I’ve had Starkey IICs for 15 years and love 'em, and I’m thinking about getting the Starkey Genesis AI IICs. Of course I’d want to use Edge Mode but double-tapping my ears in public is something I cannot bring myself to do. So I’m thinking of adapting mini-headphones with either little solenoids or sound pulses to simulate a double-tap.
Does anyone know how the double-tap is recognized by the hearing aid? Is it motion detection, sound detection, or (hopefully not) some kind of proximity sensor?
In my Signias it’s done via motion detection, they have accelerometer for the purpose of health tracking (which is entirely useless) and environment/conversation detection (allegedly).
Seems kinda pointless to have that in IICs though, but who knows.
As far as I’ve been told (by my previous audi) the Starkey double-tap is triggered by physical contact on even the tragus part of the ear. The problem is, it can be triggered TOO often by putting glasses on, pushing hair out of the way, putting on a headband - maybe even a hat!
So this audi recommends that his customers NOT enable the double-tap. Unless one wants to have a big ol’ cell phone in the hand at all times, there’s no other way to change programs or volume other than putting the finger ON the aid.
I opted for that over holding a phone (so I still don’t have MyPhonak app on my cell). My challenge is that to squeeze just the TOP or the very BOTTOM of the slippery little BTE bean behind my ear is a challenge! I have long hair, and inevitably, that hair is all over the aid, so I can’t get a good grip on it. I have to almost stop mid-step, concentrate, fiddle-faddle my finger into the perfect position, then give a squeeze. About a third of the time, my finger slips off the bean before the button is pressed long enough. Sigh.
But for now, that’s as good as it gets. 
i believe that the double-tap is recognized by motion detection.
Thanks everyone. I don’t know if I should get a pair and see what I can do (I have 30 days for return but have to pay audi charges) or if I should wait for Starkey to “see reason”(!) and make Edge Mode something that can be more easily activated or be set as the default. Personally, if it’s a good as people say, I, for one, would not mind changing batteries every day.
Maybe the Edge Mode could accessed via the App?
I just chatted with Starkey and it turns out that Edge Mode is NOT available in an IIC form factor. That’s because Edge Mode requires a wireless connection, according to the rep I chatted with, and all the IIC’s are non-wireless.