Hey @platypus — just a heads-up we discovered while working on the iOS app:
iOS doesn’t allow audio from a USB input (like the FMA120) to be routed to Bluetooth devices using A2DP or HFP.
In other words, hearing aids like your Phonak Lumity L90-RL, which rely on those profiles, won’t be able to receive Auracast audio through the FMA120 on an iPhone.
If your main goal was to use the FMA120 with your Lumity L90-RL for Auracast, you might consider returning it through Amazon while you’re still within the return window — or wait for a future firmware/app update. We’ve just come up with a possible approach and will be starting work on it soon.
That said, MFi-certified hearing aids — designed specifically for iOS — don’t have this limitation and continue to work as expected.
To break it down:
- A2DP is output-only — iOS assumes no microphone is needed when using this profile, so it blocks input from external sources like USB mics. (One of the goals of LE Audio is to remove limitations like this, giving users the freedom to choose whether they need a mic—even when listening to music.)
- HSP/HFP are two-way — but iOS expects both mic and speaker to come from the same Bluetooth device. Using a USB mic is considered a mismatch and won’t work.
To clarify:
- The receiver works with MFi hearing aids
- It works with the iPhone’s built-in speaker
- It doesn’t work with Bluetooth hearing aids using A2DP, HSP, or HFP
Just for reference, Android doesn’t have this restriction—so the Lumity L90-RL can receive Auracast when the FMA120 is plugged into an Android device.
Sorry @platypus, and to other Phonak users on iPhone—looks like the thread title might’ve been a little misleading. Please bear with us as we begin working on a new approach for this combination.