Freestyle Libre Re-think...

AnandaUK

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Don't seem to be many other people using it, like me, who are not on insulin. I can imagine that if you are on insulin, it will become indispensable pretty quickly.
I use it, and I'm not on Insulin. Victoza only.
 

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Yes that's right. It's extremely helpful with insulin management and also equally as much so with rapid BGL changes.

Handy piece of kit.
 

Willea01

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have tried the glimp app but for some reason with my new S7 there were some conflicts between the daft Samsung Health app and Glimp itself. I'll need to have a play around and try and stop the Samsung bloat ware interfering. Unfortunately there's no way to get rid of it without getting root access on my phone - and it's still under warranty

Once a sensor has been started with the Libre reader, is it possible to use the glimp app? Tbh I do like how clear and well presented the Libre software reports are. How does Glimp compare?

Cheers,
Grant

Sent from my SM-G930F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app


I have just started using the Freestyle Libre and keenly downloaded the Glimp app in the hopes that I could eliminate the need to carry around the reader (which was the main draw card for the Libre for me). On opening up the Glimp app it informed me that the NFC setting on my Samsung Galaxy S7 is known to break the sensor. Just wondering if you've had any problems using your Samsung S7 with it? The sensors are costly and I'm not keen to waste them!
By the way, you can go into App Setting under Settings and disable the S Health app which may restrict it from interfering with Glimp. Alternatively I believe it also works if you make sure you open the Glimp app before scanning the reader as this gives Glimp precedence over SHealth on the use of the NFC function.
 

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have just started using the Freestyle Libre and keenly downloaded the Glimp app in the hopes that I could eliminate the need to carry around the reader (which was the main draw card for the Libre for me). On opening up the Glimp app it informed me that the NFC setting on my Samsung Galaxy S7 is known to break the sensor. Just wondering if you've had any problems using your Samsung S7 with it? The sensors are costly and I'm not keen to waste them!
By the way, you can go into App Setting under Settings and disable the S Health app which may restrict it from interfering with Glimp. Alternatively I believe it also works if you make sure you open the Glimp app before scanning the reader as this gives Glimp precedence over SHealth on the use of the NFC function.
Glimp has been reported to occasionally wreck Libre sensors, and this issue has been encountered a few times by members on this forum.

You can always try LibreLink for your Galaxy S7. It's the official Android app for use with the Freestyle Libre system and I have used it on about 4 sensors since getting my Galaxy S7 without issue.

I had to disable S Health as you've said, in order to use my phone with the sensor and avoid NFC conflict with S Health.

I find it unusual that your Glimp app is giving you warnings regards the Galaxy S7 NFC function being damaging to sensors. It seems to work perfectly with the official app and I'm yet to hear of any wrecked sensors through LibreLink with the S7 either.

Srill haven't had the bottle to try Glimp, I just can't risk the money on a ropey 3rd party app. I just hope I'm wrong in saying that, Glimp issues have all been repaired and sensors are no longer dying. But until I have that in writing, I'm not risking it:)
 

BarbaraG

Well-Known Member
Messages
272
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
I've only just started using the Libre (six days and loving it). After debating about relying on the app, I'm glad I did get the reader because a) it's really hard to find the right place to scan on my phone (Samsubg S4 mini) and b) the app usually stops when I scan - on average it takes me 3 attempts to get a reading. So frustrating I have given up and just use the reader. Like, all the time!!

I am T2 on metformin only. After a few days' usage it became clear that the primary target for intervention is my dawn phenomenon. I'm eating keto, and I get very little rise after my meals, my highest numbers of the day are mid to late morning when DP peaks, and then falls away slightly. I'm logging different combinations of evening snack and morning drink in a spreadsheet and over time hoping I will see patterns that are revealing. Have also noticed that I seem to be going hypo during the night. The first few I thought it was to do with lying on the sensor... but I have studiously avoided lying on that side the past few nights (it's not my favourite side anyway) - but last night went down to 3.1 anyway.

Anyhow - I'm tempted to try the Glimp app, but also don't want to waste a sensor. Does anyone know - if I scan with Glimp towards the end of my sensor's life, would it work with the sensor, or do you have to start the sensor with it? Or scan within first hour after starting with the reader, as you do with the official app if you want to use both.

That said - I mostly like the graphs on the reader software - especially once I had enough data to populate the AGP and give me an eHbA1C
 

Willea01

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Glimp has been reported to occasionally wreck Libre sensors, and this issue has been encountered a few times by members on this forum.

You can always try LibreLink for your Galaxy S7. It's the official Android app for use with the Freestyle Libre system and I have used it on about 4 sensors since getting my Galaxy S7 without issue.

I had to disable S Health as you've said, in order to use my phone with the sensor and avoid NFC conflict with S Health.

I find it unusual that your Glimp app is giving you warnings regards the Galaxy S7 NFC function being damaging to sensors. It seems to work perfectly with the official app and I'm yet to hear of any wrecked sensors through LibreLink with the S7 either.

Srill haven't had the bottle to try Glimp, I just can't risk the money on a ropey 3rd party app. I just hope I'm wrong in saying that, Glimp issues have all been repaired and sensors are no longer dying. But until I have that in writing, I'm not risking it:)

Thank you for replying! I did attempt to download the LibreLink app initially before considering Glimp, but the Google Play Store informed me that it isn't available on my device. This may be a zone based restriction as I'm in Australia, but I'm not sure. I was keen to use the LibreLink app so that was quite disappointing for me. Perhaps I should attempt to use the sensor with the Glimp app towards the end of the sensors life so if it does damage it, I will only lose a day or two!
 

eventhorizon

Well-Known Member
Messages
455
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I've used Glimp and Librelink on a Samsung S6 both have worked well. Glimp will carry on reading beyond the 2 week expiry as well. Not recommend tho.
 

GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thank you for replying! I did attempt to download the LibreLink app initially before considering Glimp, but the Google Play Store informed me that it isn't available on my device. This may be a zone based restriction as I'm in Australia, but I'm not sure. I was keen to use the LibreLink app so that was quite disappointing for me. Perhaps I should attempt to use the sensor with the Glimp app towards the end of the sensors life so if it does damage it, I will only lose a day or two!
That's a shame...

I don't endorse any of the following, but if you were to look (not all that hard) you could find the .apk file and directly download and install on your Android device that way. I'm quietly confident that would work for you, not that I've done it though:)
 

Notorious

Well-Known Member
Messages
104
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hello. I use Glimp to get an extra day out of the sensor when LibreLink/the reader says it's expired. So you might want to try that. It doesn't have the same predictive algorithm that the Abbott stuff does and I personally find it correlates a bit more accurately to current blood glucose.
I posted in another thread, but I have just had a sensor finally break 7 days after it 'expired' and it was pretty accurate that whole time. Is this a record?! Could save me some money if they all did that ;-)
 

BarbaraG

Well-Known Member
Messages
272
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hello. I use Glimp to get an extra day out of the sensor when LibreLink/the reader says it's expired. So you might want to try that. It doesn't have the same predictive algorithm that the Abbott stuff does and I personally find it correlates a bit more accurately to current blood glucose.
I posted in another thread, but I have just had a sensor finally break 7 days after it 'expired' and it was pretty accurate that whole time. Is this a record?! Could save me some money if they all did that ;-)

Tell me more!

What do you need to do to,activate Glimp with your sensor?

Do they just work until they don't'.... or do you stop using them after a day, apart from this recent one?
 

db89

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,134
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
That's a shame...

I don't endorse any of the following, but if you were to look (not all that hard) you could find the .apk file and directly download and install on your Android device that way. I'm quietly confident that would work for you, not that I've done it though:)

Unfortunately the LibreLink app runs a licence check against the Play Store when launching so not as simple as just installing the APK. Doesn't mean it can't be done but I would recommend getting in touch with the developers and asking for more device support as there shouldn't really be any reason why it doesn't work 'officially' as long as you have NFC.
 
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GrantGam

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,603
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Unfortunately the LibreLink app runs a licence check against the Play Store when launching so not as simple as just installing the APK. Doesn't mean it can't be done but I would recommend getting in touch with the developers and asking for more device support as there shouldn't really be any reason why it doesn't work 'officially' as long as you have NFC.
I don't mean downloading the .apk from the Play Store, just from another source entirely. I know of "people" who did this before the app was officially launched for those of us in the UK and it worked:)

I agree with you on getting in touch with the developers though. The region lock (as far as I'm aware) was in the early days when the app was being trialled in specific European countries such as Sweeden.
 

db89

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,134
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I don't mean downloading the .apk from the Play Store, just from another source entirely.

I agree with you on getting in touch with the developers though. The region lock (as far as I'm aware) was in the early days when the app was being trialled in specific European countries such as Sweeden.

I know and in recent versions they have built in a check that runs every time the app is started. It can be modified to skip it but definitely there in the last APK I looked at for another member here.
 

Willea01

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I know and in recent versions they have built in a check that runs every time the app is started. It can be modified to skip it but definitely there in the last APK I looked at for another member here.

Thank you for the thought, I have emailed Librelink to find out what the reason is for it being unavailable and to see if there's any chance of getting the app.
I'm not super tech savvy but I believe that there are several different places to access an apk for this, potentially some of them don't do a licence checks?
 

db89

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,134
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thank you for the thought, I have emailed Librelink to find out what the reason is for it being unavailable and to see if there's any chance of getting the app.
I'm not super tech savvy but I believe that there are several different places to access an apk for this, potentially some of them don't do a licence checks?

You can certainly try if you'd like to access it outside of the official way of getting it. The latest version I tried (v1.3.2.1) had this check. Maybe some of the earlier versions don't have it? Only problem is using it outside of the Play Store where it's not supported there's no telling if there are any bugs on unsupported devices that could cause problems. I contacted them a while ago to ask if they would support the Nexus 5X and 6P but never got a meaningful response. Though more people doing this for handsets can't harm anything.
 
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Notorious

Well-Known Member
Messages
104
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Tell me more!

What do you need to do to,activate Glimp with your sensor?

Do they just work until they don't'.... or do you stop using them after a day, apart from this recent one?
Yes, they just work until they don't. They normally stop transmitting a couple of days after they 'officially' expire. But I find they tend to start cycling values before then, so lose their accuracy. Still, an extra day with each transmitter will still save you about £100 over a year ;-)
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I read somewhere on here that after the official expiry time, the readings just go back to the beginning of the official 2 weeks and don't reflect the present situation. Is this wrong?
 

Notorious

Well-Known Member
Messages
104
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I read somewhere on here that after the official expiry time, the readings just go back to the beginning of the official 2 weeks and don't reflect the present situation. Is this wrong?
I've found them to be fairly accurate for around a day after expiry, then they seem to start cycling values.
 

BarbaraG

Well-Known Member
Messages
272
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Just thinking about this some more.... if you're going to use Glimp to extend your sensor life then, if you want all your data in one place, you have to use Glimp all the time, yes?

So if you want to be able to use the Libre software to run reports, you need to scan with the reader as well.... but then there would be gaps in your data in the periods after the sensor had expired and before you started a new one.

How do you manage it, @Notorious - do you use Glimp exclusively?