Anyone who has worn their hearing aids for some time probably remembers the days when it was difficult to hear in public places that were important to their lives, such as airports, conference centers, theaters, places of worship, and so on.
From muddled flight announcements to echoey motion pictures, accessibility for hearing aid wearers was—until recently—less than ideal.
Fortunately, along came the hearing loop—a form of hearing assistive technology in which a hidden installed wire system or zone allowed hearing aids (with a built-in telecoil) to directly receive sound from sources such as a microphones, PA systems, and TVs.
While hearing loops continue to be a helpful hearing assistive technology today, limitations such as poor sound quality, high installation cost, and lack of privacy gave Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) reason to create an even better solution:
Teaming with the hearing aid industry, SIG defined the next generation of assistive listening technology through the development of Auracast™ broadcast audio.
Taking inclusivity to a whole new level, Auracast utilizes the power of Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Audio to easily stream audio directly to devices like hearing aids, earbuds, or headphones in public locations, wherever Auracast broadcasts are available.
With this improved convenience comes greater sound clarity, smoother streaming, simpler pairing, and easier access (which we’ll dig into momentarily).
Always on the pulse of innovation, Starkey directly integrated Auracast compatibility into our hearing aids, beginning with Edge AI in 2024 and followed by Omega AI in 2025.
While our cutting-edge hearing solution was quite well-received by hearing aid wearers, we couldn’t stop there. So, with the recent launch of our all-new enhanced Omega AI devices, we raised the bar in connectivity and convenience with the introduction of our Auracast assistant.
Auracast assistant makes it easy to stay connected in public places
Starkey’s Auracast assistant, available in the free and user-friendly My Starkey app, allows you to easily select and connect to Auracast broadcasts (similarly to how you would choose a Wi-Fi network—watch the How-To video below) and stream high-quality, low-latency audio directly to Omega AI hearing aids—from public announcements at the airport to TVs at the gym—anywhere the broadcasts are available.
Auracast is relatively new, so it’s not available everywhere yet. But more and more places—and more and more technology—are transmitting Auracast broadcasts every day.
What this means for you:
- Stream audio easily, anywhere
Instantly access public broadcasts in theaters, museums, airports, convention centers, houses of worship, and more.
- Hear clearly in background noise
Stream audio directly to your hearing aids without outside sounds getting in the way.
- Enjoy audio your way
Adjust volume, start, stop, and disconnect from one place—using the My Starkey app.
Connecting to listening experiences in public spaces has never been faster, clearer, or more convenient, thanks to Starkey's Auracast assistant.
How Starkey’s Auracast assistant works
Don’t just take our word for how simple our Auracast assistant is to use. See for yourself in this bite-size video:
Stop dreaming, start streaming—with Starkey and Auracast
Stay connected to your world wherever the day takes you with the “dream team” of hearing innovation—Starkey and the future of Bluetooth, Auracast.
To learn more about how you can experience convenient connectivity through Omega AI hearing aids and our Auracast assistant, reach out to a hearing care professional today.
If you don’t have one, simply call to find a local provider near you.
The future of Bluetooth is Auracast. And Starkey connects you—today.