Seamless auto switching between iPad Pro and iPhone to the chain of audio stream between iPad Pro and iPhone

[SKOM]

Hello there I have a quick question about the audio stream connection between iPad Pro and my sonnet 2 processors

The iPhone works wonderfully with audio stream hundred percent of the time the settings on the iPad are the same and I have selected auto switching between devices but that doesn’t seem to happen and I wonder is there someway to resolve this?

 

 Thanks  

 

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM

Are your AudioStreams showing up on your iPad Pro under settings....accessibility....hearing devices?

[SKOM]

Yes , the AudioStream s are showing up in both devices, the phone always connects beautifully without any problems...but the iPad doesn`t, I have tried many different things ..like repairing, resetting, talking to Apple support and troubleshooting for two hours today, waiting for senior technical advisor to call back tomorrow. 

And my settings are for auto switching/routing between devices!

Also sent messages toMedel audiologists....waiting for reply.

Thanks Marybeth

Any thoughts?

Shyam

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM

When you wish to switch AudioStream from your iPhone to your iPad, have you tried turning off BT on your iPhone  and then turning off and back on the BT on your iPad?  Will AudioStream connect to your iPad then?

I guess I am suggesting that you make sure AudioStream is disconnected from the first device so it will connect to the second device.  (This is supposed to happen automatically with Apple Hand Off but since it doesn’t seem to be happening this may be an easy work around.  Just a few clicks in the control center.)

[SKOM]

Thank You marybeth I think I tried this maneuver yesterday but only half the way   let me try again on both devices  today and let you know. 
 

yes this should switch automatically but does not. 

[SKOM]

An Update.

 

I was just able to switch back and forth between devices by turning off BT in both/ and connecting one before turning the BT back on the other-it worked!

Thanks!

I want try this the rest of the day before settling back!

also I am due to get a call from Apple Senior Technical support advisor soon...and will see what he has to say.

I did reset my Network settings yesterday but there was no change..so it may be something to do with BT software of IPad Pro which they may have to tweak.

Thanks again.

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM

It worked and then handed off automatically for you between your iPhone and your iPad?

It seems if the hand off function is working correctly on iPhone/iPad with the AudioStream it should display like this....

When looking under the Accessibility settings, the iPad shows Connected, and the iPhone shows “Connected on My iPad”. Vice versa is true when switched back from iPad to iPhone.

 

[SKOM]

Yes Thank you, that is my understanding too, and that is the message I see in either device sporadically!

However when I disabled the BT and reconnected as mentioned earlier it worked.

Now some  feedback :

I spent almost 2hrs again with senior Technical Support in Apple today2-3 different specialists of Hearing Devices..Accessibility options/ and finally the BT tech. We did quite a. Bit of troubleshooting changes and resetting on the IPad , including re-pairing/resetting the devices.

Finally they took a Profile Log go of my BT and other data and sent it to the soft ware. Engineers to figure out and reconfigure.

Waiting to hear back from them in 48hrs.

Now...I just came back home and sat with the phone and IPad ....its connecting on its own!

Keeping my fingers crossed.

More later...once I hear back from Apple/ or if the connectivity changes again.

Thanks Marybeth for your input

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM

Is your AudioStream stilling switching back and forth between your iPhone and iPad automatically today?

@Jared Charney have you been following this topic?

[SKOM]

After the first few hours I don’t think it does automatically it seems to remember the last device connected and  thus connects , the rest of the time I have to use the Bluetooth on /off off trick!

of course the phone does take priority and always connects  

waiting for Apple technical support to get back to me sometime today. 
 

Thanks Marybeth

[Jared Charney]

I continue to have problems even with the workaround of turning on and off the Bluetooth I’m not really sure what’s going on I’ll probably try to call tomorrow again but for example right now I can only get it to work on my iPad even if I turn off the Bluetooth and try to get back on my iPhone

[Jared Charney]

wanted to update: I did all the steps once again and for the most part it's working. I still have to turn off BT to switch and when I try to go back to the iPad I have to turn off BT and I have to restart the Sonnet 2 (take battery in/out) but at least it's consistently working 

[Mary Beth]

@Jared Charney

I wish you didn’t have to keep restarting the Sonnet 2.  That seems cumbersome- especially to bilateral users.  And all that extra pulling down and pushing up of the AudioStream covers has to increase the risk of something breaking.  I wonder why turning off/on BT on your iPad doesn’t work by itself?  Do you plan on calling in house audiology this week for more guidance?  It really should not require so much effort to reconnect.  It doesn’t seem like the hand off feature is working correctly between your iPhone and iPad with respect to AudioStream.

