# Relay UK > App for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired to make phone calls. (iPhone/iPad app by British Telecommunications plc.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relay-uk/id1483202788 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [British Telecommunications plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/373567642) - Category: Lifestyle - Price: Free - Rating: 4.13/5 from 529 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 286 MB - Released: 2019-11-20 - Data updated: 2026-08-26 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relay-uk/id1483202788/reviews.md ## What is Relay UK? Relay UK allows deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired people to make phone calls to anyone using the latest app technology. You don't need any special kit – just download the app onto your smartphone or tablet, link your phone number and you're ready to go. It's free to use, you just pay your normal charges for the calls you make. Conversations are easy to manage and relaxed. For fluent communication with anyone, anywhere, use Relay UK. ## Key features - Make phone calls to anyone - No special equipment needed - Link existing phone number - Easy conversation management - Free to use ## Recent user reviews (10 of 20) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relay-uk/id1483202788/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Great but needs a few extras *2026-04-17* This is a great service and hats off to the operators. IMO it needs a built in spellcheck/autocorrect function and better multitasking support to include the ability to paste pre written text during a call. Personally I find it hard to type information in a structured manner under pressure making it hard for me to correctly provide details for the operator to express what I’m on about correctly to the caller which extends an already long call with awkward silences whilst I slowly type one fingered then read what I’m sending in case of typos. **Developer response:** Thanks for your comments. You can enable 'Auto-typing' under your Relay preferences in Settings and this might help you. You can also save anything you might want to type and send regularly, under 'Favourites'. Please take a look at our Help videos on the website - www.relayuk.bt.com/help/how-to-videos.html - or contact the Helpdesk for more information - relay.uk.helpdesk@bt.com ### 4/5 — Addressing barriers *2025-07-26* I have just started using the app as someone with tinnitus and autism, who finds telephone calls really difficult (I don’t make them unless it’s an absolute crisis). This app is enabling me to make timely calls eg to get my vehicle fixed so I can leave the house again, to call NHS when a phone appointment didn’t happen etc. I am now making my way through a list of calls I’ve needed to make for so long and getting the healthcare etc I need at the re than just not having it and making the important calls, that for many others are just a part of daily life. **Developer response:** We're delighted that Relay UK is helping you. Thanks for your comments. ### 5/5 — Absolutely Life-Changing – A Must-Have App! *2025-06-19* Relay UK has completely transformed the way I communicate. As someone with hearing difficulties, I used to feel very isolated when it came to making phone calls – but this app has opened up a whole new world for me. It’s simple to use, reliable, and incredibly empowering. The interface is clean and intuitive, and the connection to the relay assistant is always fast and professional. The text comes through clearly, and I love that I can type my responses directly in the app. It works seamlessly whether I’m calling my GP, booking appointments, or just chatting with friends and family. I’m especially impressed with how well it integrates with my regular mobile number – I don’t have to use a separate device or explain anything to the person I’m calling. The experience is smooth, discreet, and dignified. I also really appreciate that it works for emergency services too – knowing I can call 999 via Relay UK gives me so much peace of mind. **Developer response:** Many thanks for your detailed review. We're delighted that Relay UK is working for you exactly in the way it's intended to! ### 3/5 — It’s good but… *2025-03-31* I really don’t want to sound rude, the app is awesome and does help, but a lot of the time I get put through with an agent with a really strong accent and when it comes to things like the DWP virtual assistant or anything virtual the bot has a really hard time understanding and it’s a constant back and forth, and then i’m put through to an agent for something that could’ve easily been updated through the virtual agent. I’ve also noticed that when I get put through to speak to an actual person, it seems like the relay people just hang up the call??? As if they don’t want to be stuck on the waiting line?? Obviously that’s not very helpful. **Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback. The Relay Assistant won't disconnect a call until you're ready to end the conversation, but sometimes the person you're calling can hang up or get disconnected. If you have any specific examples where you don't think this is the case, please let the Helpdesk know and they will investigate - relay.uk.helpdesk@bt.com ### 5/5 — Absolutely amazing. *2025-03-09* I am not fully deaf, but I have hearing loss and tinnitus. Phone calls can be extremely difficult for me, and on a bad day, can actually be painful. I downloaded the Relay App about a year ago but was too worried about using it. I wasn't sure how it would work, and I was really nervous. I finally plucked up the courage to give it a go. I've chosen to type my side of the conversation and have the other persons side typed too. This means that for me, any call I make is just like using a live chat facility and it has been a life changer for me. I've always had to have someone else with me when I was dealing with a company who only let you call them, and had no email/chat facility, but being able to make calls to anyone by myself has been such a massive help to me. I feel less of a burden to my friends and family, and have regained a little bit of my independence. Whoever came up with this idea deserves every single medal and accolade, and the agents who deal with these calls are godsends. Thank you to all involved in this incredible service. **Developer response:** Many thanks for your review. We're delighted Relay UK is giving you more independence and allowing you to make the phone calls you want to. ### 5/5 — Invaluable! *2025-01-14* This app has been an absolute boon! I wish I had found out about it sooner and I tell everyone about it now, in the hope of helping someone else & earlier in their journey. It’s only my own internet connection that lets me down a bit because I sometimes get disconnected. I’m not sure about if you need to come out of the app to look up something eg on email app and then come back to the Relay app screen - I haven’t gotten the hang of not losing connection that way yet but, again, that is my fault. This is such a great app - possibly the most useful one I have! **Developer response:** Thank you for your review and comments, it's great to know Relay UK is helping you. ### 1/5 — I’m so confused *2025-01-03* I can’t tell if it’s a robot typing the information from the call or a person, there was nothing to indicate which one