Freestyle Libre 2 - constant false signal loss alarms

[brucie75]

I've never had a 'loss of signal' problem between my Libre 2 and my Samsung LibreLink app but am not surprised that this is being reported. I have had Libre sensors and the app for the past 5 years, and I have had numerous problems with them not giving accurate readings, failing after 1 week of use etc. I now have a problem whereby I needed to replace my sensor last night with a new one. I followed the correct procedure to put a new one on, waited for 60 minutes, scanned it and the app said, 'check to see if sensor loose. If not, try again'. On previous occasions that this has happened, that message has come up only to be replaced by another message on subsequent scanning attempts saying, 'sensor not working'. On this occasion, I've repeatedly scanned since last night - I still am getting messages saying 'check to see if sensor loose. If not, try again'. I'm expecting a message to show saying, 'sensor not working' in due course.

I think Abbotts should get their act together and correct these flaws as a matter of urgency. They must receive plenty of phone calls regarding faulty sensors.

David

 

[becca59]

Turn signal loss off. Makes no difference to readings.

 

[ChrisLADA]

I don't get signal loss notification but have issue with random "tap to open app" notification. Even stranger it seems to happen rarely when sensor is on left arm, but frequently when on right.

 

[bradrian]

I just started using a Libre 2 a couple of weeks ago, and initially loved it. When I switched to a new sensor for the first time, the Signal Lost Alarms became practically nonstop and I have no idea how to "clear" the red warning once it occurs (Scanning doesn't help.). I've call Libre Support 3 time and am convinced that I would be better off if I were simply allowed to read through the script/flowchart being attempted by the "agent" for myself. I finally convinced them to send a new sensor -- in 3 to 5 business days. I raised hell and they agreed to send it overnight -- for 3-day delivery.

Something has got to give. Dealing with diabetes is a life-and-death matter and if they can't build devices that can keep a simple Bluetooth connection alive, they shouldn't be allowed in the market.

 

[becca59]

I just started using a Libre 2 a couple of weeks ago, and initially loved it. When I switched to a new sensor for the first time, the Signal Lost Alarms became practically nonstop and I have no idea how to "clear" the red warning once it occurs (Scanning doesn't help.). I've call Libre Support 3 time and am convinced that I would be better off if I were simply allowed to read through the script/flowchart being attempted by the "agent" for myself. I finally convinced them to send a new sensor -- in 3 to 5 business days. I raised hell and they agreed to send it overnight -- for 3-day delivery.

Something has got to give. Dealing with diabetes is a life-and-death matter and if they can't build devices that can keep a simple Bluetooth connection alive, they shouldn't be allowed in the market.

I just switched the sensor alarms off. Easy to do in alarm settings. They drove me mad too. The red warning light comes on regularly but I ignore it and eventually it disappears. I do scan regularly which helps to get rid.

 

[Matthew Thickitt]

I'm having a major problem with my libre 2 sensor. The past 3 that I've used, all say that the signal is lost. I turn off that notification and it tells me that alarms aren't working because the settings are wrong. I turn it back on and it's just constant lost signal. Because of this, I'm not being alerted when my blood sugar drops too low. I've been diabetic so long that I don't get any symptoms of low blood sugar anymore, and I have kidney disease which is causing the insulin to stay in my body longer and causing more hypos, so for me this is a major issue

 

[BadaBing]

There are many people who are also experiencing identical problems on both Android phones and iPhones, if other forums are anything to go by.

My phone isn't on the list of "official" smartphones listed as compatible with Libre 2 and Librelink. However, if you go into the Freestyle Librelink app on Google Play store using your smartphone, there is a section that tells you whether the Librelink app is compatible with your mobile. It says mine is.

I've checked my phone using the diagnostic tools provided by my mobile manufacturer. According to those diagnostic tools there is nothing wrong with my phone and particularly its near field communication and low energy bluetooth, both of which are working "normally."

My Android phone's operating system upgraded itself from 12 to 13 in the last 5 weeks. I don't have a problem with that. When you buy a new mobile you pay for operating system updates and security patches for a period of time which are supposed to make your mobile more "stable," more secure and less prone to being hacked. Google and mobile phone manufacturers are entitled to update their mobile operating systems and phones.

Around 15 November 2022 Abbott put in Google Play store its first update to Freestyle Librelink. The primary purpose of the update was to allow the smart insulin pens Novopen 6 and Novopen Echo Plus to communicate with Librelink, but also to fix some bugs in Librelink.

