Built by someone who is hard of hearing, for the moments that used to mean staying home. Here is every feature, what it costs, and — because it matters just as much — what it can't do.
Apple Design Award Finalist
Inclusivity · 2026
One iPhone captions the room. Everyone nearby reads along from their own phone, each in the language they want to read — and it all happens directly between the devices, with no internet, no account, and no server. Free for everyone in the room.
See how it works →Speech becomes clear text as it is spoken, with no minute meter and no session cap. Processed on your phone, so it works with no signal at all.
One iPhone captions the room and everyone nearby reads along on their own screen, each in the language they choose. No internet, no account, no server.
Read the conversation in the language you think in. Ten reading languages, translated on your device as people speak, working offline once downloaded.
Turns AirPods or any headphones into a real-time sound amplifier, lifting quiet voices by up to 39 dB and shaping sound to your own hearing test.
Captions are the part nobody should have to pay for, so they aren't behind a paywall and never will be. Buddy+ pays for the rest.
$0
$59.99/year
or $9.99/month · $7.99/week
Every feature page here ends with its own limits. These are the ones that apply to the whole app, and they're the reasons someone might be better off with a different tool.
Our biggest real weakness. If you're setting up a phone for a parent on an older iPhone, Hearing Buddy may not install at all — and other captioning apps run on much older versions.
iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. There is no Android version and no web app, so a mixed-device group will leave someone out.
iOS doesn't let microphone apps reach call audio. Apple's Live Captions handles calls, and FCC-funded relay services caption calls free for eligible US users.
Because sharing runs directly between nearby devices with no server, it can't bring in someone joining remotely. For hybrid meetings, a cloud service like Ava does that properly.
For ADA-grade access at a legal proceeding or a public event, you want a human captioner or a certified service — not an app on a table.
Hearing Buddy is an assistive communication tool. It doesn't diagnose or treat hearing loss, and it's not a substitute for hearing aids or professional care.
Live captions are free and unlimited, with no account and no card. Buddy+ adds Boost Audio, Watch alerts, summaries, solo translation, and Mac and Vision Pro support for $59.99 a year, $9.99 a month, or $7.99 a week.
Unlimited live captions, Share Captions, translation for everyone inside a shared session, background listening, saved transcripts, copy and share, and text size. Those are not a trial — they stay free.
An iPhone or iPad on iOS 26 or later. Apple Watch features need watchOS 10 or later. iOS 26 is our biggest honest limitation: if you are setting up an older iPhone for someone, Hearing Buddy may not install at all.
No. Speech recognition and translation run on your device, and shared sessions pass captions directly between the phones in the room rather than through a server. There is no account, so there is nothing for anyone to log into.
No. iOS does not let microphone apps reach call audio, so no app in this category can. Apple's built-in Live Captions does captions calls, and FCC-funded relay services like InnoCaption caption calls free for eligible US users.
No. It is an assistive communication tool. It does not diagnose or treat hearing loss and it is not a replacement for hearing aids or professional hearing care.
Captions are free and unlimited, with no account and no credit card. Download it and see whether it helps.
Get Hearing Buddy FreeRequires iOS 26 or later · iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac & Vision Pro