Problems with Oticon ON app dropping Bluetooth connection with iPhone while talking

Hearing Aids
#1

I have exchange hearing aids for new Oticon aids still they intermittent drops conversation with one ear so talked with Apple support they said could be problem within iPhone Bluetooth so Apple exchange iPhone for new iPhone 8 still had problem with intermittent disconnect with iPhone
Talk again with Apple they suggest talking with people who make the Oticon ON app since is not a Apple product even though it’s made special for iPhone
Have tried 4 times to contact via email
peoplefirst@oticonusa.com
Auto reply says will answer within 3 business days
No reply after two+ weeks

Anyone with this problem with Oticon hearing aids connecting through OTICON ON APP Bluetooth to their iPhone?

#2

The OPN only connects to the ON app for control, but it’s not the ON app that’s dropping connection. You don’t even need the ON app all. The primary connection that can let you change programs and volume is actually the MFI functionality from the iPhone. Once the MFI pairing to the OPN is set up, just triple click on your home button and the MFI control window will show up that lets you change programs and control volume just like the ON app does.

Oticon makes the ON app primarily to provide Oticon-specific functionality to users (beside program change and volume control) like the HearingFitness thing, IFTTT, instruction for use, tinnitus, etc. But if you only care to use the program change and volume control, I personally think it’s better to use the MFI menu provided by the iPhone for that, instead of having to connect to the OPN to do that.

Just make sure you’re on Firmware 6 with the OPN and iOS 12.0.1 or latest on the iPhone. The connection improves a lot with this latest combination. I haven’t lost any connection between my OPN 1 and the iPhone while talking on the phone with this combination. On very long driving trip when I listen to music for hours, once in a while there’d be a dropped connection on one ear but in a few seconds, it reconnects by itself.

#3

I have been using an iPhone for over four years and I have had issues with two different ones with dropping Bluetooth connection. I believe it is the iPhone and not your aids.

#4

This happened to me using an android phone. I checked for and installed all available phone and app updates. This solved the problem.

#5

The iphone has gone through many updates with not fix for the issue. I have seen dropped calls and dropped music connections not only with my Oticon streamer pro but also my wireless/bluetooth headset. I also have my Iphone connected to my bluetooth of my Jeep and it too drops every now and then. And I have seen over and over issues on different forums with the Iphone bluetooth dropping. Now I have been able to make it not happen as often by, turning the bluetooth off and then back on and insuring that only my device I want to connect to is connected. Which means if I am in the car and I want to use the connection to the car I have to insure the streamer is off. Or if I want the connection to the streamer I have to disconnect the car bluetooth from the iphone. When I do this I see very few to no dropping of connection.

#6

Volusiano
Are you saying if I only desire Bluetooth function to have my iPhone calls stream to my Oticon hearing aids so I can hear and talk hands free I should simply delete the ON app and just pair my hearing aids with the MFi hearing devices connection with my iPhone ?
Thanks

#7

No I do not know that for sure I have my connectline app now but hardly ever open it. All I am saying is it seems to be if there are too many devices connected to the iphone it drops the bluetooth connections more. I haven’t seen my calls drop just the bluetooth connections. At this time I am useing the streamer pro with my older Alta pros, So I do not know how things are going to go once I get my newer Oticons.
I know that when I am in the car and my iphone connect to my car’s bluetooth, and also my streamer pro they both with fight for the call connection. And it doesn’t seem to matter if I tell the car to ignore the call.
At home now I also seem to have an issue with my streamer, and the TV connect, and the phone connect. The streamer doesn’t seem to know what to connect to. I have to at times restart the streamer by turning it off and back on then connect to the TV, and at the same time make sure the Iphone is not connected to the streamer because any notification will kill my streamer connection to the TV.

