Do video calls leave you more tired than a face-to-face chat, even with your hearing aids in? On a call, speech reaches you through a laptop speaker, a headset, or a streamed connection, faces can be small or badly lit, and people often talk over each other. The good news is that small changes to the sound route, the screen, and the meeting habits often help more than asking everyone to speak up.
This guide works for work calls, online appointments, and family catch-ups alike. You don’t need to buy a new gadget first. Start by working out which part of the call is hard, then change one thing at a time.
- Check which speaker and microphone the meeting app is using before an important call.
- Make a short test call with someone you know, on the same equipment.
- Ask for faces to be visible, one speaker at a time, and key details in the chat.
- Use captions as a backup, but confirm names, numbers, and decisions in writing.
- Treat a sudden change in your hearing as a medical question, not a settings problem.
Set up before the call starts
Choose a quiet spot where you can see the screen comfortably. A television on in the next room or a colleague on another call can make speech much harder to pick out. Close the door if you can, and place the screen so you’re not constantly turning away from it to read notes.
Check that your hearing aids are working as they normally do. If they’re rechargeable, make sure there’s enough charge for the length of the call, and keep the charger nearby on a long working day. Don’t assume every device can be worn while it charges; your user guide will tell you.
Then make a short test call with a friend or family member. Ask them to speak normally and tell you how your voice sounds at their end. Use the same computer, meeting app, and hearing arrangement you’ll use for the real thing, because a successful music test doesn’t prove the microphone will work in a meeting.
When you come to see us about hearing solutions, we start with the situations you want help with. Mention video meetings specifically, including the equipment you use and whether the difficulty is hearing others, being heard, or both.
Know where the sound is going
A computer can send sound to several places: its built-in speakers, a headset, or a compatible connection to your hearing aids. It also needs a microphone to pick up your voice. The speaker and microphone it selects may be different devices, and the meeting app often has its own audio settings, separate from the computer’s.
If your hearing aids can stream sound, check compatibility for your exact hearing aids, computer, and any accessory involved. Connecting to your phone doesn’t prove the same connection will work with your laptop. Bluetooth covers several different technologies, and products don’t all support the same arrangements.
Our guide to Bluetooth hearing aids explains how sound can be sent directly to your devices. For your particular computer, check the manufacturer’s current instructions or bring the model details to an appointment, rather than buying an adapter on a guess.
If you use the laptop speakers, keep the volume comfortable. Turning it right up can make the room noisier without making speech any clearer. If you’d rather use a headset, check that it doesn’t press on your hearing aids or cause whistling. There’s no single setup that suits every ear and every device.
Faces, light, and captions
Seeing someone’s face adds information that an audio-only call lacks. Ask people to face the camera, keep their mouths visible, and avoid sitting with a bright window behind them. A small, dark picture of someone talking from across a room is much harder to use.
RNID’s tips for video calls and meetings recommend clear speech, good lighting, and cutting background noise. Everyone on the call can help with these, so the whole job doesn’t fall on the person with hearing loss.
Turn on live captions if the meeting service offers them and you find them useful. Find the setting during your test call, not halfway through an important discussion. Captions can fill gaps, but automatic transcription can mishear names, technical terms, and numbers, so ask for anything important to be confirmed in writing.
Agree a few meeting habits
For work meetings, tell the organiser what helps in practical terms. You could say: “It helps if one person speaks at a time, people say their name before they contribute, and actions go in the chat.” You don’t have to share your medical history to explain what works for you.
An agenda sent beforehand gives you the topics and any unfamiliar terms before the discussion starts. During the call, ask for a short pause if two people talk at once. At the end, check who’s doing what and by when.
Hybrid meetings need particular care. One microphone at the far end of a big table may not pick up everyone equally. Ask the organiser to test the room sound with a remote participant, and to repeat quieter contributions clearly.
Side conversations in the room should come back into the shared discussion too. Otherwise, people joining online see others reacting without hearing what prompted it. Better habits here solve a problem that no hearing aid setting could fix on its own.
Keep a note of what’s difficult
If calls are still hard work, jot down when it happens. Is one person always unclear, or everyone? Does it happen only when sound is streamed, only through speakers, or only on one app? Does your hearing aid sound different outside calls as well?
Once you find an arrangement that works, write down which speaker and microphone you chose. Those notes also make an aftercare appointment far more useful. Our aftercare packages include checking, cleaning, and fine-tuning your hearing aids. Bring your hearing aids and a short description of your setup, and ask beforehand whether it would help to bring your laptop or phone as well.
For longer meetings, ask for a break and use the agenda to see when your input is needed. Listening takes effort even when you’re catching most of the words. Taking a pause is a sensible adjustment, not a sign that you’ve failed to get used to your hearing aids.
When it’s your hearing, not the call
A problem limited to one video call is more likely to be about the connection or the setup. A new change in your hearing away from the screen needs a different response. Don’t spend days adjusting a laptop if everyday conversation has suddenly become harder too.
The NHS advice on hearing loss is to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have sudden hearing loss, hearing that’s getting worse over days or weeks, or hearing loss with earache or discharge. Don’t assume changes like these are a hearing aid fault, and don’t wait for a routine appointment.
If your hearing seems to have changed more gradually, a hearing assessment can check what’s different and whether your hearing aids need adjusting to match.
Questions about online conversations
Do I have to stream calls into my hearing aids?
No. Streaming is one option if your equipment supports it. Some people prefer speakers or a suitable headset. Start with comfort and clarity, then compare arrangements in a test call. The most complicated setup isn’t automatically the most useful one.
Why can I hear the call but nobody can hear me?
Your microphone may be muted, or the meeting app may be using the wrong input. Check the app’s microphone setting and ask someone to test it with you. Hearing sound through your aids doesn’t necessarily mean their microphones are sending your voice back.
Can a family member help me practise?
Yes. A short call lets you test ordinary conversation without the pressure of a meeting. Ask them to face the camera, then look away, then talk with some background noise, so you can tell which changes make the biggest difference. Keep the volume comfortable throughout.
Should I record meetings so I can listen again?
Ask the organiser first, and follow your organisation’s rules on consent and confidentiality, because a recording contains other people’s information. A shared action list or agreed notes may meet your need more simply, and automatic transcripts still need checking for important details.
What if I follow the conversation but miss people’s names?
Ask participants to show their names on screen and introduce themselves before speaking. Request that unfamiliar names, dates, or reference numbers go in the chat. That saves you guessing at a detail that has little context to recognise by sound alone.
Is it rude to ask people to turn their cameras on?
Not if you explain why. Something simple like “I follow better when I can see who’s talking” is usually enough. Some people can’t always use a camera, so captions and a written summary are useful fallbacks.
Talk to us about your online calls
If video meetings are regularly hard work, get in touch with Hear With Ish or call 07349 269037. Bring your hearing aid details and a note of what happens on your calls, and we’ll start with the problem you’re actually having. We’re based in Leicester and welcome patients from across Leicestershire and the surrounding areas.