 

If you turn off BT on your iPhone (temporarily) and then turn off/on BT on your iPad, will AudioStream connect to your iPad without restarting your Sonnet 2?

[Jared Charney]

Yes, I've called them twice and they are sharing w/the engineers. I have tried that turning off BT on the iPhone, then turning off/on on iPad but I still have to restart the Sonnet and yes it's disappointing I really don't want to put so much effort into it but  . . . . 

[Mary Beth]

@Jared Charney

Giving all your feedback to in house audiology will help us all.  So thank you!

[SKOM]

Thanks Jared, for your input and relating your `woes` with the AudioStream connectivity issues, and thanks to Marybeth for yours too!

 

I have apple devices and it sounds like you all too, clearly the automatic hand-off,switching is not working like its designed to do.

I have spoken to apple some more and they have `escalated` this `problem` ticket to hopefully resolve sometime next week-or at least determine if there is something apple should do- their disability /accessibility/Hearing device department along with the BT software engineers are looking at this.

I have also sent messages to Audiology in MEDEl —hopefully they will relay the concerns to their product team/techs. Apple did ask me a few times if  MEDEl was aware of the issues. They need to be.

 

Jared I am sorry you have to actually reset/restart the sonnet—hopefully NOT reconfigure!

For my part I can switch between devices with the BT off/on trick.

Am curious—are Android users having similar Hand-off issues?

otherwise when AudioStream connects  its simply Devine !!

Thanks again, till I have more .

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM and @Jared Charney

I played around and found that lots of people with various made for iPhone hearing devices are having the same exact issue.  For some turning off/on BT works.  For others they need to restart their hearing devices.  All are using both iPhone and iPad.

 

This seems to be an Apple hand off issue that is impacting various made for iPhone hearing devices.

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM @Jared Charney @Justin

 

Have you tried NOT pairing AudioStream to your iPad like this person reports......

https://tidbits.com/2020/05/30/exploring-hearing-aid-integration-in-ios/ 
 

Maybe hand off works better if this is followed???

[Mary Beth]

And here is a work around someone found helpful

https://tidbits.com/2020/05/30/exploring-hearing-aid-integration-in-ios/

 

 

[Mary Beth]

Here’s a disappointing piece of info about iPhone and iPad hearing devices hand off not working as designed....  people using all different brands of hearing devices have been reporting this issue since 2018 and three years later, the problem still remains.

[SKOM]

Marybeth is this for sound processors also?

as I recall hearing aids have been included in accessibility options in ios for the last few years sound processors were  introduced only recently

 

hoping to hear something back from Apple support next week!

Also I learned of something different and new which seems to be working so far

in order to facilitate handoff if the device is not recognizing  disconnection of the audio output by the user then simply opening the control center and pressing on the airplay icon which should be flashing blue at the time we can deactivate

airplay from the hearing device and switching to something else such as the iPhone or iPad , if we start using the second device for audio output within a few seconds the hearing device recognizes and connects

 

I find this easier than going to Bluetooth settings and switching on and off

of course switching the Bluetooth on the control center on and off does not always work because that does not deactivate the entire Bluetooth option only the connection to the new devices!

 

 Thanks 

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM

From my understanding, AudioStream is behaving like a made for iPhone hearing device.  So the same should apply.  Cochlear has had processors using this for several years.

 

So you found it helpful on device A (which has been streaming to AudioStream) to stop the streaming AND tell device A in airplay to stop streaming to AudioStream.  Then start streaming with device B and wait a moment or two and AudioStream connects with Device B as long as this was done quickly after ending streaming on Device A.  
 

Do I have this correct?

[Jared Charney]

I'll try this and get back to the thread thanks!

[SKOM]

Yes, Marybeth that is what I found easy to do.....now after testing over the last 24hrs...works about 50% of the time! The other 50% maybe I don’t wait long enough after trying the audio and end up switching to BT routine for the second device.The first device can still be disconnected from airplay...without having to go to BT on the first.

 

Thanks.

 

So you are saying Cochlear has had BT enabled Processors for some years  recognizable on the IOS hearing device tab?

Thanks 

[Mary Beth]

@SKOM

yes for years.  The info is online if you Google it.  And it is listed in the Apple made for iPhone list of hearing devices.  AudioStream is not listed but that may be because it is not built into the processor.

 

A cool thing about AudioStream is that all Sonnets from 2014 can now stream direct from all phones.  It doesn’t require upgrading to a more recent processor.  That is really great.