Smartphones have become a vital part of many Americans' lives, used for everything from education to entertainment to actual phone calls. As of early 2024, the Pew Research Center reports that 97% of Americans own one. But for the millions of Americans who also have hearing loss, there's now some good news relating to those omnipresent phones. The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday adopted new rules establishing that all mobile handsets, such as smartphones, must be compatible with hearing aids, meaning those with hearing loss will be able to choose from the same mobile phone models available to other people.
"Hearing loss is a big deal," said FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement, noting that more than 48 million Americans have some form of hearing difficulty, and it's especially prevalent among older adults and veterans. "So the chances are you know someone impacted by hearing loss."
There's some history of hearing aid technology accessibility improvements. In 2022, hearing aids became available for purchase over the counter without a prescription after a landmark Food and Drug Administration ruling. And at September's Apple Event, the tech company announced that people with mild or moderate hearing loss will be able to use its popular Apple AirPods 2 earbuds as hearing aids.
Read more: Best Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids to Try in 2024
"Under the new rules, after a transition period, Americans with hearing loss will no longer be limited in their choice of technologies, features and prices available in the mobile handset marketplace," the FCC said in a statement. An exact date for the transition period to end was not given.
The FCC also established a Bluetooth coupling requirement that should push manufacturers to move away from proprietary standards. This means phones and hearing aids -- even the over-the-counter and earpods options -- must be compatible with each other.
And all new mobile handsets sold in the US must now meet volume-control benchmarks that allow listeners to increase handset volume without introducing distortion.
Companies will now have to clarify on their websites and point-of-sale labels if the handset is hearing-aid compatible, whether or not the handset meets telecoil or Bluetooth coupling requirements, and indicate how high the handset's audio volume can be raised while still meeting volume control requirements.
Thursday's announcement builds on a plan the FCC adopted back in 2016 to improve access to mobile wireless handsets that are compatible with hearing aids.