MaxHear
The one comparison on this site where the competitor is also an app
Google Sound Amplifier Reviews & Alternative for iPhone
Sound Amplifier is Google's own free, built-in Android accessibility feature — genuinely well-built, with over 100 million downloads. It's also Android-only; Google's own documentation makes no mention of an iOS version, and none exists. Its most capable feature, Conversation mode, is limited to Pixel 3 and later, so most Android phones outside the Pixel line don't get it either. Bluetooth headphones work but Google's own instructions warn of delay and lower quality, recommending wired headphones instead.
MaxHear is a sound amplifier app that works on both iPhone and Android, free to try, using headphones you already own.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"I don't use it every minute of every day. That's actually what I like about it. Some days I hear pretty well, other days I need a little extra help."
James P., 57 — Denver, CO · MaxHear userA genuinely good app — with a platform ceiling
Checked 23 August 2026: Google's own Sound Amplifier support documentation and Google Play Store listing.
Sound Amplifier is a real, well-engineered accessibility tool, built into Android 8.1 and later and preinstalled on Pixel phones. It can reduce background noise, boost specific frequency ranges (low, high, or quiet sounds), and works with either wired or Bluetooth headphones — though Google's own instructions are candid about a tradeoff: "With some Bluetooth headphones, sound might be delayed or lower quality. For improved sound quality, try a different set or switch to wired headphones."
The feature most people actually want — Conversation mode, which isolates a speaking partner's voice from background noise — is explicitly limited by device. Google's own support page states it plainly: "On Pixel 3 and later, you can use Conversation mode on your Pixel phone." If your Android phone isn't a Pixel, you may not get Google's most useful noise-isolation feature at all.
The finding worth knowing before you buy nothing: it's the one competitor on this site that isn't hardware
Every other page in this comparison series is about a physical device. Sound Amplifier is the direct software equivalent of what MaxHear does — a free phone-based amplifier. The real decision isn't quality; both are genuinely capable. It's platform: Sound Amplifier is Android-exclusive, with its best feature further limited to Pixel hardware specifically.
What it costs
Both are free to use.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Google Sound Amplifier | Free | Google Play Store |
| Platform support | Android 8.1+ only | Google's own documentation |
| Conversation mode requirement | Pixel 3 or later | Google's own documentation |
| MaxHear | Free to try on iPhone or Android, then the plan is shown in the app | — |
Original Medicare covers neither hearing aids nor the exams used to fit them — not relevant here, since neither app is a hearing aid.
Google Sound Amplifier vs MaxHear
Two free apps, built for the same basic job, on different platforms.
| What matters | MaxHear | Google Sound Amplifier |
|---|---|---|
| Works on iPhone | Yes | No Android-only, per Google's own documentation |
| Works on Android | Yes | Yes Android 8.1 and later |
| Best feature available on every supported device | Yes Same equalizer and Voice Focus everywhere | No Conversation mode limited to Pixel 3 and later |
| Bluetooth headphone support | Full support | Works, with a quality/delay caveat Per Google's own instructions |
| Cost | Free to try, then the plan is shown in the app | Free |
If you're on Android, especially a Pixel, Sound Amplifier is a genuinely solid free option worth trying. If you're on iPhone, it isn't available at all — and MaxHear is built to work identically on both.
Why people check MaxHear instead
Chosen from what actually distinguishes the two apps, not a generic list.
Works on iPhone and Android alike
The same app, the same features, regardless of which phone you carry.
The same features on every supported device
No hardware tier to check — MaxHear's equalizer and Voice Focus work the same everywhere it runs.
Built for the headphones you actually own
Test both wired and Bluetooth yourself and judge the real-world result.
A guided ten-minute check
MaxHear walks you through testing amplification in the actual situations you struggle with.
Which one is actually right for you
Genuinely depends on what's in your pocket.
Your hearing loss needs professional care
Severe or profound loss, one-ear loss, or conductive or mixed loss needs a licensed provider, regardless of which app you're considering. Go promptly if loss came on suddenly or you have ear pain, discharge, dizziness or ringing.
You have a Pixel phone and want a free built-in option
It's already on your device and genuinely capable — worth trying before looking elsewhere.
A ten-minute check, whichever app you're using
Do this to find out if amplification actually helps you. It costs nothing either way.
Write down your three hardest moments
The restaurant table, the phone call, the TV at family dinners. Specific beats "I can't hear well."
Grab headphones you already own
Wired or Bluetooth, whatever you have — no new hardware needed to test the question.
Start in a quiet room, level low
Open the app quiet on purpose — set the level yourself, with one person talking to you.
Then test your actual worst room
The kitchen mid-cooking, or a café at lunch. That's the situation you're really solving for.
Judge it on one thing
Are you asking people to repeat themselves less? If yes, you've learned amplification helps — on whichever platform you're on.
FAQ: Google Sound Amplifier reviews and alternatives
Does Google Sound Amplifier work on iPhone?
No. Sound Amplifier is an Android accessibility feature, built into Android 8.1 and later. Google's own support documentation makes no mention of an iOS version, and none exists.
Does Sound Amplifier work with Bluetooth headphones?
It works with both, but Google's own documentation warns: "With some Bluetooth headphones, sound might be delayed or lower quality. For improved sound quality, try a different set or switch to wired headphones."
What is Conversation mode, and does every Android phone get it?
Conversation mode amplifies a speaking partner's voice while blocking out other noise. Per Google's own documentation, it's limited to "Pixel 3 and later" — most Android phones outside the Pixel line don't get this specific feature.
How much does Google Sound Amplifier cost?
It's free, with over 100,000,000 downloads on the Google Play Store.
Can an app replace a hearing aid?
No, and neither MaxHear nor Sound Amplifier claim to. Both are general-purpose sound amplifiers, not medical devices, and neither is authorized as a hearing aid. Their purpose is answering whether amplification helps you at all, for free, before you spend anything on hardware.
Related reading
See Voice Focus, the equalizer and Ear Guard inside the app
A walk through the four screens that do the work, in the order you'll meet them.
Free to tryWhat's free forever, and what Premium adds
The exact limits of the free mode, and what unlocks with the 3-day trial.
Another everyday device gaining a hearing featureAirPods Pro 2 reviews & alternative
Apple's own hearing aid feature, and how it compares.
Compare other brands
AirPods Pro 2 and Nuance Audio sit in the same "everyday device" category.
Stop asking people to repeat themselves
Install MaxHear, connect the headphones you already own, and hear the next conversation clearly.