Do You Have to Keep the myPhonak App Open While Wearing Your Hearing Aids?

Many Phonak hearing aid users wonder whether they need to keep the myPhonak app open for their hearing aids to maintain their selected settings. The short answer is that while the hearing aids will continue working, certain settings may revert when the app is closed or when the phone goes into standby mode. Here’s what you need to know about using the app effectively.

Does the myPhonak App Need to Stay Open?

The myPhonak app is primarily used to adjust settings such as volume, noise reduction, and custom listening programs (e.g., “Restaurant Mode”). Once you select a mode, the hearing aids should retain those settings unless they lose connection with the app or are restarted. However, some users report that their hearing aids revert to default settings (e.g., “Bluetooth and Streaming” mode) when they close the app or when their phone enters standby.

What Happens If You Close the myPhonak App?

• Custom settings may not persist – If you select a specific program like “Restaurant Mode” and then close the app, the hearing aids might revert back to the default program.
• App disconnects in standby mode – Some users find that when their phone’s screen turns off, the app disconnects, requiring them to reopen the app to regain control.
• The app may still run in the background – Even if you close the app, it may remain running unless you fully exit it or restart your phone.

How to Keep Your Hearing Aids in the Selected Mode

If your Phonak hearing aids keep reverting to default settings when closing the app, try these solutions:

1. Enable “Always Connected” Mode
   • During the initial app setup, you may have been prompted to select “Always Connected” mode. If this was not selected, unpairing and pairing again the app while choosing this option may help maintain a stable connection.
2. Adjust Your Phone’s Battery Optimization Settings
   • Some Android phones automatically close apps running in the background to save battery. Check your phone’s settings to allow myPhonak to run in the background. On Android, go to:
     • Settings → Apps → myPhonak → Battery → Select “Unrestricted” or “Allow Background Activity”
3. Restart Your Phone Regularly
   • Some users find that restarting their phone once a week helps prevent app-related issues and ensures smoother connectivity.
4. Manually Reopen the App When Needed
   • If the hearing aids revert to the default mode when the app is closed, simply reopening the app should allow you to quickly reapply your preferred settings.

Final Thoughts

While Phonak hearing aids do not require the myPhonak app to stay open to function, the app must remain connected if you want to keep custom settings active. To prevent automatic reversion to default settings, ensure “Always Connected” is enabled, adjust phone settings to allow background activity, and restart your phone regularly to maintain a stable connection.