#8

My iPhone is the only device I have connected to my Oticon hearing aids via Bluetooth still problem with calls dropping from one ear to sometimes both so only way to continue talking is switch from audio to speaker on iPhone. It’s frustrating because otherwise the Oticon aids are wonderful
Just wish there was answer to eliminating dropped calls to hearing aids without changing from audio to speaker

#9

Everything I have read and researched seems to point to the IPhone design as the issue. It seems that the IPhone has a very week signal strength for both recieve and transmit.

#10

You don’t have to delete the ON app. You can just leave it installed in case you want to use some other functionality on it beside the program change and volume control. There’s no conflict to have it installed. I have it installed myself. But I rarely ever open up the ON app to use it for program change or volume change. I either use the actual buttons on the OPN for that, or sometimes I use the MFI menu for that.

But the Bluetooth connection between the OPN and the iPhone is actually done via the MFI functionality on the iPhone, that is, you must have gone to the iPhone MFI settings to pair up the OPN to the iPhone initially.

The ON app, when you open it up, will try to connect to your OPNs initially before you can use the ON app. But that’s not the real connection between the OPN and the iPhone. The real connection between the OPN and the iPhone is via the MFI pairing. The ON app simply connects to the OPN THROUGH the iphone. If you hadn’t paired the OPN to your iPhone via MFI, the ON app will not be able to connect to your OPN. In fact, if you hadn’t paired the OPN to the iPhone via MFI and you try to open up the ON app, it’ll tell you that you must pair the OPN to the iPhone via MFI first before the ON app can connect to the OPN.

By the way, you can hear hands free from the iPhone, but you may not be able to talk hands free with the iPhone if your iPhone is too far away from your mouth. You’ll either have to hold it near your mouth or set it on a table right next to you or put it in your shirt pocket up side down such that the mic is near your mouth enough to pick up your voice clearly.

#11

ok thanks
i have updated prior to IOS 12 on my iPhone 8
Is there a way to check firmware update on my OPN or do I have to go see my Audiologist to check if I have firmware 6 & only they can update it?
Thanks again

#12

This is one case where the ON app is useful, if you want to know which firmware update is on your OPN. Launch the ON app and click on the bottom round icon and select the right most “…” option. It’ll show 2 OPN icons on top. Click on one of the icons and you’ll see the Software version and Firmware version. I believe with the latest ON app, they have the values backward for these 2, but you still get to learn which firmware your OPN is on nevertheless.

If you don’t have firmware 6 yet, only your audi can update it, unless you’re one of those DIY folks who have the tools to update it themselves. But I’m guessing you’re probably not.

#13

You are correct on couple of thinks
(1) I am for sure not one of those DIF folks at 78 years
(2) the software & firmware appears to be backwards
It reads -software 5.0 and firmware au2cs3fw5.7.2

So I need to go see my Audiologist to have my firmware updated on my OPN 1 miniRITE hearing aids to 6.0

Thank you again appreciate your input

#14

Yes, after I upgraded from firmware 5 to 6, my connection between the OPN and the iPhone became much more stable for me.

#15

My iphone was already update to IOS 12
today visit to Audiologist & update firmware OPN to 6.0
so now all up to date
Will give you update in about 3-4 weeks if this solved dropping connection

Thanks again fro your help

#16

Yeah, I’m interest to hear if this latest update combo will help solve your problem or not.

Another advantage I just thought of about using the MFI interface from the iPhone to control volume and program change instead of using the ON app is that even if your phone is unlocked, just a triple click on the home button will take you to the MFI menu immediately, even while the phone is still locked.

If you choose to do it via the ON app, you’d have to unlock your phone, go launch the ON app, wait for both HAs to connect, before you can start changing program or volume. A lot more steps for you to get there.

1 Like
#17

After the update to firmware 6 and the latest ON app update for Android, you can control volume and program selection from the lock screen. This feature isn’t available for the iPhone?

#18

I’m not aware that you can run the ON volume and program change from an iPhone lock screen. Anybody OPN owner using the ON app know if it can be done from the iPhone lock screen somehow?

#19

Volusiano

How can I forward email from End User support specialist from Oticon regarding this issue

#20

Copy and paste it into a post?