My phone downloaded and installed that update. Since then the high and low glucose alarms don't work on my phone. Neither does the signal loss alarm. And my phone now registers constant false "scan errors."

Thankfully I am not hypo unaware. But what are you supposed to do if you are hypo unaware, you've gone to sleep and you are relying on Freestyle Libre 2 sensors and the Librelink app to issue an alarm to wake you (or a partner/friend/carer) up so you are alerted to your sugars potentially going low, so you can double check and have a fighting chance to do something about it?

I've contacted Abbott Customer Services on many occasions and gone through their checklist of things to try (all permissions allowed; turn all alarms off and on again; delete cache; restart phone; uninstall and reinstall Librelink; Abbott sending out replacement sensors on the basis that the sensor you're wearing is faulty). None of these "solutions" has solved the problem permanently.

Abbott put out a further update around 1 December 2022 which was supposed to fix the issues caused by the first update. But the second update still hasn't fixed the problem on my phone permanently.

There's a limit to the number of times I'm prepared to turn my mobile phone on and off again each day to make Librelink work properly.

I don't want to carry around a separate reader in order to get alarms. I remember when Abbott first began promoting the Libre 2 in the UK. At that time they were proactively encouraging users that everything could be done on one's smartphone using their Librelink app.

This issue has been going on for the best part of 6 weeks now and Abbott don't appear to be any closer to sorting the problems with Librelink out permanently for a number of users.

For me Libre 2 is unfit for purpose at present.

It is monumentally stupid that there isn't a simple process where you can simply remove the updates so that Librelink is put back to the state it was in before the original upgrade issued in mid November 2022.

It also extraordinarily disappointing no one in the NHS appears to be liaising with Abbott to encourage them to sort this problem out asap. Being able to get replacement Libre 2 sensors isn't enough.

The Dexcom people must be rubbing their hands with glee though (notwithstanding that apparently the number of prescriptions for non-Abbott glucose monitors in England is reported to be comparatively very small since NICE updated its glucose monitor eligibility guidance in April 2022 and there was some "umbrella" guidance/edict issued by NHS England in August 2022 allowing a wider number of flash and/or continuous glucose monitors to be prescribed - which most integrated care boards/integrated care systems have either ignored or been tortoise-like in implementing).

It will be interesting to see how long it takes Abbott to fix this mess and how many customers they will lose in the meantime.

 

[Deadeye_Pete]

Just started using the Libre 2 yesterday. I'm getting multiple loss of signal issues already. This is a big issue for me since I have low hypo awareness.

I was using the Dexcom G6, but that is now only supported in my area (Shropshire) for insulin pump users, so I was put onto L2 because it has alarms.
It also has a lot of quality of life issues compared with Dexcom, too.

I'm not saying the Dexcom was perfect, but it kept a good connection between sensor & phone. Unless I wandered away from my phone...

 

[BadaBing]

Just started using the Libre 2 yesterday. I'm getting multiple loss of signal issues already. This is a big issue for me since I have low hypo awareness.

I was using the Dexcom G6, but that is now only supported in my area (Shropshire) for insulin pump users, so I was put onto L2 because it has alarms.
It also has a lot of quality of life issues compared with Dexcom, too.

I'm not saying the Dexcom was perfect, but it kept a good connection between sensor & phone. Unless I wandered away from my phone...

Sorry to hear about the problems you're having @Deadeye_Pete.

Abbott are still trying to fix the alarms and scanning issues with Librelink and mobile phones caused by the updates they put out in November 2022 and December 2022.

They still don't seem to know when they will have it fixed finally.

I understand a few people have contacted Abbott Customer Services call centre. Depending on the mobile phone you have, call centre staff have managed to suggest alterations to mobile settings that correct the problem.

In my case and with my mobile phone every suggestion has only worked temporarily. So I need Abbott to fix the problem permanently.

For the moment I am very reluctantly going to use the Libre 2 reader I have to receive alarms until Abbott resolve the issues they created with their Librelink software for our mobiles. Although I will have to wait a day until my current sensor comes to an end and start a new sensor with the Libre 2 reader.

If you have one, you may want to use your Libre 2 reader. But you will need to start the Libre 2 sensor with the reader to get alarms.

