Have these helpful smartphone travel apps at your fingertips.
There are so many excellent hearing loss smartphone apps that make day-to-day living more manageable. And if you’re looking forward to being able to get away from your typical routine and enjoy a vacation again once COVID-19 restrictions allow, there are smartphone apps for travel with hearing loss that can help too!
Here are eight great smartphone apps for travel when you have hearing loss:
- AVA
- Chatable
- Decibel X
- Google Translate
- Google Maps
- Citymapper
- TripIt
Let’s explore more info about these smartphone apps for travel with hearing loss!
AVA
If you’re on a group trip, you might be worried about missing important information from a guide or conversations with your fellow travelers because of your hearing loss. AVA is designed to alleviate those concerns! It’s an AI-based live transcription app available in the Apple App and Google Play stores that creates captions of any conversation, so you never miss a word and don’t have to rely on a pen and paper.
Chatable
Hearing conversations with your travel buddies might be especially difficult if there’s a lot of background noise. Chatable is meant to boost the volume of speech while reducing other sounds in noisy places. It can connect to earphones or hearing aids to deliver sound right to your ears. An alternative app for those with Android devices is Sound Amplifier by Google.
Decibel X
Travel can take us to some noisy places, and decibel measuring apps like Decibel X are a smart way to tell if they’re getting dangerously loud. Decibel X turns your phone into a noise meter that measures sound levels around you, so you can determine when to wear hearing protection or move to a quieter area. It’s available for iPhones and Androids.
Google Translate
If your trip is taking you to a destination where you don’t speak the language, Google Translate can be a lifesaver. The smartphone app has many awesome features, including speak-to-translate so someone can speak into your phone’s mic, and you’ll see the translation on your screen. This way, it can overcome language and hearing loss barriers at the same time! It can also translate written text, like on signs and maps.
Google Maps
Want to plot your way around the world without needing to ask for directions? Google Maps is one of the most popular navigational apps on the market. Another perk for travelers with hearing loss is its feature that tells you when your destinations might be busy and loud vs. less crowded and quieter — input your destination and look for the “Popular Times” tab to see what the crowd situation might look like at a given time.
Citymapper
Google Maps is excellent for road trips when you’re driving yourself, but Citymapper beats it when it comes to finding public transportation in cities. It can show you where your bus is, prices of different transport options, if there are nearby bike rentals, and more. Citymapper can especially come in handy when you’re at a station or riding public transit, and announcements about upcoming stops or arriving trains made over the P.A. system may be difficult to hear or understand.
TripIt
TripIt is a great way to reduce miscommunications by keeping all your travel plans organized in one place. Don’t worry about not hearing or misunderstanding announcements about your flight gate changes, delays, and more — it’ll all be in your master plan on the app. Share and collaborate with travel companions, so everyone’s on the same page.
WhatsApp
Lastly, whether you want to keep in touch with your travel companions or people at home, WhatsApp is a great way to do that without worrying about buying an international text plan. As long as you have wifi, you can use the app to chat like normal!
Ready to download these hearing loss travel apps and start thinking about the trips you’ll plan once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted? Check out our trip planning tips next!
