What Is Auracast? The Bluetooth Technology That Is Changing How Hearing Aids Connect to the World

Until recently, Bluetooth in hearing aids meant pairing your device to your phone and streaming audio from it directly. One transmitter. One receiver. A private connection. Here is a history of Bluetooth. Auracast changes the model entirely. It is a Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast technology that allows a single transmitter to stream audio to an unlimited number of receivers simultaneously, without any of them needing to pair to the source. The way a radio station broadcasts to every radio tuned to its frequency, an Auracast transmitter broadcasts to every compatible device within range. For people with hearing aids, this is a genuinely transformative development. And it is no longer a future promise; it is available now in several hearing aid platforms, with more brands activating it every month.

How Auracast Actually Works

Auracast is built on the Bluetooth LE Audio specification (Bluetooth 5.2 and higher) and uses the LC3 codec for audio compression. The LC3 codec delivers better sound quality at lower bitrates and lower power consumption than the SBC codec it replaces, which matters significantly for hearing aids, where battery life is always a constraint. The key technical distinction: traditional Bluetooth is point-to-point. One device connects to one or two others. Auracast is broadcast. One transmitter sends to unlimited receivers, and receivers do not need to pair to the transmitter in advance. They simply tune in, the way a radio tunes to a station. For a venue to support Auracast, it needs a transmitter with Auracast capability. A hearing aid user with a compatible device then finds the broadcast through their hearing aid’s companion app or, increasingly, through their smartphone directly and joins it. The audio arrives in their hearing aids at whatever volume is right for them, while everyone around them hears the room at its natural volume.

Real-World Auracast Use Cases That Are Possible Now

• Airports and transit: gate announcements and public address systems broadcast directly to hearing aids, eliminating the struggle to hear overhead announcements in noisy terminals.
• Theaters and cinemas: audio streamed directly to hearing aids at the user’s preferred volume without headset equipment or special accommodation requests.
• Places of worship: sermons and services broadcast to congregants with hearing aids, improving speech understanding without architectural assistive listening systems.
• Lecture halls and classrooms: the professor’s voice is broadcast to students with hearing aids or LE Audio devices, regardless of where they sit in the room. No FM transmitter needed, no neck loop required.
• Sports bars and restaurants: TV audio broadcast directly to hearing aid users who want to follow a game without the venue raising the overall volume.
• Home sharing: family members with different hearing levels can each receive TV audio at their own preferred volume simultaneously.

Which Hearing Aids Support Auracast Now? The Complete Current Picture

This is an actively evolving landscape. Here is the accurate status as of mid-2026:

Brand	Models	Auracast Status
ReSound	Vivia, Nexia, Savi	Fully activated -first with dedicated Auracast Assistant in app
Oticon	Intent, Zeal	Fully activated via firmware update
Starkey	Edge AI, Omega AI	Fully activated
Jabra	Enhance Pro 20, Pro 30	Fully activated
Signia	Pure Charge&Go IX	Auracast-ready – firmware update pending
Widex	Allure	LE Audio compatible, Auracast-ready -firmware update pending
Rexton	Reach	Auracast-ready – firmware update pending
Phonak	Infinio, Ultra Infinio Sphere	Bluetooth 5.3 hardware, Auracast not yet activated. May maintain Bluetooth Classic advantage

The ReSound Advantage: First With a Dedicated Auracast Assistant

ReSound has led the Auracast implementation among hearing aid manufacturers. The ReSound Vivia, launched in early 2025, is notable not just for being Auracast-enabled but for being the first hearing aid with a dedicated Auracast Assistant built into the Smart 3D companion app. This makes it meaningfully easier for users to find and connect to Auracast broadcasts in public spaces, rather than navigating through settings or relying on a Samsung phone to detect nearby broadcasts. For users who prioritize Auracast as a feature today rather than as a future capability, ReSound’s ecosystem is the most complete implementation currently available. [LINK to ReSound review when written]

The Phonak Position: A Deliberate Choice

Phonak’s approach to Auracast is the most interesting and nuanced in the market. Their Infinio platform uses Bluetooth 5.3 hardware that is technically capable of Auracast, but the company has not yet activated Auracast functionality. This is likely a deliberate strategic decision rather than a technical limitation. Phonak’s SWORD chip Bluetooth Classic approach gives them specific competitive advantages that Auracast adoption could dilute: universal device compatibility without proprietary dependencies, hands-free calling where the hearing aid microphone picks up the user’s voice, and the ability to connect to virtually any Bluetooth device regardless of its LE Audio support. Auracast is a one-to-many broadcast technology. It does not replace point-to-point connectivity for phone calls and streaming. Phonak’s Classic Bluetooth does both extremely well. Whether they eventually activate Auracast as an additional capability is one of the more-watched decisions in hearing aid connectivity. 

