Dexcom app update

[Winterwatch]

The latest update for the Dexcom app has just been released.

I have been waiting for this for a while for the Apple Watch compatibility update.

One thing I notice however is that the release includes: "When your smart device is set to Silent, Do Not Disturb, or low volume, you can still hear important Dexcom app alerts and alarms. This will allow you to silence calls or texts but still receive audible CGM alerts".

This sounds identical to that mute override feature that was so unpopular with the US version of the app. (https://www.dexcom.com/faq/what-features-are-included-latest-update-dexcom-g5-mobile-app)

If this is something that you cannot turn off or mitigate somehow, I will have to consider whether or not to download this update. I work in an office and have frequent meetings with clients. I cannot have my alerts going off just because Dexcom has decided that everyone needs to hear about it.

Let me know anyone if you download this and what your experience is please.

 

[ElkBond]

I have just done the update, make sure you know ur transmitter serial as it logs you out and you have to do the whole setup again.

This feature worrys me too, I cant have it going off in a meeting. There is the option for vibrate only now which may be a workaround. If you have a apple watch surely it wont make a sound? Ill update you when I find out.

 

[tim2000s]

I'm fairly sure this is a mmol-ised version of the US app, so yes, you will have to put up with stupid alarms. I think you can disable all the alarms other than the "Urgent Low" though, so that may be the way to go?

 

[Winterwatch]

I have just done the update, make sure you know ur transmitter serial as it logs you out and you have to do the whole setup again.

This feature worrys me too, I cant have it going off in a meeting. There is the option for vibrate only now which may be a workaround. If you have a apple watch surely it wont make a sound? Ill update you when I find out.

Thanks @ElkBond . Looking forward to your thoughts. I haven't downloaded yet - I am scared to ruin a good thing!

I am still getting used to how my phone and watch interact. Currently, if I have my phone set to silent, I get a tap on my watch for notifications but no audible alert from either device. The new update is intended to override the silent feature on the phone. The question is whether that will carry across to the watch and, if so (and you get an audible watch alert), whether you can stop it via the silence feature on the watch itself.

@tim2000s you could disable the high/low alerts before every meeting but according to that US update, there are 8 other (albeit uncommon) alarms that will override mute. Alternatively, turn my phone/the app off or leave it at my desk.

 

[ElkBond]

So just had a high alert (6.8 ha) so i have left it untouched to see what happens.

 

[ElkBond]

Well I f-ed it, had my phone open to respond to this thread so it beeped on my phone and I had to dismiss it. Yes it does overwrite the mute button still ... dammit

 

[ElkBond]

Ok guess what, phone overwrites the watch... can't believe it. Sitting in a quiet office and it goes off quite loud. What an embarrassment, all this is to be discrete about dealing with it.. I am going to have to select vibrate only now when I wake up and change when I go to bed.

@Winterwatch

 

[Winterwatch]

Ok guess what, phone overwrites the watch... can't believe it. Sitting in a quiet office and it goes off quite loud. What an embarrassment, all this is to be discrete about dealing with it.. I am going to have to select vibrate only now when I wake up and change when I go to bed.

@Winterwatch

It really is inexplicable why they would think that this is a good idea. It is the first app that I have heard of which actively disregards your choice to silence. I have been using a silent ring/text tone for when I just wanted Dexcom alerts (i.e. at night), which still gave me the freedom to actually silence them when I needed to (I will have to shut my phone down or close the app if that works when in court etc - you really can't have a single alert going off).

@ElkBond I have my high alert set for tight control like you (6.7) so that is the most likely alert to go off. It is good that you can at least set that to vibrate only. The key questions for me then are: (1) how conspicuous is the vibrate on your phone - can this be toned down?; and (2) If you are using the watch, does the phone not vibrate but instead you just get a tap from your watch? That would be the ideal, otherwise I will probably pass on this update (and probably call Dexcom to vent!)

 

[ElkBond]

I think I will call too, the apple watch app is nice but I have been using sugarmate. If my apps didn't auto update I would have held off like you.

 

[tim2000s]

What you are both experiencing is a cocked up modification of an FDA mandated change to the app. The FDA decided in their wisdom that alerts that related to lows should not be easily dismissed in order to make sure they were heard. Unfortunately, Dexcom made that work for all alerts, even though it's much less of an issue on the high alerts.

I'm not sure that venting at them is going to make a huge amount of difference. I'd just turn the alerts off in the app, so they aren't functional, as I don't see what else you can do.

 

[Winterwatch]

What you are both experiencing is a cocked up modification of an FDA mandated change to the app. The FDA decided in their wisdom that alerts that related to lows should not be easily dismissed in order to make sure they were heard. Unfortunately, Dexcom made that work for all alerts, even though it's much less of an issue on the high alerts.

I'm not sure that venting at them is going to make a huge amount of difference. I'd just turn the alerts off in the app, so they aren't functional, as I don't see what else you can do.

