[NFBOH-Cleveland] In order to receive call notifications on your Apple Watch, and How to set alerts on your phone for those who are deaf or hard of hearing

[smturner.234 at gmail.com]

                How to set alerts on your phone for those who are deaf or
hard of hearing 

Fox News

August 22, 2024

 

Wearable devices, settings on your phone to make alerts apparent

 

(FOX NEWS) - Despite being attached to our phones, it is easy to miss an
alert or notification of incoming calls or messages. For those who are
hearing impaired or deaf, the risk of missing alerts or notifications is
increased. 

 

Michael wrote in with the following question to highlight this important
issue:

 

"My wife is deaf. Is there a  <https://www.foxnews.com/tech> Bluetooth
device that will light a flasher or vibrator when her phone rings in her
pocket?" - Michael, Sugar Land, Texas

 

Depending on her specific device, several setting options are likely already
available on her phone that can increase the chances of her getting alerts
or notifications by flashing or vibrating.

 

How to set up your iPhone to flash an LED light for calls or notifications

 

If you have an iPhone, you can use one of its settings to make it flash a
bright LED light every time an alert or call comes in. This is a visible
indicator, which can help those who are hard of hearing or deaf have a
better chance of knowing they received an alert or call. Here's how to
enable LED flashes for alerts and calls:

 

*	Unlock your iPhone and tap Settings

 

*	Scroll down and tap Accessibility

 

*	Scroll down and tap Audio & Visuals
*	Scroll down and tap LED Flash for Alerts

 

*	Toggle on each desired setting, such as LED Flash for Alerts, Flash
While Unlocked, Flash in Silent Mode

 

Now, when you receive a call or alert on
<https://www.foxnews.com/category/tech/technologies/iphone> your iPhone, you
will not just be dependent on sound or vibrations. You will see a very
bright LED light flashing from your iPhone's camera flash.

How to set up your Apple Watch to vibrate when your iPhone rings

If you already own an
<https://cyberguy.com/gadgets/apple-watch-series-9-vs-ultra-2-which-one-shou
ld-you-buy/> Apple Watch, you can set it up so it alerts you with vibrations
when your iPhone rings. Here's how to pair your Apple Watch with your
iPhone:

1. Pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone

*	Turn on your Apple Watch by pressing and holding the side button
until the Apple logo appears.
*	Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, ensuring your iPhone is
updated to the latest version of iOS, connected to Wi-Fi or cellular and has
Bluetooth turned on.
*	Hold your iPhone close to your Apple Watch. A pairing screen should
appear on your iPhone. Tap Start Pairing.
*	Tap Set Up for Myself on your iPhone
*	Use your iPhone's camera to scan the animation on your Apple Watch
screen.
*	Tap Set Up Apple Watch on your iPhone and follow the remaining
on-screen instructions to complete the setup, including choosing your wrist
preference and accepting terms and conditions.
*	Your Apple Watch will begin syncing with your iPhone. Keep both
devices close together until the process is complete.

2. Enable notifications for calls

In order to receive call notifications on your
<https://www.foxnews.com/category/tech/companies/apple> Apple Watch, follow
the steps below:

*	On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app
*	Tap on the My Watch tab
*	Scroll down and tap on Phone
*	Select Mirror my iPhone if it isn't already selected

This setting mirrors the call notifications from your iPhone to your Apple
Watch.

3. Customize haptic alerts

To make sure you get a strong vibration alert on your Apple Watch:

*	Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch
*	Tap on Sounds & Haptics
*	Under the Haptics section, turn on Haptic Alerts

You can choose Default or Prominent. The Prominent setting provides an
additional haptic tap to pre-announce some common alerts.

4. Testing

In order to ensure that the
<https://cyberguy.com/apple/surprises-from-iphone-15/> iPhone and
<https://cyberguy.com/gadgets/apple-watch-series-9-vs-ultra-2-which-one-shou
ld-you-buy/> Apple Watch are set up properly, make a test call to see if
your Apple Watch vibrates as expected when a call is received. When set
correctly, you will be able to get the vibrational notifications on your
Apple Watch when you receive a call on your iPhone.

