Comparison

PocketHear vs Ear Spy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PocketHear

Read full description

Hear TV dialogue more clearly with PocketHear. Turn your iPhone and headphones into a personal listening companion for watching TV. Bring dialogue closer and adjust the sound to your preference—without turning up the TV volume for everyone else. Place your iPhone near the TV, connect your headphones, and start listening. PocketHear picks up sound through the active microphone and plays enhanced audio through your headphones. It’s also useful for everyday conversations and small meetings. Key Features - TV Mode: Audio settings designed to bring out speech and make television dialogue easier to follow. - Personal Volume Control: Adjust the listening level for each ear independently. - Speech Enhancement: Optional Apple Voice Processing helps reduce background noise and echo. Results depend on your headphones and surroundings. - Automatic Gain: Helps balance input levels when Apple Voice Processing is enabled. - Flexible Listening Modes: Choose TV or Meeting mode, or let Auto switch between them based on the sound around you. - Optional Pink Noise: Add a gentle background sound with its own volume control. - On-Device Processing: Audio is processed on your iPhone, without uploading it to the cloud or saving recordings. Using PocketHear with Headphones Works with compatible wired and Bluetooth headphones, including AirPods. For TV listening with AirPods, turn off Apple Voice Processing to use your iPhone’s microphone with high-quality Bluetooth playback. Turning it on uses the AirPods microphone and call audio, which may change the sound quality. Bluetooth audio may introduce a noticeable delay. Your experience will vary depending on your headphones and setup. PocketHear is a listening assistance app, not a medical device or a replacement for professional hearing care.

About

Ear Spy

Amplify ambient sounds and bring distant voices closer in real-time using your phone's microphone and headphones. Features include environment presets, a 10-band equalizer, personal hearing calibration, and on-device live transcription. It prioritizes privacy with all processing done locally.

Highlights
  • Real-time sound amplification
  • Environment presets
  • 10-band parametric equalizer
  • Personal hearing calibration
  • Unlimited clip capture
  • On-device live transcription
  • Hearing-safety limiter
Features
Read full description

Spy Ear turns your phone into a long-range listening device. With your microphone and headphones, you can amplify ambient sound in real time and pull faraway voices closer - a quiet conversation across the room, a distant speaker in a hall, the hum from the next room. WHAT YOU GET • 8 environment presets — Restaurant, Lecture, Whisper, Meeting, Outdoor, TV, Music, Balanced • Full 10-band parametric equalizer — shape every frequency yourself • Personal hearing calibration — a two-minute tuning that adapts every preset to your own ears • Unlimited clip capture — save what you heard, replay it through the same enhancement chain • On-device live transcription — see what is being said • Hearing-safety limiter — prevents sudden loud sounds from damaging your ears • Zero data leaves your phone — everything is processed on-device BUILT FOR REAL SITUATIONS Whether you want to follow a quiet conversation at dinner, catch every word in a lecture, hear the TV more clearly, or simply explore what's beyond your normal hearing range, Spy Ear gives you the sharper listening superpower in your pocket. Use of headphones is strongly recommended. SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Spy Ear requires a paid subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase to use the full app after onboarding. Plans available: • Weekly with a 3-day free trial for new users • Lifetime one-time payment, no renewals Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each weekly period at the published rate unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account on confirmation of purchase. You can manage subscriptions and cancel anytime in your iPhone's App Store account settings. The free trial converts to a paid weekly subscription unless cancelled before the trial ends. Lifetime purchase is a single payment and does not auto-renew. PRIVACY FIRST All audio processing happens entirely on your iPhone. We do not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. The app has no accounts, no analytics, no tracking, and no third-party SDKs. Captured clips and your calibration profile stay on your device. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nWqZMQjT6nNW28ytWD5fZShar3SW4NLPhWC9fUCCPJw/ Terms of Service: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lpr6Gtwyb_ofa5ABEUSc1JY4Y5DklugXPq5p3PkzT6M/ Note: Spy Ear is not a medical device, hearing aid, or substitute for professional audiological care.

Screenshots

PocketHear3 screens
Ear Spy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PocketHear at none against Ear Spy's 2. Ear Spy's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ear Spy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. PocketHear asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PocketHear ships an update every 2 weeks, Ear Spy weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
PocketHear versus Ear Spy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocketHearEar Spy
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (16 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—16 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Subscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer君文 古Awais Muneer

In-app purchases

None

PocketHear

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Ear Spy

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly (with trial)3 Days trial$3.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is PocketHear free?
PocketHear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ear Spy free?
Ear Spy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PocketHear or Ear Spy have ads?
Neither PocketHear nor Ear Spy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PocketHear or Ear Spy?
PocketHear ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ear Spy weekly. Most recently, PocketHear was updated on October 25, 2026 and Ear Spy on October 25, 2026.

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