AB Remote vs Hearing Buddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AB Remote
Control volume and program settings for specific hearing devices. Access helpful information directly through your smartphone.
- Volume control
- Program changes
- Access help information
- Direct connectivity
- Sound processor control
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The AB Remote is a smartphone app that is designed to provide user control over volume and program changes as well as provide access to help information. The AB Remote app provides direct connectivity and control of Advanced Bionics Naída CI M and Sky CI M sound processors and Phonak Naída Link M and Sky Link M hearing instruments.
Hearing Buddy
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
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A hearing buddy is the patient, understanding person who helps you hear. When they can't be there, Hearing Buddy is your backup. Built by someone who is hard of hearing, every feature comes from lived experience. 2026 Apple Design Award Finalist (Inclusivity) UNLIMITED FREE LIVE CAPTIONS Most captioning apps charge by the minute, turning accessibility into a metered service. Hearing Buddy gives you unlimited live captions for free. Speech becomes clear text on your iPhone or iPad, even in noisy rooms or fast conversations. Captions run on your device, 24/7, at no cost. They work without internet, and your conversations stay on your phone. THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Need more accuracy? Turn on Enhanced Accuracy and captions are made in the cloud: sharper text in loud rooms, names spelled right. It stays off until you turn it on. Try 30 minutes free. Buddy+ includes 20 hours a month, or 240 a year with Annual. SHARE CAPTIONS FOR FREE One iPhone captions the room. Everyone nearby reads along. Share your live captions and people around you can follow from their own iPhone or iPad. Put a phone where the sound is and read from wherever you are. Your hearing buddy can set their phone next to the speaker while you follow from the back of the room. In meetings, classes, and group conversations, more people can turn on their mic, and every voice flows into one shared transcript. Everyone chooses the language they want to read. Hearing Buddy translates captions as people speak, so the same conversation can be read in several languages at once, free for everyone. Sharing works directly between devices. No internet, no account, no server. Captions stay in the room. NAME AND QUESTION ALERTS When someone says your name, your Apple Watch taps your wrist. The same tap tells you when someone asks a question. No more anxious waiting at the pharmacy or the coffee counter. The moment your name is spoken, you'll feel it. Alerts on your iPhone and Lock Screen show what needs your attention, so you don't have to keep watching your phone. TRANSLATE WHAT YOU HEAR When you're listening on your own, Buddy+ lets you choose the language being spoken and the language you want to read. Hearing Buddy translates captions as people speak. Alerts, summaries, and session titles can appear in your reading language too. CONVERSATION SUMMARIES Review key points without rereading every caption. Your buddy gives you a short recap of meetings, appointments, classes, and group conversations. MAKE BUDDY YOURS Name your buddy and choose their personality, colors, character, and tone. FREE FEATURES • Unlimited live captions • Share Captions with people nearby • Live translation for everyone in shared captions • Background listening • Saved transcripts • Copy and share transcripts • Adjustable text size BUDDY+ FEATURES • Live translation when you caption on your own • Enhanced Accuracy hours every month • Boost Audio for any headphones • Name and question alerts on Apple Watch, iPhone, and Lock Screen • Conversation summaries • Live Activity and Widget support • Live captions on Mac and Apple Vision Pro • Premium buddy personalities and app icons No one should have to miss what matters or apologize for how they hear. LANGUAGE SUPPORT Live captions support 18 language and regional options across English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Requires iOS 26.0 or later. Apple Watch features require watchOS 10.0 or later. Buddy+ Annual: $89.99 per year Buddy+ Monthly: $14.99 per month Terms: https://apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy: https://hearingbuddyapp.com/privacy Hearing Buddy is a supportive tool, not a replacement for medical devices or professional medical advice.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Hearing Buddy at 4.1 against AB Remote's 3.0. Hearing Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 29 months) and review sentiment (33% vs 13%). AB Remote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Hearing Buddy sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. AB Remote asks for nothing beyond the download.
Hearing Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 100 and 162 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of AB Remote's written reviews are positive against 33% of Hearing Buddy's.
AB Remote ships an update every 29 months, Hearing Buddy every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AB Remote | Hearing Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (100 ratings) | 4.1 (162 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.8% of reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 100 | 162 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #70 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 144 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Advanced Bionics, LLC | Krager Labs LLC |
Customer experience
AB Remote
Hearing Buddy
Bugs and requests
AB Remote
Reported bugs
36 issues- Unpairs from device
- Doesn't remember settings
- Bluetooth disconnects intermittently
- Needs rebooting speech processor
- Disconnects when one battery dies
Show 31 moreShow fewer
- Loses connection frequently
- Needs app reinstallation to reconnect
- Loses connection weekly
- Resets volume on calls/streaming
- Times out and disconnects
- Aggressively connects to TV streamer
- No way to mute TV streamer
- Crackling noises with iPhone 15 Pro
- Doesn't connect to left cochlear implant
- Voice alerts stopped playing over Marvel M90 after iOS 17
- Loses volume setting every time phone is used
- Split volume changes to match loudest setting
- Setting changes when opening other apps
- Normal hearing aid shuts down and won't connect
- App times out and disconnects
- Connects to AirPlay every time phone sleeps
- Impossible to keep connected
- Doesn't connect to Bluetooth devices
- Can't get app to connect to processors
- No pairing
- App times out and disconnects
- Volume reverts to default
- Split volume function useless
- Volume resets on calls
- App disconnects from iPhone intermittently
- Battery percentage display is primitive
- Cannot adjust bass and treble
- Cannot do tone equalization
- Cannot control ambient sound override
- Cannot pair more than one device
- Bluetooth connection is hard
Requested features
17 requests- Apple Watch app
- Tone equalization/treble boost
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Sensitivity slider
- Push alerts for disconnects
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- Lock devices to same program
- More intuitive UI for program assignment and volume
- Save volume preferences
- Fix phone call volume issues
- Bass and treble controls
- Ambient sound override control
- Compatibility with i-phone hearing aid devices
- Update app 3 times a year
- Show remaining battery percentage for bilateral implants
- Fix split volume not maintaining
- Fix crackling noises on iPhone 15 Pro
- Fix Voiceover accessibility for volume sliders
Hearing Buddy
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
AB Remote
No in-app purchases
Hearing Buddy
- Pro14 Days trial$6.997 Days
- Pro14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Pro3 Days trial$9.991 Month
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- Pro14 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Pro14 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Pro14 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Pro3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Buddy+ Annual1 Month trial$79.991 Year
- Buddy+ Annual7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- Pro14 Days trial$79.991 Year
- Pro14 Days trial$89.991 Year
- Buddy+ Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
- Buddy+ FriendFree
Questions
Is AB Remote free?
Is Hearing Buddy free?
Which has better reviews, AB Remote or Hearing Buddy?
Do AB Remote or Hearing Buddy have ads?
Which is updated more often, AB Remote or Hearing Buddy?
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