Thanks for the suggestion. If the silent mode (activated by that switch on the upper left side of the iPhone is activated an"explanation bar" appears at the top of your screen with a bell with a red slash through it. My iPhone is in the "Ringer," or "On" setting. A friend suggested changing the ringer sound and that helps a little. I also have hearing aids in which all sounds are sent through, but my problem persists even when my hearing aids are turned off.