Three ways in

  1. Pick it from a list. A phone, watch or hearing-aid app scans for broadcasts and shows them by name. The listener taps the one they want. The Bluetooth SIG compares this to "the UI commonly used to connect to Wi-Fi networks."
  2. Scan a QR code. An Auracast QR code holds the broadcast's details in a standard format (the Bluetooth SIG's Broadcast Audio URI), so a supporting phone or app can find the right broadcast. The SIG calls this "scan-to-listen".
  3. Borrow a receiver. Staff hand over a receiver already set to the right broadcast, with earphones, headphones or a neckloop.

Phones and earbuds

On Android, Google's September 2025 list names the Pixel 8 series and newer, Samsung flagships released since 2023, and specific Xiaomi and POCO models. "Both the phone and headphones must support LE Audio." Ordinary Bluetooth earbuds that are not LE Audio will not join.

At the time of writing we found no native Auracast listening on iPhone. iPhone owners can join through some hearing-aid makers' apps, or borrow a receiver. Check again before you print signs: phone support is changing quickly.

Hearing aids and cochlear implant processors

  • Some models support Auracast; others are sold as "Auracast-ready". Listeners can ask their hearing care professional whether theirs is enabled and up to date.
  • Hearing aids have no screen, so they join through the maker's phone app or a remote. The Bluetooth SIG has a specification in development so hearing aids can join "without needing an additional device (e.g., a smartphone)", but it is not published yet.
  • Hearing aids use the Standard Quality stream. HLAA asks venues to "confirm their systems are configured to broadcast a standard-quality audio stream".
  • People whose hearing aids have a telecoil but not Auracast can use a loan receiver with a neckloop. HLAA notes that receivers with neckloops or headphones "will be required to connect with hearing devices that are not yet Auracast-enabled."

Loan receivers

Loan receivers are for everyone whose own device cannot join. In the US, the ADA sets a minimum number by seating capacity, and at least a quarter of them (never fewer than two) must work with hearing aids through neckloops. Our ADA guide has the table.

What the venue sets up

  • A clear name. The SIG asks installers to name each broadcast so visitors can "easily identify its contents and differentiate it from other broadcasts", for example "Hilton Ballroom Audio".
  • Standard Quality on. Public transmitters must always send it.
  • Open unless there is a reason. The SIG recommends public broadcasts be open. A private broadcast needs a code that staff can give out; a registered location using one should display it prominently.
  • Signs and join cards at the entrance and the loan desk: the broadcast name, a QR code, and "no compatible phone? ask for a receiver". In the US, signs need the International Symbol of Access for Hearing Loss (ADA §216.10).
  • Trained staff who can hand out receivers and help someone find the broadcast on their phone.

QR code tips

  • A QR code is a printed label. The Bluetooth SIG notes that a QR code "does not mean that the associated Broadcast Source is transmitting or within range." A printed code also only works while the details it holds stay the same, so check it still works after the system has been switched off and on.
  • If a broadcast is private, its QR code can contain the code. Anyone who scans it can listen, so print it only where everyone in sight may listen.

Common questions

Why can I see the broadcast but not hear it?

Common reasons include a broadcast sent only in High Quality, which not every receiver can play (hearing aids in particular); a private broadcast without the right code; or a device that does not fully support Auracast yet. Ask the venue for a receiver, and tell them so they can check the settings.

Do I need an app?

Not always. Google has built LE Audio Auracast support into Android on the supported phones it lists. Hearing-aid users usually join through their hearing aid maker's app.

What happens if I move to another part of the building?

Your device listens to the transmitter it joined, for as long as it can receive it. If the venue uses several transmitters, we expect that moving between their areas may need a short re-join on some devices, because the Bluetooth SIG lists a standard method for coverage with several transmitters as still in development.

Sources

  1. Auracast broadcast audio FAQ. Bluetooth SIG. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  2. Auracast simple transmitter best practices guide, Version 3 (17 October 2025). Bluetooth SIG. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  3. Broadcast Audio URI, version 1.0. Bluetooth SIG. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  4. A New Bluetooth Audio Scan-to-Listen Experience (17 February 2025). Bluetooth SIG. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  5. Specifications in development. Bluetooth SIG. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  6. LE Audio Auracast support on Android (3 September 2025). Google. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  7. Auracast on iPhone: How to Listen Today Without Native Support. Listen Technologies. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  8. Auracast Systems. Hearing Loss Association of America. Accessed September 30, 2026.
  9. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (§216.10, §219.3, §706). U.S. Department of Justice. Accessed September 30, 2026.

We cite the source for every fact and label manufacturer rules of thumb as such. This is general information, not legal or engineering advice for a particular building. Spot something out of date? Write to dave@equalaccessaudio.com.