If you haven't done so already, may I suggest you tell your diabetes clinicians about the problems you are having with alarms and scanning with Freestyle Librelink on your mobile phone.

It would be really helpful if the NHS - as Abbott's biggest Customer in the UK - put some pressure on Abbott to fix the problems - which have been going on for well over a month now - with Librelink as soon as possible.

 

[Alastair Gordon]

Abbott is selling a dangerously defective product, and lying to its users rather than admit they have a potential life-and-death defect in their product. My Libre 2 sensor is constantly losing Bluetooth connectivity to the LibreLink app in my Samsung S21 Android phone. People with type 1 diabetes have been told they will be alerted if their glucose levels are too low or too high. Any number of activities could put a person's life at risk if this function fails to deliver. My last 3 Libre 2 sensors are constantly losing Bluetooth connectivity. When one support agent told me to delete and reinstall the app, she never mentioned that my $100 sensor with 13 days of remining life would be useless after the reinstall. Brilliant! And to top it off, the sensor continued to lose connectivity after the reinstall. From this excellent forum I now know that the failure is common to all brands of phones and even to the Libre dedicated scanner manufactured by Abbott.

I have spent hours on the phone in the last few days, and was informed that I am the only one having this problem. I then read to the agent from this very page, and he said, "Oh, I mean your the only one having the problem on more than one sensor." Covering a lie with another lie.

Yesterday and today I was promised by a supervisor, Hawau, that I would get a call from an IT specialist at Abbott. Well, as you an guess, that was another lie and there has been no call. Clearly, the strategy is to get the customer off the phone and keep selling a medical product with a life threatening defect.

Some technical observations: (1) The LibreLink app is telling me that I have no Bluetooth connectivity to the sensor. Yet if I turn off Bluetooth in my phone, the LibreLink app immediately issues an alarm and tells me to make sure Bluetooth is enabled. When I re-enable Bluetooth, I am back in the same old failure mode. Clearly, the app is making a connection with Bluetooth, yet telling me that it cannot talk to the sensor. (2) On occasion, Bluetooth connectivity and alarms will be re-established for up to several hours, and then suddenly fail and spew out endless loss-of-signal alarms. (3) One agent, Guy, told me that my connectivity problems started with the latest update to the LibreLink app (about 3 weeks ago), but there is no way to return to the previous version, a colossal engineering failure.

Abbott is playing with fire, and compounding its technical failings with lies and inadequate support agents.

 

[Alastair Gordon]

Just started using the Libre 2 yesterday. I'm getting multiple loss of signal issues already. This is a big issue for me since I have low hypo awareness.

I was using the Dexcom G6, but that is now only supported in my area (Shropshire) for insulin pump users, so I was put onto L2 because it has alarms.
It also has a lot of quality of life issues compared with Dexcom, too.

I'm not saying the Dexcom was perfect, but it kept a good connection between sensor & phone. Unless I wandered away from my phone...

There are many people who are also experiencing identical problems on both Android phones and iPhones, if other forums are anything to go by.

My phone isn't on the list of "official" smartphones listed as compatible with Libre 2 and Librelink. However, if you go into the Freestyle Librelink app on Google Play store using your smartphone, there is a section that tells you whether the Librelink app is compatible with your mobile. It says mine is.

I've checked my phone using the diagnostic tools provided by my mobile manufacturer. According to those diagnostic tools there is nothing wrong with my phone and particularly its near field communication and low energy bluetooth, both of which are working "normally."

My Android phone's operating system upgraded itself from 12 to 13 in the last 5 weeks. I don't have a problem with that. When you buy a new mobile you pay for operating system updates and security patches for a period of time which are supposed to make your mobile more "stable," more secure and less prone to being hacked. Google and mobile phone manufacturers are entitled to update their mobile operating systems and phones.

Around 15 November 2022 Abbott put in Google Play store its first update to Freestyle Librelink. The primary purpose of the update was to allow the smart insulin pens Novopen 6 and Novopen Echo Plus to communicate with Librelink, but also to fix some bugs in Librelink.

My phone downloaded and installed that update. Since then the high and low glucose alarms don't work on my phone. Neither does the signal loss alarm. And my phone now registers constant false "scan errors."

Thankfully I am not hypo unaware. But what are you supposed to do if you are hypo unaware, you've gone to sleep and you are relying on Freestyle Libre 2 sensors and the Librelink app to issue an alarm to wake you (or a partner/friend/carer) up so you are alerted to your sugars potentially going low, so you can double check and have a fighting chance to do something about it?

