Hearing tools

If you have a hearing impairment, or find it difficult to hear audio clearly, there are a range of tools available to help you stay connected and access information more easily.

These tools can change how you receive sound, turning it into visual or text-based information, or improving audio clarity to suit your needs.

Below is an overview of the different types of support available, and what they can help with:

• Visual alerts replace sounds for notifications like calls, messages, and alarms by using on-screen cues
• Live captions provide real-time subtitles for spoken content, such as video calls and online meetings
• Speech-to-text tools convert spoken words into written text instantly
• Chat and email offer alternatives to phone or video calls, making communication more flexible
• Mono audio settings send all sound to one ear, which can help if you have hearing loss in one ear
• Noise-reducing headsets help reduce background noise and make speech clearer
• Amplifiers and hearing aid-compatible devices increase volume and improve sound quality

These tools can support people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those who experience audio processing difficulties, fatigue, or noisy working environments. Many are built into your Windows computer, while others can be added depending on your needs.