The short answer:
While both services make communication accessible, the difference comes down to your personal preference:
IP CTS is for people with hearing loss who prefer to speak.
IP Relay is for people with hearing loss or speech disabilities who prefer to type.
What is IP CTS?
IP CTS is a service that helps individuals with hearing loss who prefer to speak on the phone, but have difficulty understanding what the other person is saying. It works by providing live captions of the other person's speech in real time.
What does it feel like on Rylo?
For Rylo users, IP CTS feels like a regular phone call — you speak normally, and live captions appear on your screen when the other person responds.
What is IP Relay?
IP Relay is a service that allows people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, or have speech disabilities to make phone calls by typing their messages instead of speaking. Historically, a relay operator would read those messages aloud to the other party. Today,Rylo handles this privately using AI — no intermediaries, no operators on the line.
What does it feel like on Rylo?
For Rylo users, IP Relay feels like texting — you type your message, and the person on the other end hears it as a regular phone call. Their response is captioned for you to read.
Which one should I use?
Prefer to speak but have difficulty hearing? → Use IP CTS.
Prefer to type instead of speaking? → Use IP Relay.
Many users benefit from both services. You might prefer to speak in some situations and type in others — Rylo supports both, giving you full flexibility.
Is both IP Relay and IP CTS certified by the FCC?
Yes. Rylo is certified by the FCC to provide both IP CTS and IP Relay services to eligible individuals.