HAP
(Hearing Access Profile)
A Bluetooth profile that enables a device (like a phone) to connect directly to one or two hearing aids via LE Audio, the newer standard for all kinds of audio over Bluetooth.
See: LE Audio
Prior to the introduction of HAP, there were hearing aids that supported Bluetooth via older Bluetooth profiles intended for earbuds like HSP.
HAP adds several features specific to hearing aids. For example, it allows separate volume controls for ambient sound, telecoil audio, and audio streams from the phone or a broadcast source. The user might also be able to control hearing aid presets from their phone.
HAP includes an "Immediate Alert" function for a device like a phone to capture the attention of the hearing aid wearer, so the wearer doesn't miss important events like an incoming phone call or doorbell ring.
Last updated Apr 23, 2026 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
