Freestyle Libre and the Reader

[tubamanandy]

This maybe a daft question but why would you buy the reader if you have a compatible phone (with an NFC chip) ?

I just bought the sensor & downloaded the official appln to one of my older phones (my current phone is not compatible).

Does the reader in the starter kit have much more/any more functionality ?

 

[novorapidboi26]

So how is going then, without the reader?

the majority of folk wouldn't be thinking in the way you are of course.....

what phone are you using?

 

[tubamanandy]

Put sensor on yesterday lunch, activated it this morning with the appln and working great - no issues.

My current phone (Nexus 6P) doesnt work with the appln or Glimp ? so used my old Nexus 4 which the appln works with and has the necessary NFC chip - working really well. Glad I didnt fork out for the reader (Starter Kit) unless it has brilliantly more functionality

 

[barrym]

I don't think there's much extra with the reader. It does allow you to see error codes which afaik the app can't. Other than that I can't think of anything.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

If you are using the sensor with a mobile phone I don't believe you have full access to the report generating facility that you can download to a desktop or laptop computer. The reports on computer are far more detailed than the reports you get with the Libre Link Application. I do have a Galaxy Note 8 which only came out a couple of months ago so it does have all the latest smartphone protocols. If you do not have use for the reports then the Libre Link Application might be good enough for what you want. Personally I always prefer to initialise the sensor with the reader and then the phone. I have had sensors fail on more than one occasion when initialised using phone only.

 

[Deleted Account]

One advantage of the reader is that it also works as a finger prick tester.
As anyone on insulin (in the UK) must finger prick test before driving so we need to carry some sort of meter with us as well as phone.

 

[tubamanandy]

If you are using the sensor with a mobile phone I don't believe you have full access to the report generating facility that you can download to a desktop or laptop computer. The reports on computer are far more detailed than the reports you get with the Libre Link Application. I do have a Galaxy Note 8 which only came out a couple of months ago so it does have all the latest smartphone protocols. If you do not have use for the reports then the Libre Link Application might be good enough for what you want. Personally I always prefer to initialise the sensor with the reader and then the phone. I have had sensors fail on more than one occasion when initialised using phone only.

There seems to be a heck of alot of reports I can view on the App, I'm hoping I can also view them online somehow through my account

 

[Diabeticliberty]

There seems to be a heck of alot of reports I can view on the App, I'm hoping I can also view them online somehow through my account

Just going through the application on my own phone and yes the reports appear to be the same as the reports that the reader generates in conjunction with a desktop computer. There is also the facility to print the reports so in this respect I suppose there is in fact no real need for the reader unless as @helensaramay points out you wish to do fingerprick tests with it. I have never really looked at the reports on the application before now.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Just going through the application on my own phone and yes the reports appear to be the same as the reports that the reader generates in conjunction with a desktop computer. There is also the facility to print the reports so in this respect I suppose there is in fact no real need for the reader unless as @helensaramay points out you wish to do fingerprick tests with it. I have never really looked at the reports on the application before now.

Does the application produce all the 15 minute readings in text form? Just wondered, because the reader does, and I find them extremely useful.

 

[novorapidboi26]

I have never really looked at the reports on the application before now.

By reports do you mean graphs.....?

And if so, are the graphs not where the Libre shines....?

 

[Westley]

I have the reader but hardly ever use it these days, as I always have my phone with me.
The only downside I've noticed with the phone is that the NFC range is a bit less than the reader, so it sometimes takes a couple of goes to hold it on exactly the right spot long enough to get a reading, especially through a jacket.
I think this varies between phone models though, as my old phone seemed to have slightly better range. I wonder if there is any way to boost the signal.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

Does the application produce all the 15 minute readings in text form? Just wondered, because the reader does, and I find them extremely useful.

Sorry I am in work and have not gone through the reports with a nitty nurse comb. All I can tell you is that menu headings on the reader and the application appear identical. Also the reports that the software spews out on my laptop appear pretty much the same

 

[Diabeticliberty]

I have the reader but hardly ever use it these days, as I always have my phone with me.
The only downside I've noticed with the phone is that the NFC range is a bit less than the reader, so it sometimes takes a couple of goes to hold it on exactly the right spot long enough to get a reading, especially through a jacket.
I think this varies between phone models though, as my old phone seemed to have slightly better range. I wonder if there is any way to boost the signal.

I used to use a Samsung S6 Edge Plus and the NFC compatibility was not the best. I now have a Note 8 and the NFC compatibility appears to be much better

 

[Bluetit1802]

This is an extract from the text log the reader will produce, showing every 15 minutes 24/7 whether you scan or not, plus any scans that you do.

26/05/2017 13:18 4.3
26/05/2017 13:25 4.4
26/05/2017 13:34 4.3
26/05/2017 13:37 4.4 lunch
26/05/2017 13:49 4.3
26/05/2017 13:59 4.4
26/05/2017 14:04 4.4
26/05/2017 14:19 5
26/05/2017 14:31 5.4
26/05/2017 14:34 5.7
26/05/2017 14:47 5.8
26/05/2017 14:49 5.7
26/05/2017 15:05 5.7

 

[Diabeticliberty]

By reports do you mean graphs.....?

And if so, are the graphs not where the Libre shines....?

Call them what you choose. The Libre system however calls them reports so that is what I choose to call them For me the reports far from shine. I do not trust them. I only replied to state that the reports generated in the computer software and application appear largely the same.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

This is an extract from the text log the reader will produce, showing every 15 minutes 24/7 whether you scan or not, plus any scans that you do.

26/05/2017 13:18 4.3
26/05/2017 13:25 4.4
26/05/2017 13:34 4.3
26/05/2017 13:37 4.4 lunch
26/05/2017 13:49 4.3
26/05/2017 13:59 4.4
26/05/2017 14:04 4.4
26/05/2017 14:19 5
26/05/2017 14:31 5.4
26/05/2017 14:34 5.7
26/05/2017 14:47 5.8
26/05/2017 14:49 5.7
26/05/2017 15:05 5.7

Yes the application also provides this report. Nice numbers by the way

 

[Bluetit1802]

Yes the application also provides this report. Nice numbers by the way

Thank you, for both sentences!

 

[RFSMarch]

This maybe a daft question but why would you buy the reader if you have a compatible phone (with an NFC chip) ?

I just bought the sensor & downloaded the official appln to one of my older phones (my current phone is not compatible).

Does the reader in the starter kit have much more/any more functionality ?

What if you don't use a phone that can scan the sensor... that's why I use the reader.

 

[tubamanandy]

The application will not work with Rooted phones. My latest phone is rooted and d

What if you don't use a phone that can scan the sensor... that's why I use the reader.

The appln does not work with rooted phones - my latest phone is rooted and wont work but my previous phone is not rooted and does work.

 

[novorapidboi26]

The application will not work with Rooted phones. My latest phone is rooted and d


The appln does not work with rooted phones - my latest phone is rooted and wont work but my previous phone is not rooted and does work.

you can hide root with Magisk....as opposed to superSU.....

I moved over to Magisk on my 6p....but as you say, 6p NFC isn't compatible....;(