What You Need to Use Auracast

For a complete Auracast experience, you need three things:

• An Auracast-enabled hearing aid: from the table above, ReSound, Oticon, Starkey, and Jabra currently have fully activated Auracast.
• An Auracast transmitter: public venues will eventually have these built in. For home use, Auracast transmitters are available from companies like Avantree. ReSound’s TV Streamer+ and Multi Mic+ already support Auracast broadcasting.
• The companion app: most Auracast-enabled hearing aids require the manufacturer’s companion app to find and join broadcasts. ReSound’s Auracast Assistant makes this the most seamless current experience.

Not sure whether your current hearing aids are Auracast-enabled or Auracast-ready? Contact our team, and we can check your specific model. If you are shopping for new hearing aids and Auracast is a priority, we will help you identify which platform fits your situation.

Should Auracast Factor Into Your Next Hearing Aid Purchase

For most buyers in 2025-2026, the honest answer is: it depends on your priorities and your timeline. If you are in a profession or lifestyle where Auracast venues would immediately benefit you, such as a student, a frequent traveler, a regular theater or worship attendee, or someone who watches a lot of TV with family members who have different volume preferences, prioritizing an Auracast-enabled device makes sense now. If your primary challenges are speech in noise in everyday conversational settings, the AI processing capabilities of devices like the Phonak Infinio Sphere, Starkey Omega AI, or ReSound Vivia may matter more than Auracast. The good news is that most of the current premium devices combine strong AI processing with Auracast readiness or activation. For a full comparison of how each brand approaches Bluetooth, see our brand-by-brand guide.

Frequently Asked Questions: Auracast Hearing Aids

What is Auracast and how is it different from regular Bluetooth? Regular Bluetooth connects one device to one or two others through a pairing process. Auracast is a Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast technology that lets one transmitter stream audio to an unlimited number of compatible receivers simultaneously, without any pairing required. Receivers simply tune into the broadcast, the way a radio tunes to a station. For hearing aid users, this means receiving audio from public address systems, TVs, and venue broadcast systems directly in their hearing aids. Which hearing aids have Auracast right now? As of mid-2026, hearing aids with fully activated Auracast include: ReSound Vivia, Nexia, and Savi; Oticon Intent and Zeal; Starkey Edge AI and Omega AI; and Jabra Enhance Pro 20 and Pro 30. Several other brands have Auracast-ready hardware requiring firmware updates, including Signia Pure Charge&Go IX, Widex Allure, and Rexton Reach. Phonak Infinio has Bluetooth 5.3 hardware capable of Auracast but has not yet activated the feature. What do I need to use Auracast with my hearing aids? You need an Auracast-enabled hearing aid, an Auracast transmitter (either a dedicated accessory for home use or a public venue’s built-in system), and typically your hearing aid’s companion app to find and join broadcasts. ReSound currently offers the most complete consumer Auracast experience with their dedicated Auracast Assistant in the Smart 3D app. Are there Auracast transmitters available now? Yes. Dedicated Auracast transmitters for home use are available from companies like Avantree. ReSound’s TV Streamer+ and Multi Mic+ accessories already support Auracast broadcasting. Public venue infrastructure is developing more slowly but is beginning to appear in airports, places of worship, and some educational settings. Does Phonak support Auracast? Not yet as of mid-2026. Phonak’s Infinio platform uses Bluetooth 5.3 hardware that is technically Auracast-capable, but the company has not activated the feature. Phonak’s proprietary SWORD chip Bluetooth Classic connectivity offers universal device compatibility and hands-free calling advantages that Auracast would not replace. Whether Phonak eventually activates Auracast as an additional capability remains one of the more watched decisions in hearing aid connectivity.