Answer the phone

The phone rings …. you are deaf. Calls are not for you. You need to have someone close to you to pass the phone, answer for you and know who they are and what they want.

But now there is something new. I can answer too. Thanks to Google and this GOOGLE PIXEL 6 A phone.

What can this phone do? It has automatic subtitles in several languages, including Italian, French, English and more.

What does it mean for a deaf person to answer the phone and understand? EVERYTHING.

I have had this phone for about ten days and although I am not very technological (in this I must say that the husband helps a lot), I try to explain the functionality.

Technical premise. I already had as an application (even on the old phone) always from google the instant transcription which however only worked in online mode. On this again it works even if you are offline and this helps. This app is very useful and it was a lot when we wore masks. so instead of asking to turn it down, I took my cell phone, and I started the app while I was talking, there was the instant transcription on the screen.

But here’s the twist with subtitles. It can be activated with the side key under the volume. very simple. then when I have no calls I do not keep it activated.

The classic call arrives, both from landline and mobile. I put the speakerphone on, activate the function and the subtitles appear on the screen. The phone is smart which also recognizes what the language is and therefore can also do the translation automatically.

I called everyone. With the excuse of giving it a try, I enjoyed it … I called my friends, I made “ciaccole” on the phone as I hadn’t done so much. I felt good, happy, independent again in a small thing (but for a deaf person an insurmountable discomfort) in being able to manage a call independently, in being able to understand what we are told. Then I speak for myself, I don’t understand anything on the phone, without being able to lip-read I mean.

Obviously if the interlocutor speaks quickly or in strict dialect, the subtitles are useless …. but just ask to repeat please, and we are good to go.

So yes, I’m happy for this little achievement, for this trivial thing for many but very important for me.

Now I can go back to answering the phone too, without having to look for someone around to do it for me.

Ps subtitles also work for videos.