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An independent developer is looking for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to test VibSense, a free Android app, and share feedback on how it works in daily life. According to the developer, the app listens for sounds such as alarms, car horns, speech, and dogs barking and alerts users with a vibration and a notification. It also includes speech-to-text and text-to-speech for conversations.
Testers download the app from Google Play and use it at home as part of their normal routine, then report on missed sounds, false alerts, alert timing, and ease of use. The app can use the phone's built-in microphone or a connected Bluetooth device, such as earbuds. The developer says testers will have full access to all features, and anyone interested can also join the app's beta program through Google Play to try new features before they are released. Participation is unpaid.
To be eligible, participants must be 18 or older, have any degree of hearing loss, and use an Android phone running Android 12 or newer with internet access. Hearing aid users, cochlear implant users, and people who do not use a hearing device can all take part.
Testing is open to participants worldwide, and the app is available in English, Spanish, Polish, and Chinese. The developer's privacy policy states that sound detection happens on the phone and that raw audio is not stored. Speech-to-text uses Android's speech recognition service, which may process audio outside the phone. Testers should keep their usual alert systems, such as smoke alarm and doorbell alerts, in place during testing. Enrollment is open through January 31, 2027.
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