There are many apps for deaf people that can help with communication, hearing, and accessibility. Learn about the top ones in this helpful guide!
From connecting with friends and family to ordering food, smartphones have become an integral part of our daily routines. But for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, these devices are more than just a convenience—they're game changers.
Thanks to specialized apps for deaf people, smartphones have opened up a world of possibilities and accessibility. And that's not all. Today's technology encourages seamless integration between deaf and hard of hearing communities and the hearing population.
So, it's time to appreciate the transformative power of smartphones as they break communication barriers with ingenuity and purpose.
In this blog post, we'll share the best apps for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. What new app will you discover? Read on.
Before we list the best mobile apps for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, make sure to check the existing accessibility settings on your smartphone. These are often overlooked and underused, but they are easy to activate and highly useful.
For iPhone users:
For Android users:
Now, onto the good stuff. Take a look at the 10 most useful apps for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
We’ve rounded up the best free apps for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, available for iOS and Android.
Offers video remote interpretation (VRI) services that connect you to on-demand qualified interpreters speaking 300 languages all over the globe to ensure effective communication. Also, face-to-face visibility adds a more personal connection.
A transcription app for people who are deaf or hard of hearing that helps keep up with meeting notes and summaries at work. Otter.ai generates a live transcript and even allows adding comments, highlighting key points, and assigning action items. Guaranteed that at the end of a meeting, you won't miss any details.
Hosting a webinar? Attending an online class? Web Captioner provides speech-to-text transcription in over 40 languages and dialects in your browser. Best of all? It’s free!
Offers free real-time captioning for calls using AI to convert text-to-speech and speech-to-text so that one side of a phone call can type and read while the other side hears and speaks, all while keeping conversations 100% private.
Makes everyday conversations and surrounding sounds more accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing with real time transcription in over 80 languages (Android) and over 50 languages (iOS).
Relying on visual communication is made easy with FaceTime. Use features like SharePlay to watch videos together, share your screen, and now even add live captions in English (US, Canada).
These free apps alert you when there is a sound in your environment that you may not have otherwise heard. From a ring at your doorbell to potentially life-saving sounds like a fire alarm.The Android version of the app also has speech-to-text capabilities that translate what is being said.
A video chat app that helps you communicate face-to-face in a private, ad-free space. It’s simple: send a video, get one back.
Whether you’re on a road trip or hanging out with friends, both these apps help identify what song is playing in the background so you can follow along with the lyrics on the screen.
Connect via instant message, voice or video call on any device. And now, you can also chat with the new Bing in Skype and get AI-powered answers, recommendations, and inspiration.
That’s a wrap! We hope our list of 10 useful apps for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is a starting point for discovering new tools and technology to enhance your communication and social connections and positively impact your daily life. If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend who might also benefit!
Head of Community at Nagish