but the conversation was incredibly hard to understand as it was just typo after typo and didn’t make sense. I understand the messages send as the person types but even at that, it’s a communication service so I wish they were more careful to type correctly. The odd typo is fine but this was far too difficult to follow. I gave up quite quickly because it made my anxiety so bad as it could not keep up with the voice on the phone at all and then fully just stopped transcribing as the call continued in the background. I was so excited to use this too. **Developer response:** Sorry you've had this experience. All calls are transcribed by Advisors (not robots), so if you do ever have a bad experience, please let us know - you can send us Feedback by filling a few details into the form within the app - found under 'Settings'. Thank you. ### 5/5 — A Lifesaver *2024-07-05* I rarely review apps but this has genuinely changed my life. I’m hearing-impaired and struggle with selective mutism; I’ve been using Relay for maybe half a year now, and once I figured it out an entire world opened up to me. So many things were uphill battles before because so many places had no way to contact them without phoning, or needed me to phone to do a security check, and I couldn’t, and no one seemed to understand that. There are some issues innate to certain features (e.g. the sending one word at a time thing means it is constantly sending my typos and mistakes before I can correct them) but the good it does blows any small problem out of the water. Every assistant I’ve had has been friendly, patient, and helpful, even putting up with calls where I had to remain on hold for ages or where they had to type out a long terms of service speech to me. I hope it’s not overstepping or misusing the resource, but I’ve also recommended Relay to some friends with severe anxiety disorders who can’t make calls, as well as some with semi-verbal autism. I think this could genuinely change lives for many kinds of disorders outside of deafness and speech impairment. **Developer response:** Many thanks for taking the time to write this review. Your detailed feedback is very helpful and we're really pleased that Relay UK is helping you make the calls you want and need to. ### 5/5 — Alex Samuel *2024-07-04* Without the brilliant service making and receiving calls, I would be completely unable to do my job and hold my HGV licence. As I am unable to understand speech over the phone. The operators who man this service should all be receiving appropriate recognition and medals etc As they are very much a requirement of service where deafness is a problem. In recent times it would make a tremendous difference if it was possible when a call comes in to be able to show on the mobile screen that that call is coming in via RELAY UK. This would show exactly where the call is coming from **Developer response:** We're delighted Relay UK is helping you communicate over the phone and love sharing comments like yours with the Team that supports the service, thank you! We'd love to identify Relay UK calls on your mobile, but at the moment we're a bit restricted in what is allowed in terms of integration with voice calls. We hope this will change in the future and we can make Relay UK even easier to use! ### 5/5 — Fantastic Service! *2024-05-22* There are so many places/authorities/companies which just don’t offer email or you think you can email or use live chat or whatever but then it turns out it’s the wrong email address or no one replies in time etc. and so for people who can’t or have extreme difficulties using the telephone, it’s just a nightmare to sort anything out! I have gone without medication, not seen doctors, not got good customer service, been unable to return faulty products, suffered financial emotional or physical hardship due to not being able to use the telephone properly, so when I found this and got used to the technology and service, I was so happy! I don’t have a hearing impediment. I sometimes have a speech impediment. I have autism and part of that is auditory processing disorder and some issues with social anxiety and communication problems. Relay U.K. are there for anyone who has some form of disability who needs to use the service. They will type out everything that is said at the other end end if you need that and read everything you write if you need that too or just one or the other: it’s tailored to what you need! It is very easy to use this app. The people are very helpful and it’s all confidential so it’s quite safe to use for talking to a doctor or a lawyer or ringing about debts or whatever you need to. I couldn’t recommend it more highly if I were being paid to which I’m not of course. Enjoy the app **Developer response:** Many thanks for your review. We're delighted that Relay UK is helping you to make the phone calls you want and need to make! ## Frequently asked questions about Relay UK ### How does Relay UK work? Relay UK allows deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired users to make phone calls. You download the app, link your phone number, and can then make calls to anyone using the app's technology. ### Is Relay UK free to use? Yes, Relay UK is free to use. You will only pay your normal charges for the calls you make, as determined by your phone provider. ### What devices is Relay UK available on? Relay UK can be downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet, making it accessible on common mobile devices. ### What is the age rating for Relay UK? Relay UK has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. ### How often is Relay UK updated? The latest version of Relay UK is 8.3.27, and it was last updated on June 4, 2026. This indicates regular updates to improve functionality and reliability. ### What do users think of Relay UK? Relay UK has a rating of 4.1 stars from 529 ratings, suggesting generally positive user sentiment regarding its functionality and usefulness. ### Does Relay UK require special equipment? No, Relay UK does not require any special kit. You only need to download the app onto your existing smartphone or tablet. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 8.3.27 — 2026-06-04 Main updates and enhancements include: - now available on selected devices that don't have a mobile connection - gives an improved conversation flow across all communication preferences - provides a refreshed and smoother connection to our new digital service Please let us know how you're getting on with the app by sending us 'Feedback' in 'Settings'. ### 8.1.6 — 2025-10-24 Main updates and enhancements include: - remedy for users in a 'Failed to upgrade number state' ## More apps by British Telecommunications plc - [BT One Voice mobile access service](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bt-one-voice-mobile-access-service/id373567639) - [BT Cloud](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bt-cloud/id595947986) - [BT MeetMe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bt-meetme/id852241466) - [EE TV](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ee-tv/id929166502) - [BT Cloud Work](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bt-cloud-work/id948639434) - [My BT](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-bt/id979618672) All apps by British Telecommunications plc: https://appshunter.io/developer/373567642 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*