The Top 10 Android Apps for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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15 Comments
Note: On June 20, 2011, I wrote a post called Updated: The 10 Most Useful iPhone Apps for the Deaf, which was an instant hit. The post received over 2,000 hits and still counting. Prior on August 12, 2010, I also had guest blogger Andrew Hall, who also has guest blogged for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online schools for Guide to Online Schools, write a post on The 10 Most Useful iPhone Apps for the Deaf. This post was extremely popular and has gotten the one of the most pageviews on this blog.
The Android has been hugely useful for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. As a smartphone with an enormous library of applications, a number exist to better facilitate communication and make it possible to place and receive audio and/or video calls, among other things. As such, here are the latest ten apps to enhance one's Android experience and life in general.

1. Handcent SMS - An excellent application for managing text message Handcent SMS also has a wide array of customize abilities such as changing your font, color background and how you preferred to be notified. 

2. Purple Communications (Purple VRS): Like the iPhone app, Purple Communications has done it again! Purple VRS allows you to make phone calls and even better, video phone calls. You have the option to be connected to an operator who then reads your messages to the recipient and transcribes their messages back to you. Or better, you can video call your friends/families yourself and communicate via sign and if they’re not there, you can leave a video message in ASL. Also recommended to download PurpleMail as well! Only downside, no group video yet.

3. Z4 Mobile: Z4 Mobile allows you to make both point-to-point and VRS calls on your iPhone 4 or iPod Touch (4th Generation). It turns iPhone 4 or iPod Touch into a mobile videophone.

4. Fring: Fring is the only free mobile Group Video Call service in the world! Video call/Call any other Android devices, iPhones/iPod touches/iPad, Nokia and see your friends real-time status; you can chat with your friends before video-calling them. Best feature: Fun and easy to use.

5. eBuddy: a multi-function messaging application that makes it possible to make free calls as well as live IM chats from an iPhone or iPod touch over either a WiFi connection or a 3G one. It interfaces to many services, like MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Twitter, and AOL Instant Messenger, and for consolidating all of these into a single application, it could be quite useful.

6. TED Air: You can watch TED talks with subtitle in your language, watch TED talks that 'Best of the Web', and you can search using both English and your language. This app also gives you the ability to downl TED talks and watch later without WiFi connection. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. - (http://www.ted.com)

7. Speak It: this application talks for you. You basically write the text (whatever you want!) and click on the Play button. The program has a TTS engine that will generate voice from the text that your write. With this app you also have the ability to create your own ringtone and alarm, all you have to do is write the text and set it as your ringtone. Lastlly, there's a Home Screen widget that give deaf people more functionality by saving a urgent warning/message on the home screen and all you have to do is take out your phone and press the button.

8. Google Voice: a multi-function voice mail application that makes it possible to make free calls using your phone as well as live IM chats from either a WiFi connection or a 3G. Make cheap international calls with your Google number. Send free text messages. Place calls and send text messages showing your Google number. Listen to voicemail and read transcripts if you not able to understand the voice mail (extremely useful for deaf/hard of hearing customers).

9. MoboPlayer: Simply, one of the best video player on Android! (They claim to be the best, and I believe them, but I always remember that someone can always come up with something better!) Watch any of your videos on a phone without conversion, anytime and anywhere. They feature of of the best playback experience and quality that I have ever seen. Guess what? They include popular subtitle formats such as SRT, ASS, and SAA, which is excellent for those who are deaf/hard of hearing!

10. Dragon Dictation (known now as FlexT9): The Dragon Dictation app is a voice to text app. It's made by Dragon Naturally speaking and it's free. Dragon Dictation  turns spoken speech into text. There are several advantages for using this app, first, if you’re having a hard time understanding what your friend is saying, they can say it again using this app and bingo, you know exactly what they said. Secondly, if you’re hard of hearing, you can use it to practice your speech. Only one downside: it's not free. $4.99


About Thomsen Young

Professional. Educator. Loves waterpolo. Cribbage. West Wing. Love. Laugh. Live.

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15 comments:

  1. iphone appsDecember 4, 2011 at 11:54 AM

    My Fiance is deaf, and I just got her a Android app phone. She recently lost her hearing, and can talk, and reads lips very well. My question, is there a droid app that would allow her to use the phone by talking into it, but relaying what the other person is saying as text on the phone?

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 4, 2011 at 3:47 PM

    Hi

    I highly recommend using Hamilton Mobile CapTel . I've heard there service is very good and they do have it available for Android and for Apple iPhone as well!

    Please feel free to check them out and let me know if that works for you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 16, 2011 at 12:11 PM

    if you wanted to get someone an android, which would you suggest? i know the dragon app will be very important, as well as most of the others; thanks so much for the info

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownDecember 22, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Hi

    I highly recommend that you read this article that came out today, which, CNET review what they thought are some of the best Android phones on the market.