I find the alerts to be very useful generally. You also need to have them on to have a target range on your Dexcom graph if I am correct. Do you mean just turn them off for specific occasions where you need silence (and hope none of the other alarms go off)? Because I agree that sounds like the best option generally. Alternatively, if you want no alarms at all, you could shut down the app temporarily.

I just spoke to Dexcom now. The rep's view was that shutting down the app was the only way to avoid all alarms, and so really the only option in some circumstances. I complained - as you say, it is not really going to have any effect but what can do you.

Edit: I probably didn't need to tell him that the feature was a terrible idea, I couldn't see how anyone could have a positive response to it and that it would lose them customers. We live and learn.

@ElkBond

 

[ElkBond]

The whole point of the Dexcom is to alert you before things have gone south rather than tell you when you are past the point of no return(as we all know, just stating the fact). So it doesn't needs to be 100% loud and attention seeking. I often had a little tap at 4.3 to say 'hey just to let you know you could do with eating something'. Out came the food, discreet, no one in the office had a clue what was going on other than I was munching. Now I have to set to vibrate only which is fine for now but I will have to turn it to sound when I about to sleep, and also lower my urgent to the lowest setting, which actually could be a bit dangerous. My urgent is 3.1, that is yet again preventative - if I am working and see a low low low then urgent i snap into shape cos whatever I have been eating hasn't worked. Its rare but it has happened.

As well as all this, my alerts are tight, I like to know ASAP when I a swaying. I sometimes work in a workshop, of course the urgent is kind of ok for this but if I am beeping/ vibrating non stop then people around me/ my employers may think that I am not coping all of sudden and then may introduce some restrictions. Also if I have got all my workshop gear on, its nto so easy to open the app and silence the alert, of course urgent low would make me stop immediately, but if thats lower than before...

So in their FDAs ideal app use has actually made the unit a bit less safe. Well done. Speaking of app updates, if enough of us kick up a fuss, will it take a year for an app update...

@Winterwatch @tim2000s

 

[tim2000s]

@ElkBond Totally. It's a terrible implementation and I don't believe there is anyone out there that likes it.

 

[Winterwatch]

The whole point of the Dexcom is to alert you before things have gone south rather than tell you when you are past the point of no return(as we all know, just stating the fact). So it doesn't needs to be 100% loud and attention seeking. I often had a little tap at 4.3 to say 'hey just to let you know you could do with eating something'. Out came the food, discreet, no one in the office had a clue what was going on other than I was munching. Now I have to set to vibrate only which is fine for now but I will have to turn it to sound when I about to sleep, and also lower my urgent to the lowest setting, which actually could be a bit dangerous. My urgent is 3.1, that is yet again preventative - if I am working and see a low low low then urgent i snap into shape cos whatever I have been eating hasn't worked. Its rare but it has happened.

As well as all this, my alerts are tight, I like to know ASAP when I a swaying. I sometimes work in a workshop, of course the urgent is kind of ok for this but if I am beeping/ vibrating non stop then people around me/ my employers may think that I am not coping all of sudden and then may introduce some restrictions. Also if I have got all my workshop gear on, its nto so easy to open the app and silence the alert, of course urgent low would make me stop immediately, but if thats lower than before...

So in their FDAs ideal app use has actually made the unit a bit less safe. Well done. Speaking of app updates, if enough of us kick up a fuss, will it take a year for an app update...

@Winterwatch @tim2000s

Does the Apple Watch complication side of the update at least work well?

 

[pinewood]

I think I'll delay upgrading for now until I have time to sit down and figure out what is needed to keep it quiet!

Still no Dexcom Clarity app for those of us in the UK?

 

[Winterwatch]

Another thought for muting for planned meetings etc would be to plug in headphones (or at least a headphone jack) to mute the sound. That way you could still see notifications on your phone (rather than closing the app or shutting down the phone). You may have to leave your watch out of range though as I don't know whether the jack would prevent the watch from making sound.

 

[tim2000s]

Another thought for muting for planned meetings etc would be to plug in headphones (or at least a headphone jack) to mute the sound. That way you could still see notifications on your phone (rather than closing the app or shutting down the phone). You may have to leave your watch out of range though as I don't know whether the jack would prevent the watch from making sound.

Not if you have an iphone 7...

 

[ElkBond]

@Winterwatch Yer the watch bit is ok, hasn't dropped out yet, updates a minute sooner than sugarmate for obvious reasons.

Ill try that next and report back, headphones in now. I've just sorted my 6.8 out so it may be a while, or not you know how these things go.

I have considered rolling back the app by finding the old app on my mac, delete dexcom from computer and phone and then drop old app in and sync. Bit of a mess but I may do it, hopefully it works.

@tim2000s Haha that is true, maybe wireless headphone may work tho?

 

[Winterwatch]

@ElkBond Does your Sugarmate app work alongside the new update?

 

[ElkBond]

@Winterwatch It sure does, I have turned it off atm (hidden the calendar)