Tech Help for Low Vision and Hearing Loss
Start with what you already own. Most of the best help is free.
Honesty note: This page has no affiliate links. Nobody pays us for anything on it.
How we chose
- Free and built-in first. If your phone or tablet can already do it, we say so before we mention anything you have to buy.
- Real need, not gadgets for their own sake. We only list paid products that solve a problem the free options can't.
- Downsides included. Every pick lists what's annoying or limited about it.
- What we didn't do: we haven't lab-tested these products ourselves. We checked the makers' official pages and reputable sources (like the FDA and the National Council on Aging) in October 2026. Prices change, so check before you buy.
A note before you start: new or sudden changes in vision or hearing deserve a visit to an eye doctor or hearing professional. Tech helps you live with a change. It doesn't diagnose one.
Part 1: Free help for low vision
1. Your phone's magnifier
Your phone's camera can work like a magnifying glass, with a light.
- iPhone: the Magnifier app comes built in. Swipe down on the home screen and type "Magnifier" to find it. You can zoom, turn on the flashlight, and freeze the picture to read it up close.
- Android: Google's free Magnifier app is in the Play Store, but it only works on Google Pixel phones (Pixel 5 or newer). On other Android phones, try the built-in zoom in Accessibility settings, or just zoom with the camera.
Downside: your hand has to hold the phone steady, which gets tiring for long reading.
2. Make the screen easier to see
Both iPhone and Android let you:
- Make text bigger and bolder
- Zoom the whole screen
- Use dark mode or higher contrast
- Have the phone read the screen out loud (VoiceOver on iPhone, TalkBack on Android)
On iPhone, look in Settings, then Accessibility. On Android, look in Settings, then Accessibility. A family member can set these up in 10 minutes.
Downside: screen readers take practice. Start with bigger text and zoom.
3. Apps that describe the world out loud
- Be My Eyes (iPhone and Android, free). Point your camera at something and a volunteer looks through it with you on a live video call, 24 hours a day. Its Be My AI feature can also describe a photo instantly, with no person on the line. Good for mail, labels, oven dials and expiration dates.
- Seeing AI (iPhone and Android, free, from Microsoft). Reads text out loud as soon as the camera sees it, scans barcodes, recognizes paper money and describes scenes.
- Google Lookout (Android, free). Reads text and documents, identifies food labels by barcode, and describes what's around you.
Downsides: AI descriptions can be wrong, so don't trust them for medicine doses. Ask a person (a Be My Eyes volunteer, or family) for anything that matters. Volunteers are strangers, so don't show them bank cards or private papers.
4. Voice assistants
Siri (iPhone), Google Assistant or Gemini (Android), and Alexa let you call people, set reminders, and hear the weather without reading a screen. Just ask.
Part 2: Free help for hearing loss
1. Live captions on your phone
- Android: Live Transcribe. Free from Google. Hold the phone up during a conversation and it types what people say on the screen as they talk. Many Android phones also have Live Caption, which adds captions to videos and calls, and Sound Notifications, which can flash an alert when it hears a smoke alarm, doorbell, or crying baby.
- iPhone: Live Captions. Built in under Settings, then Accessibility, on iPhone 11 or newer. It captions calls, FaceTime, videos and conversations around you. It works in U.S. English and a number of other languages, but not every language or country.
Downside: captions miss words in noisy rooms and with strong accents. They help a lot, but they aren't perfect. Apple says not to rely on Live Captions in emergencies.
2. Live Listen (iPhone with AirPods)
If you already own AirPods or certain Beats or hearing devices, Live Listen turns your iPhone into a microphone. Set the phone near the person talking (or on the restaurant table), and their voice comes through your earbuds.
Downside: it needs Apple earbuds, and it's not a hearing aid.
3. Captions on the TV
Almost every TV and streaming service has a CC or Subtitles button. It's free and it ends the "turn it up!" fights.
Part 3: Paid hardware worth considering
Only buy these if the free options above aren't enough.
Hearing: OTC hearing aids (about $100 to $2,000 a pair)
Since October 2022, adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss can buy hearing aids over the counter, without a prescription or exam (FDA). The National Council on Aging says to expect anywhere from about $100 to $2,000 or more. Prescription hearing aids typically cost several thousand dollars a pair.
Downsides: OTC aids are not for severe hearing loss. The FDA says to see a hearing professional if the loss may be severe. Many people still want an audiologist's help with fitting, and cheaper "preset" models can't be adjusted much. Look for products the FDA lists as OTC hearing aids, not plain "amplifiers."
Hearing: AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3 hearing feature ($249 for AirPods Pro 3 at Apple)
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 have an FDA-authorized Hearing Aid feature for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. It includes a 5-minute hearing test you take at home. It needs an iPhone or iPad with up-to-date software.
Downsides: iPhone and iPad only. Mild to moderate loss only. Battery runs out (Apple says up to 10 hours using the Hearing Aid feature), so it may not last a full day. They're easy to lose. The upside: they look like regular earbuds, which some people prefer.
Vision and hearing: Amazon Echo Show 5 (about $90 to $100)
A small talking screen for the kitchen counter. Big clock and weather, hands-free video calls with family, and spoken reminders. Amazon lists accessibility features including captions and screen magnification.
Downsides: it's always listening for its wake word, which bothers some people (there's a microphone-off button and a camera shutter). The newer Alexa+ is free only for a limited time; after that it needs Prime or a paid Alexa+ plan. The 5.5-inch screen is small. Bigger Echo Shows cost more.
Vision: video magnifiers (about $1,800 to $5,000 for desktop models)
A desktop video magnifier (sometimes called a CCTV) is a camera over a tray with a big screen. You slide a letter or book under it and read it hugely enlarged, with high-contrast colors. Some read text aloud.
Simpler models that plug into a TV cost about $400 to $1,000 (American Foundation for the Blind). Models that read text aloud cost the most.
Downsides: expensive. Before buying, try one at a low-vision clinic or your state's services for the blind. They can sometimes help with cost or lend equipment. Smaller handheld electronic magnifiers cost much less but have small screens.
Big-button phones (example: Lively Jitterbug, about $60 to $90 plus a monthly plan)
Lively's Jitterbug phones are made for older adults, with simple menus, loud speakers and an emergency button. In October 2026, lively.com listed the Jitterbug Flip3 at $59.99 and the Jitterbug Smart5 smartphone at $89.99 (sale prices; regular $79.99 and $119.99).
Downsides: every Jitterbug needs a Lively service plan, paid monthly, and over time the plan costs more than the phone. Check current plan prices on lively.com before you buy. Older models (Flip2, Smart4) are being sold off as open-box, so make sure you know which one you're getting. An ordinary smartphone with big-text settings may work just as well for some people.
The short version
- Turn on big text, zoom and captions on the phone you already have.
- Install Be My Eyes (and Seeing AI or Lookout).
- Use Live Transcribe or Live Captions for conversations.
- Only then think about hearing aids, AirPods Pro, an Echo Show, a video magnifier or a big-button phone.
Want help setting any of this up? Email us at hello@getbotbasics.com. And our guide, AI Basics for Grown-Ups, walks through the free chatbots step by step: get the guide