Unicode 12.0 added the HEARING AID emoji in 2019.
The character was part of a broader group of accessibility-focused emoji approved for Unicode 12.0. Other additions in that release included symbols and people representing disability-related experiences, helping emoji cover a wider range of everyday life.
Unicode 12.0 was released in March 2019. The hearing-aid character is commonly shown as a small device worn behind or near an ear, although the exact artwork differs between platforms.
The emoji is sometimes confused with generic ear characters or sign-language-related imagery. Those are separate characters or sequences. Adding a hearing-aid emoji did not encode every possible assistive device; later Unicode releases continued expanding representation.