Nucleus Smart

I’ve had this app for a few years now since I first got my N7 processor. My issue is I have an iPhone 8 and an iPad mini 5 and need to switch between them frequently as needed. I know I have to turn everything off on the one I’m leaving before going to the other. The problem is some times it connects quickly but most times it will say processor not found and to turn it on and move closer. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes to finally get it to connect! This is very frustrating when I need to do this quickly! When it works it works but when it’s being horsey it is garbage! PLEASE UPDATE THIS APP ASAP TO FIX ANY AND ALL ISSUES! The only reason for giving it 3 stars is the fact that if I’m not needing to switch back and forth and stay on one devise all day the app usually works pretty well unless I happen to move away from the devise and get out of range then sometimes it takes some jacking with it to reconnect! Very frustrating. I’ve ensured it has been updated but not fixed yet. Sad for such a simple program to be this buggy!

I’ve had the N7 since June 2020 or so, so about five months of using the app. To be honest, since I started working from home in the pandemic, I don’t have my CI turned on all that much unless needed or when video chatting with friends, or listening to music, etc. The quiet is nice! Anyways, because of that I mainly use the app for when I’m listening to video calls or music to turn off background noise - my favorite feature. I do like that I can easily change the volume and sensitivity with the app and how easy it is to use the phone clip and mini mic with the app. My biggest complaints with the app are: 1) I wish I could turn on the “Forward Focus” feature myself without having to go to the audiologist (during a pandemic, I’m trying to limit how much I go out) and 2) if you have the N7 paired to multiple devices (for example, I have mine paired to my iPhone and iPad), then it can be really annoying when first turning on the CI for it to automatically pair with the iPad first instead of my iPhone when I want to use the app on my iPhone. You can’t use the app on both devices at the same time, so if I’m trying to use the app on my iPhone but it’s saying “can’t find processor” then I know that it must be active on my iPad. Then I have to turn off Bluetooth on my iPad in order to activate the app on my iPhone to control my CI. It would be nice if the CI would pair with whichever device has the app open instead. Otherwise, the app is fine. Not amazing, but much easier than having to remember to charge the remote assistant and carry that around, plus much easier to change settings discreetly.

There’s no offline option. I initially thought that I’d be free to use the app without internet only for activating the app and setting up new account. I can use forward focus or receive notifications when my n7 battery was near empty. There is no such thing as offline with this app. If Cochlear website login is down/out of service then so is your listening experience. For the reason I have an iPhone is the n7. Should the app work offline for user controls? Yes. While the app is offline.. you’re basically limited to just 1 program unable to do anything else. App should only be online if it means saving settings to cloud automatically so I’m not super impressed with that. I go home and bring along the actual hardware remote control which I don’t normally carry but the downtime is really making me frustrated with no estimates to any resolution in sight (cochlear nucleus smart app has been down all week so far). You’ll just have to wait for it whenever they’re ready to make working again. Then when you lose the actual remote you’ll have bigger problem I guess. I want to give it a 5 stars when everything is working. But dock 1 star for lack of offline features I find with the app. But in this event in particular will cost 2 stars due to overall seriousness I didn’t expect when living with cochlear implant.