Redefining Hearing Technology: Eargo's Invisible Hardware, Intuitive Software

Eargo is an American hearing wellness pioneer with a mission to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss. They offer discreet hearing devices paired with user-friendly mobile technology.

The company and product

Eargo is recognized as a pioneer in direct-to-consumer hearing aids in the U.S., leading the industry with its highly coveted “virtually invisible” design. The company's mission is to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss by creating a discreet hearing devices paired with user-friendly mobile technology.

Eargo's innovative products and go-to-market approach address the major challenges of traditional hearing aid adoption, including social stigma, accessibility, and cost. Eargo build hearing aids are the first virtually invisible, rechargeable, FDA-regulated devices.

The 2024 Esquire Gadget Awards called Eargo 7 the Best Hearing Aids in the Wellness Tech category.

We worked with Eargo on a Web backend app for iOS & Android platforms designed for elderly and less tech-savvy users.

Scope and Highlights

years of cooperation

apps - web & native mobile

FDA-approved

Class II

The Challenge

Eargo needed a comprehensive mobile solution that would seamlessly connect their innovative hearing aids across iOS and Android platforms while serving senior and less tech-savvy user base.

When developing native mobile apps for both iOS & Android platforms, our team faced several complex technical and design challenges.

We had to architect a robust backend system that could handle one-way communication protocols, integrating both ultrasonic and Bluetooth technologies to ensure reliable device connectivity across different operating systems.

Creating an intuitive user experience for elderly users required careful consideration of accessibility principles and providing full functionality needed for personalized hearing control. The solution needed to accommodate evolving clinical study findings and support multiple hardware generations (Eargo 5, 6, and 7) while maintaining consistency across iOS and Android platforms.

Beyond the user-facing application, we had to streamline internal business processes, particularly in customer support workflows and return merchandise authorization (RMA) procedures.

Key challenges

Developing native mobile apps for iOS & Android platforms.

Adapting to clinical study results and new product requirements on different devices.

Designing the app around one-way communication—using ultrasonic and Bluetooth.

Developing native mobile apps for iOS & Android platforms.

Adapting to clinical study results and new product requirements on different devices.

Designing the app around one-way communication—using ultrasonic and Bluetooth.

The Process

Throughout the entire development process, we maintained close collaboration with audio engineers and audiologists, incorporating their clinical expertise into every design decision to create a solution that truly serves the unique needs of hearing aid users.

In order to understand pain points and identify opportunities for improvement in the new platform, we conducted comprehensive audits of existing software solutions and previous hearing aid generations.

To ensure consistent performance regardless of the user's hardware, our team conducted extensive testing across a wide range of devices. The design team created an intuitive interface that empowers users with specialized listening profiles and robust personalization features.

This is how we made it happen:

Extensive testing on a wide range of devices.
Designing impeccable UI/UX despite the technical limitations of ultrasound protocol.
Providing app design that gives users a choice of specialized presets–listening profiles.
Personalizing settings and adjusting Eargo to different surroundings.

Eargo Application

The Outcome

Fro Eargo, we designed one-way communication between iOS and Android apps and Eargo's 6th and 7th-generation FDA Class II devices, using ultrasound technology that had never been implemented at this scale.

More importantly, we created personalized listening profiles and adjustment capabilities that could reduce customer support needs while giving users unprecedented control over their hearing experience.

Users can now manage their hearing needs through simple mobile controls without anyone knowing they're wearing hearing aids. The intuitive design ensures that all users, especially seniors, can easily navigate the technology with confidence. This seamless integration has transformed how people perceive hearing assistance, making it accessible, comfortable, and truly invisible for the first time.

Eargo hearing aids are offered to consumers OTC (over-the-counter) without compromising the features, performance or support which is vital to successfully integrating devices into customers’ lives.

The success of this project hinged on the following factors:

Close collaboration with audio engineers and audiologists.
Creating a competitive advantage through the usage of ultrasound communication protocol.
Reducing the need for customer support through an easy-to-use application and extensive personalization.