Hearing Buddy - Speech To Text

Hearing Buddy - Speech To Text

Live Captions for Conversation

162 ratings
24 reviews
With Ads#104 in top-grossing Medical
🔧 Utilities
🏥 Medical
Free
In-App PurchasesWith Ads

Details

Released
September 16, 2025
Updated
October 30, 2026

Features

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About

This app provides unlimited, on-device live captions for conversations, making them accessible in noisy environments or during fast-paced discussions. It also offers features like sharing captions with others, real-time translation, and personalized alerts for names and questions. Enhanced accuracy and translation are available through an optional subscription.

✓Unlimited on-device live captions
✓Share captions with nearby users
✓Real-time translation of conversations
✓Name and question alerts
✓Conversation summaries
✓Offline captioning
Show original description
+2

What's New in Hearing Buddy

3.19.2

October 30, 2026

Enhanced Accuracy now stays on through phone calls, Siri, and locking your phone, so your captions keep their best accuracy for the whole conversation. When a call pauses captions, Buddy now marks the gap in your conversation and shows it on your Lock Screen.

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Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

Buddy+ Annual

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

$79.991 Year
1 Month trial
How to cancel Hearing Buddy subscription ⁉️

Charts

Top Grossing

📉 104-7

Medical

This app dropped -7 positions in Medical chart.

Last updated on November 4, 2026.

Events

Read more about New Captioning Experience

New Captioning Experience

More ways to see your conversation at a glance.

Oct 23, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026

Read more about Happy Deaf Awareness Month!

Happy Deaf Awareness Month!

Meet Celeste - our new Deaf Hearing Buddy.

Sep 1, 2026 — Sep 30, 2026

Read more about iOS27: Smarter summaries

iOS27: Smarter summaries

Your Buddy takes detailed notes and action items.

Sep 17, 2026 — Oct 15, 2026

User reviews

It's good.

Please, add message to your app allow me can chat with my mother.

No way

Dumb apps you have paid for this app not free

The freaking popups

So annoying, forces you through prompts and payment popups just to try it out. No thanks, too invasive. Don’t force people to answer your questions, have settings, period.

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

Developer apps

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FAQ

Does Hearing Buddy have ads?

Yes, Hearing Buddy contains advertisements. As a free app with in-app purchases, ads are displayed to support its continued development and free features.

How accurate are the captions in Hearing Buddy?

The app offers unlimited on-device captions for free, which are designed to work even in noisy rooms. For enhanced accuracy, especially in loud environments or for proper names, an optional cloud-based feature is available with a free trial.

Can I use Hearing Buddy offline?

Yes, the core live captioning feature works without an internet connection, ensuring your conversations stay private on your device. Sharing captions also functions directly between devices without needing internet access.

What are the subscription options for Hearing Buddy?

Hearing Buddy offers various subscription plans for its Buddy+ features, including options for weekly, monthly, and annual billing. Some plans provide a 14-day free trial, while others offer a 3-day free trial.

How does Hearing Buddy help with translation?

The app can translate live captions in real-time, allowing conversations to be read in multiple languages simultaneously for everyone sharing captions. Buddy+ also offers translation when captioning on your own, letting you choose the spoken and reading languages.

What devices does Hearing Buddy support?

Hearing Buddy is available on Apple devices, including the iPhone and iPad. It also offers alerts for Apple Watch, providing discreet notifications for names and questions.

How often is Hearing Buddy updated?

The latest version of Hearing Buddy is 3.19.2, and it was last updated on October 30, 2026. This indicates a relatively active development cycle.

What is the age rating for Hearing Buddy?

Hearing Buddy has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. This rating suggests it contains no mature content.