 

How to set up your Android to flash an LED light for calls or notifications

Setting up your Android device to use the LED light for calls or
notifications can significantly enhance your alert system, especially if you
prefer visual cues over sound or vibration. Here are some steps to help you
enable this feature:

Using built-in Android settings

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone's manufacturer. 

*	Open Settings
*	Scroll down and tap on Accessibility
*	Choose Advanced settings
*	Tap Flash notification 
*	Toggle on Camera flash notification for LED flash

Using built-in Google Pixel settings

*	Open Settings
*	Scroll to Notifications and tap it 
*	Toggle on Flash Notifications and choose between camera flash or
screen flash

By following these steps, you can effectively set up your Android or Google
Pixel device to use the LED light for calls and notifications, ensuring you
never miss an important alert.

LED light notifications apps for Android users

Not all devices come equipped with a built-in app to manage this feature.
Fortunately, numerous LED notification apps are available that allow you to
customize your notification experience. Regardless of whether your phone has
an LED light, these apps provide solutions to enhance your alerts and keep
you informed.

 
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flashteam.flashlight.flas
halert> Flash Alert: The Flash Alert app is designed to enhance notification
visibility on Android devices by utilizing the camera flash or screen flash
as an alert mechanism. Users can customize their settings to receive visual
notifications for calls, alarms and messages, even when the device is on
silent or in "Do Not Disturb" mode. 

 

The app allows for color customization of the screen flash and provides a
preview feature to test settings before finalizing them. This functionality
is particularly beneficial for users who may have hearing impairments or
prefer visual alerts over auditory notifications.

 

 

Flash Alert app (Flash Alert)

 
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trendy.frontflashnotifica
tion> Front Flash: The Front Flash app uses your phone's camera flash to
notify you about incoming notifications. While it may not offer the same
versatility as LED notifications, you can customize the delay, blink rates
and frequency to suit your needs.

 

 
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rvappstudios.Flash.Alerts
.LED.Call.SMS.Flashlight&hl=en_US> LED Flashlight Alerts: LED Flashlight
Alerts is another app that allows you to customize LED notifications for
incoming calls and messages. It also supports third-party apps, making it a
versatile option. Although the app is free to use, it is ad-supported, and
the ads can be a bit annoying.

How to set up your phone and watch to vibrate when your Android phone rings

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone's manufacturer. 

*	Open the Settings app on your Android device
*	Scroll down and tap Sounds and vibration
*	Tap Vibrate
*	Then scroll down and click Vibration intensity and adjust the Touch
interaction slider
*	Next, check the notification settings for the app managing your
watch notifications, confirming that notifications are set to vibrate.
*	On your watch, access the settings menu and navigate to Sound
settings to ensure the alarm volume is set to vibrate.
*	Make a test call to your phone to verify that your watch vibrates
when your phone rings.

 <https://www.youtube.com/c/KurttheCyberGuy?sub_confirmation=1> Subscribe to
Kurt's YouTube channel for quick video tips on how to work all of your tech
devices.

Kurt's key takeaways

Whether you are hearing impaired, hard of hearing or deaf, it is easy to
miss important calls and notifications from your phone. While smartwatches
like the Apple Watch can be a wearable option so that you can get
vibrational alerts when you receive a call or alert on your mobile phone,
the other option is to turn on an accessibility feature that's already
native to your iPhone: LED Flashes. 

 

It's vital that users of all abilities can maximize the convenience and
features of their phones to stay truly connected.

Do you have any issues hearing calls and alerts from your phone? What
devices or features have you used to help solve this issue? Let us know by
writing us at  <http://cyberguy.com/Contact> Cyberguy.com/Contact.

 

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy
Report Newsletter by heading to  <http://cyberguy.com/Newsletter>
Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

 

Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Executive Board of Director

Ohio Legislative Director

Cleveland Chapter, President

(216P: ) 990-6199

W: NFBOhio.ORG

Facebook:  <https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/>
https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/

 

Together, with love, hope, and determination, the members of the National
Federation of the Blind transform dreams into reality. You can live the life
you want, blindness does not hold you back.

 

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