Free to download
Hearing Amplifier
Point your phone at the sound you want to hear, put on your headphones, and speech gets clearer right away. No extra hardware to buy, no prescription, no fitting appointment — just a free download that turns the phone already in your pocket into a sound amplifier for the moments you actually need one.
Last reviewed October 2026.
- No extra hardware
- Works with any headphones
- Nothing is recorded
- iPhone & Android
What it does
Built to make speech clearer, not just louder
Live amplification
Sound is processed in real time on the device itself, so speech stays in sync with what you see in front of you — no laggy echo, no waiting a beat for a reply to catch up with the moving lips that said it. That immediacy is what makes it usable in a live conversation instead of just a recording played back later.
Voice focus
Separates speech from background noise instead of just cranking the overall volume up, which is what most people try first and why it usually doesn't help. A typical restaurant's background noise sits around 60-70 dB — close enough to a normal speaking voice (also around 60 dB) that turning up everything equally rarely makes a conversation easier to follow. Voice Focus pushes a clattering kitchen or a table of other conversations down relative to the voice you're actually pointing the phone at, instead of lifting both together.
Simple equalizer
Adjust bass, voice clarity and treble so the sound matches what actually works for your own ears, since hearing preferences vary a lot more than a single default setting can cover. Turn bass down if a room's music is thudding underneath conversation, or push clarity up if a talker tends to mumble.
Sudden-noise guard
Automatically caps unexpected loud sounds — a dropped plate, a blender, a burst of laughter — so amplified audio stays comfortable instead of turning a helpful boost into a startling spike. It reacts faster than you could manually turn the volume down yourself.
Works offline
Everything runs on your device, so no internet connection is needed once the app is installed — amplification doesn't stop just because a restaurant's wifi is unreliable or a phone is in airplane mode. A connection only matters for the initial download or managing a subscription.
Share with family
One subscription can cover several devices, so setting it up for a parent or a partner doesn't mean paying for a second, separate plan. Pair a second phone in seconds with a QR code, and both devices stay on the same account going forward.
How it works
Set up in under a minute
Connect your headphones
Wired or wireless, any brand you already own — there's no special hardware to buy first. Wired headphones give the clearest sound with the least delay, which matters most in a fast back-and-forth conversation, while Bluetooth is fine for most everyday situations.
Point your phone at the sound
A conversation across the table, the TV, a speaker at the front of a room — the microphone picks it up from wherever the phone is facing. Setting it face-up on a table usually works better than leaving it in a pocket or bag.
Adjust and go
Set the level until speech is clear and comfortable, then leave it running for as long as you need — there's no session limit once you're in, no repeated setup. Come back to the equalizer later if a specific room or voice needs a different balance.
Quick specs
Everything it takes to get started
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad & Android
- Minimum OS
- iOS 15 / Android equivalent
- Permission required
- Microphone
- Hardware required
- Headphones only
- Internet needed to amplify
- No
- Free daily use
- 3 × 15-second sessions
- Account required
- No, for the free tier
- Devices per subscription
- Up to 4
Who it helps
Built for the moments speech gets lost
Restaurants and cafésBackground noise usually swallows conversation first — clattering dishes, other tables, an espresso machine — and this pulls the voice across the table back out of that noise instead of just making everything louder together.
Watching TVSet your own level in your headphones instead of turning the TV volume up for the whole room, which usually means someone else complains it's too loud while it's still not loud enough for you.
Meetings and lecturesPoint the phone toward whoever is speaking and follow along without asking people to repeat themselves, especially useful in a large room where the speaker is further away than a normal conversation distance.
Outdoors and travelWind and distance make speech hard to catch outside, and Voice Focus helps it cut through the way it would indoors — handy on a windy platform, a noisy street, or anywhere ambient sound usually wins.
By the numbers
Getting real amplification, not just noise
Some situations barely need a boost. Others need Voice Focus and wired headphones and a different mindset entirely — here's what tends to help, and what quietly works against you.
