Hearing Buddy - Speech To Text

Hearing Buddy - Speech To Text

Live Captions for Conversation

145 ratings
21 reviews
With Ads#197 in top-grossing Medical
🔧 Utilities
🏥 Medical
Free
In-App PurchasesWith Ads

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • September 16, 2025
  • October 14, 2026

Features

Hearing Buddy - Speech To Text screenshot #1 for iPhone
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Hearing Buddy - Speech To Text screenshot #9 for iPhone
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About

This app provides unlimited, real-time speech-to-text captions for conversations, designed by someone with hearing loss. It offers on-device processing for privacy and features like name and question alerts on your iPhone and Apple Watch.

✓Unlimited real-time captions
✓On-device privacy
✓Apple Watch alerts for names/questions
✓Conversation summaries
✓Customizable app personality
✓Adjustable text size
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+2

What's New in Hearing Buddy

3.16

October 14, 2026

Hearing Buddy is now ready for the iPhone Duo!

1

Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

Buddy+ Annual

Boost, alerts, notes, and Buddy on every device.

$99.991 Year
14 Days trial
How to cancel Hearing Buddy subscription ⁉️

Charts

Top Grossing

📉 197-23

Medical

This app dropped -23 positions in Medical chart.

Last updated on October 15, 2026.

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User reviews

Doesn’t catch every word makes so may mistakes

Do not like this

Response from developer

Hi Pam, we are trying to do better. Since your review we launched Cloud Enhanced captions in version 3.12. In our own tests it makes about a third of the mistakes of our on-device captions in a quiet room, and about half in a noisy one. Your first 30 minutes are free, no plan needed. Update the app, start a session, and tap the cloud icon. If it changes things for you, we'd love to hear it here. Anything else, email support@hearingbuddyapp.com and we'll help. ~ Lilly & Scott

Mostly pushes for paid an

I tried it once. The captions were inaccurate even though the sound quality was good. I felt like I was being pushed to upgrade to paid plan more than helping me improve my communication experience.

Response from developer

Thank you for trying it, and we hear you on both counts. On accuracy: we just launched Cloud Enhanced captions in 3.12, which in our tests make about a third of the mistakes of our on-device captions in a quiet room and about half in noise. Your first 30 minutes are free. On the upgrade prompts: that's fair feedback, and unlimited on-device captions have always been free and always will be. If you give 3.12 a try, we'd genuinely love to know whether it changes your experience. ~ Lilly & Scott

Worthless

Poor interpretation of speech. Honestly only good if you’re in a room alone.

Response from developer

That's fair on 3.11, and we're sorry it let you down. Noisy rooms are exactly what we set out to fix with Cloud Enhanced captions, which launched in 3.12. In our noisy restaurant test it made about half the mistakes of our on-device captions. Your first 30 minutes are free, no plan needed: update, start a session, tap the cloud icon at the top. If it changes your mind, we'd love to hear it. ~ Lilly & Scott

Very useful App

After experiencing sudden hearing loss, my world was turned upside down. This Speech-to-Text app is just what I needed to help me get through this very difficult transition. I would’ve given it five stars, but I still have questions about the memory space it takes up on the phone documenting the conversations.
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Response from developer

Thanks so much for the kind words, and so sorry about your sudden change. That wound be jarring. To answer your question, all conversations are stored as text. So they take up a very tiny amount of space relative to say a video or even a high-quality photo on your phone. No audio is ever recorded.

Not bad

The captioning isn’t perfect. There are some errors, and some words are being skipped.

Response from developer

Thanks for the fair review. Skipped and wrong words are exactly what Cloud Enhanced captions in 3.12 are for. In our tests they're noticeably more accurate, especially when it's loud. Your first 30 minutes are free. We'd love an updated take if you try it. ~ Lilly & Scott

Developer apps

FAQ

What is Hearing Buddy?

Hearing Buddy is an app that provides unlimited, real-time speech-to-text captions to help users with hearing loss understand conversations. It also offers features like name and question alerts to improve communication.

Does Hearing Buddy have ads?

No, Hearing Buddy does not contain advertisements. The app is free to use with optional in-app purchases for advanced features.

What devices is Hearing Buddy compatible with?

Hearing Buddy is available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. It requires iOS 26.0+ and watchOS 10.0+.

How much does Hearing Buddy cost?

The core features of Hearing Buddy are free. Optional Buddy+ features are available through subscription plans, including weekly ($9.99), monthly ($9.99), and annual ($29.99) options, all with a 3-day free trial.

Is my conversation data private with Hearing Buddy?

Yes, all conversations are processed on your device, ensuring your privacy. No cloud processing is used, meaning your conversations are not shared with anyone else.

How often is Hearing Buddy updated?

The latest version of Hearing Buddy is 2.05, released on March 13, 2026. Updates are released regularly to improve functionality and add new features.

What are the benefits of the Buddy+ subscription?

Buddy+ unlocks premium features such as Apple Watch alerts for names and questions, conversation summaries, Live Activity and Widget support, and the ability to customize the app's personality.

What is the age rating for Hearing Buddy?

Hearing Buddy has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for children and adults and does not contain content inappropriate for younger audiences.