I've contacted Abbott Customer Services on many occasions and gone through their checklist of things to try (all permissions allowed; turn all alarms off and on again; delete cache; restart phone; uninstall and reinstall Librelink; Abbott sending out replacement sensors on the basis that the sensor you're wearing is faulty). None of these "solutions" has solved the problem permanently.

Abbott put out a further update around 1 December 2022 which was supposed to fix the issues caused by the first update. But the second update still hasn't fixed the problem on my phone permanently.

There's a limit to the number of times I'm prepared to turn my mobile phone on and off again each day to make Librelink work properly.

I don't want to carry around a separate reader in order to get alarms. I remember when Abbott first began promoting the Libre 2 in the UK. At that time they were proactively encouraging users that everything could be done on one's smartphone using their Librelink app.

This issue has been going on for the best part of 6 weeks now and Abbott don't appear to be any closer to sorting the problems with Librelink out permanently for a number of users.

For me Libre 2 is unfit for purpose at present.

It is monumentally stupid that there isn't a simple process where you can simply remove the updates so that Librelink is put back to the state it was in before the original upgrade issued in mid November 2022.

It also extraordinarily disappointing no one in the NHS appears to be liaising with Abbott to encourage them to sort this problem out asap. Being able to get replacement Libre 2 sensors isn't enough.

The Dexcom people must be rubbing their hands with glee though (notwithstanding that apparently the number of prescriptions for non-Abbott glucose monitors in England is reported to be comparatively very small since NICE updated its glucose monitor eligibility guidance in April 2022 and there was some "umbrella" guidance/edict issued by NHS England in August 2022 allowing a wider number of flash and/or continuous glucose monitors to be prescribed - which most integrated care boards/integrated care systems have either ignored or been tortoise-like in implementing).

It will be interesting to see how long it takes Abbott to fix this mess and how many customers they will lose in the meantime.

The Libre 2 is a dangerous medical product, and Abbott's response is to lie and obfuscate but never to provide any kind of solution. Your sentiments echo mine (see Alastair Gordon posting below). Just the fact that you cannot go back to an earlier version of the app before this horror show started is an abomination.

 

[Alastair Gordon]

Mine does this too. Solution suggested is remove app and reinstall! Some folk have said this worked for them, but you lose the 90 day history on the phone, which I'm not prepared to do at the moment,

All data is secure on LibreView server though, assuming you are using it.

Reinstalling does not just lose your 90-day history, it also trashes your $100 sensor with whatever life it had left on it. Worst of all, it does nothing to solve the loss-of-signal and loss-of-alarm problem.

 

[barrym]

Reinstalling does not just lose your 90-day history, it also trashes your $100 sensor with whatever life it had left on it. Worst of all, it does nothing to solve the loss-of-signal and loss-of-alarm problem.

Hmm, I’m not sure about that. I’ve certainly ‘added’ another phone/app to an existing sensor, which is what is happening if you do a fresh install. Hoever the fact that you quote “$100” I am assuming you are in the US, and I know your sensors used to be different over there so you may be correct for those.

Edit: To add suggestion

In order to recover functionality you need, you might want to consider a third party app like Juggluco (on Play Store). Runs along side LL if required or will update LV directly. Seems more robust generally. Much more low level control in the app. For example if you leave the phone out of range it will alert you, and usually reconnect when back in range. Some times it takes a few minutes, and others can be stubborn. If you are impatient you can tell the app to ‘forget’ the sensor and ‘re-ebable’ to connect again.

You shouldn’t have to go to these lengths but…..

 

[Alastair Gordon]

Hmm, I’m not sure about that. I’ve certainly ‘added’ another phone/app to an existing sensor, which is what is happening if you do a fresh install. Hoever the fact that you quote “$100” I am assuming you are in the US, and I know your sensors used to be different over there so you may be correct for those.

Edit: To add suggestion

In order to recover functionality you need, you might want to consider a third party app like Juggluco (on Play Store). Runs along side LL if required or will update LV directly. Seems more robust generally. Much more low level control in the app. For example if you leave the phone out of range it will alert you, and usually reconnect when back in range. Some times it takes a few minutes, and others can be stubborn. If you are impatient you can tell the app to ‘forget’ the sensor and ‘re-ebable’ to connect again.