What quietly limits performance
- Worn-out earbuds with a weak seal let outside noise leak in around the amplified sound.
- Holding the phone in a pocket or bag instead of facing it toward the sound.
- Maxing out the level instead of using Voice Focus — louder isn't the same as clearer.
- Older Bluetooth headphones with noticeable extra lag.
| Situation | Typical background noise | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet room, one voice | ~35–40 dB | Light boost, Voice Focus off |
| Café or restaurant | ~60–70 dB | Medium boost, Voice Focus on |
| Busy street or transit | ~75–85 dB | Higher boost, wired headphones |
| Large hall or lecture | Voice loses volume with distance | Point the phone at the speaker |
Test with wired headphones first. Bluetooth adds roughly 100–200ms of its own delay, and that lag is most noticeable in exactly the loud, fast-moving conversations where amplification matters most — if something feels slightly "off," that's usually the first thing to rule out.
Normal conversation sits around 60 dB — once background noise climbs within about 10 dB of that, most people's brains stop reliably separating voice from noise, which is why turning everything up rarely fixes a loud room.
A 3-minute setup check before a noisy event
- Put your headphones in and open the app somewhere quiet first, so you know what your baseline level feels like.
- Walk into the noisier space and raise the level in small steps instead of jumping straight to maximum.
- Toggle Voice Focus on and off once to hear the difference — most people prefer it on anywhere busier than a quiet room.
Good to know
Hearing amplifier app vs. a traditional hearing aid
| Hearing amplifier app | Traditional hearing aid | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free to download | Typically $1,000–$6,000+ per pair |
| Setup | Install and go, under a minute | Fitting appointment with an audiologist |
| Prescription | Not required | Required in many countries |
| Portability | Already in your pocket | Dedicated device, worn daily |
| Best for | Occasional, situational listening | Diagnosed, ongoing hearing loss |
This app is a general-purpose sound amplifier for everyday situations. It is not a hearing aid and not a regulated medical device, and it does not diagnose or treat hearing loss. If you're concerned about your hearing, see a licensed hearing care professional.
Real feedback
Reviewed by real users, not by us
App Store
Read what iPhone and iPad users say after trying it, straight from Apple's own listing — nothing curated or rewritten here, just a direct link to the real thing.
See App Store reviews →Google Play
Read what Android users say after trying it, straight from Google's own listing — the same source Google itself shows to anyone browsing the store.
See Google Play reviews →FAQ
Questions people ask before downloading
What exactly is a hearing amplifier app?
It's an app that uses your phone's microphone to pick up sound around you, makes speech louder and clearer, and plays it into your headphones in real time — no extra hardware required.
Is this the same as a hearing aid?
No. This is a general-purpose sound amplifier for everyday listening situations. It is not a hearing aid and not a regulated medical device. If you have diagnosed hearing loss, speak with a licensed hearing care professional.
Do I need headphones to use it?
Yes. Headphones are required — otherwise the amplified sound would come out of the speaker and straight back into the microphone. Any wired or wireless headphones work.
Does it work with Bluetooth headphones and earbuds?
Yes, including AirPods and other Bluetooth earbuds. Wired headphones give the clearest sound with the least delay, worth trying if Bluetooth feels slightly behind.
Is there a noticeable delay?
Sound is processed live on your device, so speech stays close to real time. Bluetooth always adds a small amount of its own latency; wired headphones remove almost all of it.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. Amplification runs entirely offline on your phone. A connection is only needed to download the app or manage a subscription.
How much does it cost?
The app is free to download with a limited daily listening session and no account required. An optional subscription unlocks unlimited listening; pricing is shown in the app and in the store before you confirm anything.
Is my audio recorded or sent anywhere?
No. Sound passes through the app in real time and is never recorded, stored or uploaded. See the privacy policy linked in the app and on the store listing for details.
Does it work on both iPhone and Android?
Yes. It's available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store, and for Android phones and tablets on Google Play, with the same core amplification features.
Ready to hear speech more clearly?
Free to download. Takes under a minute to set up.