with the captioning I can comprehend the conversation.
What I really like to do, is when I am home and need to make a phone call, I log into Innocaption on my desk top. With audio coming thru my computer speakers and captions on my monitor, I can finally enjoy making phone calls.
If I am logged in on my desk top, and a phone call comes thru, I can answer thru the desk top version. Nice, really nice. I’m a happy girl.
Have a great day !

#10

Can you tell me what Pixel phone you have, and what hearing aids you wear ?
I am looking for a new cell phone and was looking at the Pixels. I wear oticon hearing aids and I am finding that although some of the Pixels are listed as being compatible, I am finding out they are not.
I do not want to switch to iphone.
I am hoping to find an Android with good sound quality.
Thanx,
Laura

#11

I have the top Cap-tel phone from 3-4 years ago. The sound is awful. Just awful. I doubt that anyone with normal hearing even can understand what the other person says. The captioning is OK but, perhaps because of the awful sound, a lot of the captioning is juts not there.

Maybe the software is OK, but I’d be very leary of the Captel phones.

#12

Thanks for the information but I couldn’t install the application due to area restrictions. I’m from Turkey. I’d love to see an application that would simultaneously show captions during phone calls

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#13

Any recent (2-3 years) Pixel should do all of this. I have a Pixel 6, from 2021. I have a Phonak Link in one ear, and an AB CI in the other.

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#14

I have used CapTel phones since the first internet model, and CaptionCall since they came out. Sound quality is terrible on both. Captions are marginally better on
CapTel but it’s a big ugly device. CaptionCall phones aren’t as ugly but are extremely susceptible to lightening strikes.

Both now come with WiFi but are more reliable when connected with LAN cables.

I miss the orginal CaptionCall phone! It was a slab of black glass that really looked great.

#15

Everything is better through a Ethernet. :grinning: Likely to be more secure, too.

#16

I am using a Pixle 4a5g running Android 13 paired to my Phonak Bolero M90 rechargeable aids, and it works seamless. I hear the phone call in both ears, and can read the text on the screen without any additional apps.

Also if I don’t want to view the text, I leave the phone in my pocket listening hands free.

I went full google and use Google Fi which runs on the T-mobile network. The call screening service is just awesome, and it too provides a scrolling text translation on the screen.

My wife has the Pixel 4a, which is a year older than my phone. It also has the text features.

I hope this helps.

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#17

I should have mentioned that from what I have read, it appears Phonak has the best bluetooth compatibility with android. Other brands can be hit or miss.

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