You shouldn’t have to go to these lengths but…..

Interesting, thank you. I am in Canada where I yesterday saw the Libre 2 sensors on sale for C$139 (roughly US$115). If I do a fresh install, the current sensor is trashed and the loss-of-signal error persists. So more useless and expensive advice from Abbott. I appreciate your suggestion of trying Juggluco. I will do that and get back to you.

 

[Alastair Gordon]

Interesting, thank you. I am in Canada where I yesterday saw the Libre 2 sensors on sale for C$139 (roughly US$115). If I do a fresh install, the current sensor is trashed and the loss-of-signal error persists. So more useless and expensive advice from Abbott. I appreciate your suggestion of trying Juggluco. I will do that and get back to you.

I downloaded and installed Juggluco on my Samsung S21 Android phone. It is able to read the Libre 2 sensor by direct NFC scanning, but the app is very crude and it seems impossible to set up alarm limits, so I’m no further ahead. I let Juggluco add the end date of the sensor to my Google Calendar (nice feature), but now it opens my calendar every time I open Juggluco, and I cannot get around it. Maybe I am not finding the magic, but it seems very crude.

 

[Alastair Gordon]

Hmm, I’m not sure about that. I’ve certainly ‘added’ another phone/app to an existing sensor, which is what is happening if you do a fresh install. Hoever the fact that you quote “$100” I am assuming you are in the US, and I know your sensors used to be different over there so you may be correct for those.

Edit: To add suggestion

In order to recover functionality you need, you might want to consider a third party app like Juggluco (on Play Store). Runs along side LL if required or will update LV directly. Seems more robust generally. Much more low level control in the app. For example if you leave the phone out of range it will alert you, and usually reconnect when back in range. Some times it takes a few minutes, and others can be stubborn. If you are impatient you can tell the app to ‘forget’ the sensor and ‘re-ebable’ to connect again.

You shouldn’t have to go to these lengths but…..

Thank you for the suggestion. I downloaded and installed Juggluco on my Samsung S21 Android phone. It is able to read the Libre 2 sensor by direct NFC scanning, but the app is very crude and it seems impossible to set up alarm limits, so I’m no further ahead. I let Juggluco add the end date of the sensor to my Google Calendar (nice feature), but now it opens my calendar every time I open Juggluco, and I cannot get around it. Maybe I am not finding the magic, but it seems very crude.

 

[barrym]

It is a fairly basic interface certainly, but highly configurable - just what you’d expect from a techy with no ‘user’ validation of the useability.

However, alarms are configureable for BG level, sound, length of alarm ring, and finally at what time to nudge you again if still out of range.

In the most polite way, can I suggest you spend a bit of time digging in the app, reading the ‘help’ and online docs although I would agree they are not wholy user friendly.

Happy exploring - it will be worth it!

 

[Alastair Gordon]

It is a fairly basic interface certainly, but highly configurable - just what you’d expect from a techy with no ‘user’ validation of the useability.

However, alarms are configureable for BG level, sound, length of alarm ring, and finally at what time to nudge you again if still out of range.

In the most polite way, can I suggest you spend a bit of time digging in the app, reading the ‘help’ and online docs although I would agree they are not wholy user friendly.

Happy exploring - it will be worth it!

Of course I have done all the things you suggested and more. When Libre 2 works (increasingly rare) it is perfect, as per my configuration. But no amount of “digging” can correct the endless Bluetooth signal failures, and hours spent with support agents likewise produces no happiness. Remember that this problem started with the last app software update, so the problem lies exclusively with Abbott and blaming the user is a fool’s errand.

 

[MrsA2]

I think I read somewhere of Bluetooth connection problems disappearing when the phone was removed from a case.
I know it shouldn't make a difference, might be worth trying though

 

[Alastair Gordon]

I think I read somewhere of Bluetooth connection problems disappearing when the phone was removed from a case.
I know it shouldn't make a difference, might be worth trying though

Tried removing the Samsung S21 Android phone from its case, and the LibreLink app still has the alarm condition "Alarms are unavailable. Scan Sensor". Nothing so far has resolved this fatal error, not even the string of lies and nonsense that came from Abbot's technical support agents.

Also tried clearing cache in the LibreLink app, and that made no difference.

The device is garbage, and the company is contemptible, and possibly criminal to knowingly sell a defective medical product on which lives could depend.