You use your phone to talk to friends and family, schedule doctor’s appointments and maybe even win radio game shows. But talking on the phone can be more challenging than fun for people with hearing loss.
Background noise, poor audio quality, a lack of visual cues and muffled voices can make phone calls frustrating, if not impossible. Voice isolation technology is an excellent tool to help make phone calls a little less challenging.
What Is Voice Isolation?
Voice Isolation is an audio-processing feature built into newer iOS systems that uses machine learning to separate your voice from background noise during calls.
The iOS technology uses your device’s microphones and machine learning to identify your voice and suppress competing sounds—like wind, traffic or chatter at Evergreen Coffee & Dessert. The result is a cleaner, clearer voice signal that’s much easier to understand on the other end.
Why Is Voice Isolation So Important for People With Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t just make sounds quieter. It makes them less distinct. Many people with hearing loss struggle most with speech discrimination, particularly in noisy environments. Voice Isolation addresses this by filtering background noise and clarifying speech, making conversations easier to follow.
Voice isolation isolates your voice for the person on the other end. If you’re speaking to someone with hearing loss, try turning on the feature if they’re having trouble understanding you. If you have hearing loss, don’t be afraid to ask the other person to turn on the feature so you can understand them better.
How To Enable Voice Isolation
To enable the Voice Isolation feature:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen during your call. This opens the control center.
- Tap “App Controls”
- Select a Mic Mode under “Audio & Video”
You have three modes to choose from:
- Standard: standard voice processing
- Voice Isolation: amplifies your voice and blocks ambient noises
- Wide spectrum: leaves background noise unfiltered
- Automatic: automatically selects the best mode for your call type
Approximately 15% of U.S. adults have hearing loss. Voice isolation is just one of the many tools available to accommodate people with difficulty hearing. For more information on managing hearing loss, contact SoundLogic today.