The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that all smartphones will soon need to work with all Bluetooth hearing aids, and vice versa, so that people with hearing loss don't have to worry about compatibility issues.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Thursday issued rules requiring that all mobile phones — including smartphones — sold in the U.S. be compatible with hearing aids. The news comes two years after the FDA made hearing aids available to all Americans without a prescription.

The FCC has approved regulations that mandate phone manufacturers to ensure their products work with hearing aids. Making phones compatible with hearing aids could help the aging American population.

FCC Requires All Mobile Phones to be Hearing Aid Compatible - Rules Include New Bluetooth Requirements to Ensure Universal Connectivity

The gist is the FCC is establishing a Bluetooth pairing requirement, thereby discouraging smartphone makers from using proprietary versions that could limit compatibility. In a pr

Now that hearing aids are available over-the-counter, the FCC takes accessibility a step further with requirements for Bluetooth and volume control.

The FCC has mandated that every phone sold in the US must be compatible with hearing aids. The commission also requires both Android OEMs and Apple to abandon proprietary Bluetooth standards that could interfere with hearing aid compatibility.

Spread the loveIn a landmark move that prioritizes accessibility and inclusivity, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a new rule requiring all mobile phones to be compatible with hearing aids.