    Best Android Phones

    ReplyDelete
  5. SarslanderJuly 7, 2012 at 9:13 PM

    Hi!
    Look at this aplications:
    The complex consists of two Android-devices connected with each other by means of Bluetooth. One of the devices, called "device-D" (Deaf Person), is kept by a deaf person. The other one, called "device-H" (Hearing Person), is kept by a hearing person.

    The application for the device-D, called Deaf-Hearing Chat Device D, enables a deaf person to type text messages on a virtual keyboard and to send them to the device-H (the button "Send"). Each sent message can be duplicated by the synthetic speech (the button "Speak and Send"). For the synthetic speech a speech synthesis module should be installed on the device (usually it's installed; if it's not it can be downloaded from Google Play, e.g. SVOX classic TTS or Pico TTS). The messages, received from the device-H, are shown on the display.

    The application for the device-H, called Deaf-Hearing Chat Device H, enables a hearing person to type text messages on a virtual keyboard or using voice input (the button "Voice Input"). You need an Internet access for voice input. To test the Internet connection quality you should press the button "Test". To send a message to device-D you should press the button "Send". The messages, received from the device-D, are shown on the display.

    The exchange of messages is possible in any language supported by your Android-device. Such complex can be used in any country. All messages between the devices free of charge.

    ReplyDelete
  6. GregSeptember 14, 2012 at 2:37 AM

    This Android app might be good to, it records everything that the phone hears for later review.
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handycode.autotranscriber

    ReplyDelete
  7. Michelle PattersonJanuary 18, 2013 at 1:17 AM

    Hello There,

    My name is Michelle and I'm a professional blogger.

    I have over three years of experience writing for the web and have covered plenty of topics about Technology.

    I noticed that you have a blog and was wondering if you would be interested in allow me to write relevant, useful topics about Technology related on your blog at no cost.

    At this point in my writing career, I simply want to get more visibility for your writing and I will write for free as long as you are okay with me adding a small author bio section next to each blog post about myself.

    Please let me know if you're interested and if you'd like for me to submit a sample blog post for your approval.

    Thanks a bunch,

    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownJanuary 25, 2013 at 12:01 PM

    Hi Michelle

    I would of preferred that you left your email address as a way for me to contact you privately, but I'm interested in what you have (ideas, topics, etc) and if I like what I see, I have no problems adding a small author bio section next to each blog post about yourself. Please submit a sample blog post @ youngthomsen (at) gmail (dot) com.

    Thanks!

    Thomsen

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownJuly 8, 2013 at 4:34 PM

    I'm from the rural.
    I am having hard time reading emails or seeing pic to pic conversation and hard to touch the keyboard on my cell phone.
    Do they have tether, blue tooth, WiFi app for the deaf to use only for the laptop?
    Phone companies charge me outrageous price.
    Since I have an internet on my cell phone.
    Can I use my laptop w/o paying extra internet services for the laptop?
    Can I use vco (voice carry over)711 relay service app w/o paying more for the voice plan or data?
    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  10. YogeshAugust 2, 2013 at 7:21 AM

    I am using ebuddy apps on my android phone, it's great

    ReplyDelete
  11. mikeSeptember 7, 2013 at 1:09 PM

    Hi Thomsen

    Is there an app that I can install on my Samsung Galaxy S4 that will convert incoming voice calls to text live, to enable me to see what a person is saying and allow me to carry a "normal" conversation as if I had good hearing. Through Meniere's I have lost of my hearing. Hearing aids certainly bring back the hearing loss from a volume standpoint, but cannot correct the very serious distortion that I have, making speech recognition very difficult. This distortion that I have fluctuates from day to day, makes it very hard to understand people on the phone and worse if people speak real fast , or have a strong accent or there is a lot of background noise, then I simply cannot understand what is said.

    I've read about Google Talk and Google Voice, but that is not the answer. Is there anything that you know of that will convert live voice calls to text allowing me to reply verbally.

    Thank you

    Michael

    ReplyDelete
  12. Amy GraceDecember 23, 2014 at 10:10 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. voicemail greetingDecember 23, 2014 at 10:11 AM

    Well, these are really some great android apps for deaf and I have already used a few but comparing these apps to iPhone apps, I would say that iPhone apps are better among those.

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownJune 2, 2015 at 12:16 PM

    Great Article, I have used many of these apps before. I hope this list gets updated. Z4 is no more and it would be cool if some of the new apps were added.

    Recently, I ran into this app that lets you see what people are saying by transcribing it in real time. Say you are in a meeting, the app can type what each person is saying in real time. Its called Transcense (www.Transense.com) and they be live soon.

    My all time favorite app for communication for everyday things is BizzBook. BizzBook lets you text local places, and if you have a request for a quote or are looking to do something in real time, like a finding a nearby yoga class that starts in 20 min, BizzBook can find the place for you with a simple text. (www.BizzBookApp.com)

    ReplyDelete
  15. UnknownDecember 20, 2015 at 3:38 AM

    hi i am totally deaf i cant speak phone calls can i get this app in INDIA?
    please send me app names

    ReplyDelete

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