Cochlear CoPilot is the app Cochlear makes for its own implant users — listening activities and practical tips, free on iPhone. The catch is in the sign-in: it needs a Cochlear account, so it only works if you wear a Cochlear-brand implant. If you have a different brand, or you want listening practice more than coaching, you need an app that is open to any device. Here are the options, including our own, SoundSteps.
CoPilot comes from Cochlear, the implant maker, and is built for its own recipients. It mixes short listening activities with practical coaching tips for adults getting used to an implant. It leans more toward coaching and knowledge than a deep drill engine, and it is free.
It is also narrow in reach. CoPilot runs on iPhone only — no iPad, no Android — and is available in the US and Canada only. Its last update was in August 2023.
iPhone only — no iPad, no Android
US and Canada only
Free, but not updated since August 2023
Coaching and tips more than repeated drills
Signing in to CoPilot requires a Cochlear account, which means a Cochlear-brand implant. If you wear a MED-EL or Advanced Bionics implant, or a hearing aid, you cannot use it.
Not every manufacturer app works this way. ReDi from MED-EL and WordSuccess from Advanced Bionics carry brand names but are open to any device. CoPilot is the locked one. If you want to know which brand apps are open and which are not, our guide on manufacturer apps covers each one.
SoundSteps is our app — said plainly. Unlike CoPilot, it never asks what brand you wear; it works with any hearing device, or none. And it is built around listening practice rather than coaching: a ladder of word pairs, sentences, conversations, and stories, all real recordings, with background noise you control on every activity.
It runs in any browser, so a Cochlear, MED-EL, or Advanced Bionics user can practice on a phone, tablet, or computer with nothing to install. Start without a sign-up; the first 7 days include full access, no card required. It also covers several languages beyond English.
WordSuccess comes from Advanced Bionics, but like ReDi it is open to any device — hearing aid or implant, any brand. It is free. You get a large library of recorded words on a long ladder of levels, a placement test that finds your starting point, and a two-person Listening Coach mode for practicing with a partner.
It runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android. One caution: neither store listing has been updated since mid-2024, so treat it as finished software. It is English-only.
If you are newly activated and want a gentler start, Hearoes is worth a look. Its game-style activities begin with everyday sounds and vowels before moving to sentences, and it works with any device brand. The download is free with limited content; full access is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
ReDi from MED-EL is another open, fully free option, with AI feedback on listening and speech and wide language coverage. Any of these works with a Cochlear implant, or any other brand. You can even keep CoPilot for its coaching tips and add an open app for daily listening practice.
FAQ
No. Signing in to CoPilot requires a Cochlear account, so it only works for Cochlear-brand implant users. If you wear a MED-EL or Advanced Bionics implant, open apps like SoundSteps — our app — WordSuccess, or ReDi work with any brand.
Yes. SoundSteps — our app — WordSuccess from Advanced Bionics, ReDi from MED-EL, and Hearoes all work with any implant or hearing device. Only CoPilot is locked to one brand.
No. CoPilot runs on iPhone only, in the US and Canada, and has not been updated since August 2023. For Android or iPad, look at open apps like SoundSteps — our app — WordSuccess, ReDi, or Hearoes.
In part. CoPilot mixes short listening activities with practical coaching tips for Cochlear implant users, leaning more toward coaching than repeated drills. For a deeper practice ladder, an open app like SoundSteps — our app — or the free WordSuccess goes further, and both work with any brand.
Plenty. ReDi comes from MED-EL and WordSuccess from Advanced Bionics, and both are free and open to any brand. Hearoes and SoundSteps — our app — also work with any implant. Only Cochlear CoPilot is limited to one brand.
Related reading
Every listening-practice app compared: price, platforms, devices, languages.
Which brand apps are locked to their own devices, and which are open to everyone.
A practical comparison of listening practice apps for CI users.
Options for cochlear implant users who want web access, more languages, or practice past sentences.
The apps that are truly free to use, and who each one fits.
SoundSteps
SoundSteps works with any implant or hearing device, in any browser. Practice word pairs, sentences, and stories free — your first 7 days include everything, no card.
SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
