Neither of the subject HAs provides a button configuration for the rechargeable versions that will mute the mic. The respective iOS/Android apps can mute mics, but users/reviews report many Bluetooth connection problems with those apps. I’d preferable rechargeable to 312 batteries (yeah, I know, many prefer replaceable batteries).
Does anyone with a rechargeable Real or HearLink have a way to eliminate background noise while listening to streamed speech from their phone?
My Oticon Xceed can be muted via the triple click feature of the iPhone.
They have batteries tho.
Phonaks currently on my ears, but triple-clicking the right side button on my iPhone 11 Pro, while it’s streaming a podcast, initiates an attempt to use Apple Pay.
Edit: P.S. I don’t see anything relevant under Settings::Accessibility::Accessibility Shortcut. But again, not yet trialing Oticon/Philips.
You have different questions / answers due to being different hearing aids.
Ok so with Phonak, it’s completely different from your first post.
Phonak is not MFi so is not under Accessibility.
To mute Phonak when listening to audio / music, it’s a long press on bottom button but it needs to be activated in the Target Software.
It can also be set up for Mics to always be off. Note, not for Phone Calls.
Phonak for Phone Calls, you can’t mute, only option is to raise volume and that’ll lower the background noise.
I guess I introduced confusion. I’m currently wearing Phonaks, and I’m very familiar with them and their programming – mine are set to automatically mute the mic during speech streaming in addition to on a long button press on some other occasions – but I thought I would check out iPhone triple-clicking, with which I was unacquainted.
I’m considering Oticon Real 1 or its cousin Philips Hearlink 9040. My question is solely about those, and whether/how I can mute during speech streaming. If I can’t do it quickly and reliably with rechargeables, the versions I prefer, I may trial the 312 battery versions to get button muting.
Yes once you activate the button in settings, it’ll work.
Thinking about it, it might be double rather than triple press.
I’m wearing my Phonak more then Oticon.
You need to activate this. 
You can’t demo it until Aids are connected tho.
Turning volume all the way down which is super quick, mutes Mics but keep streaming.
There are two “triple” options on iPhones. Triple click and triple tap.
I used triple back tap for something for a while, but it was being activated too often by accident.
WH
Hmm, I don’t have anything between “Magnifier” and “Reduce Motion” – no “MFi Hearing Devices” – at least with my Phonaks. iPhone 11 Pro, iOS 16.7.2.
Eh? During speech streaming, e.g., podcasts, I control the volume with the left iPhone buttons.
I turn volume down with the Accessibility Shortcut. Don’t touch the actual iPhone volume.
My screenshot has been around for a very long time. Old iOS and current iOS.
I can’t think off hand if there was anything extra to activate it. Maybe someone else will come along.
It may show up only if MFi aids are paired.
With the iPhone you can use the app or the hearing device in the control panel or in the accessories hearing devices in iPhone settings. The other ways is with the connect clip used as a remote control or the remote control 3 from Oticon.
The Oticon Remote or the ConnectClip can both be used to Mute the HA mics. The other option for Oticon is the Companion App.
IDK about the Philips solutions, but I know they have a streamer, you could check their website for a remote.
Aha, I just googled it, and:
I guess the remote could be a feasible option for my daily cardio workout podcast listening.
I see two potential issues here:
Or add Hearing to Control Center and use that instead of triple click.
It would work, but if you use your phone to stream podcasts, just use the Hearlink 2 app to mute the mics.
With the app you can use the eq, too.
Short answer is, yeah, I’ve found the mute button on the Hearlink2 app works great for shutting out outside noise while streaming.
I just got my Philips 9040s a month ago and was disappointed when I started the lawn mower and then couldn’t hear the streamed content. My old KS8s would bump up the streamed volume somehow, but the Philips didn’t. The Costco ha checked for solutions in the program and made a tweak or two but didn’t help. For some reason I thought the mute button would mute the streaming as well, but figured I’d try it anyway and… eureka! Even the leaf blower doesn’t interfere.
I’ve seen posts about bt problems as well but haven’t experienced any. About a week after I got the aids the app had a message about an upgrade and that I should have ha do a firmware upgrade. So maybe they fixed some things.
Also, if you get the Philips there’s a program smart phone setting called phone level. Have your ha set it to the max (9 db). That’ll help as well. Thanks to @Volusiano for posting that.
Hi brec,
With Oticon replaceable battery RIC’S you can mute or un-mute mics with a quick press on the lower end of the rocker switch which is super convenient. You can not do that with Rechargeable battery models but you can through the Oticon On or Companion apps or if you use an Apple device through the accessibility and hearing devices menu which can be a super pain in…you know. With my new Reals I find that manually turning the mics all the way down via the rocker switch and turning the phone or streaming devices volume all the way up I can participate in phone conversations or music streaming in moderately loud evironments. My older Opn’s, Alta’s, Epoq’s all could mute un-mute at the rocker but I never liked the fact that I could not hear my own voice or any ambient sounds.
