Libre Freestyle Librelink using with Apple iOS - a warning if you have sensor failures

[PeeBee12]

Hi, I have been using LibreLink on my Apple iPhone 8 for at least two years and all has been well until recently. I have had a number of sensors fail to transmit the Bluetooth signal to the phone, This finally led to failures in January, February, March and April! Abbott have been good in supplying replacements but there has been no feedback on the cause of the issue.

This month I had had enough and on reporting yet another failure I was offered a Reader, which I now use for alarms. However in discussion and exchanges of emails I have been directed to the compatibility listing on the Abbott website, here: https://www.diabetescare.abbott/support/manuals/uk.html. From here I found that my iOS version is not supported and I am at the highest version of iOS possible on my particular iPhone. I have also spoken to Apple who say that downgrading is not possible.

I asked Apple if I can specify a particular iOS when buying a new phone (an extravagance I'd rather avoid) and I was told no, it would likely come with iOS 18.1 or 18.1.4 - neither of which are supported by Abbott LibreLink. I suggested that my best approach would be to buy a secondhand iPhone but checking it hadn't been upgrades beyond 18.0.1. The tech support guy concurred. A sad state of affairs.

I have suggested to Abbott staff that the compatibility should be given greater prominence on their website - I recall very clear instruction NOT to upgrade to iOS 17 but not these other incompatibilities. With a lack of feedback from the support desk I had reset my phone in the hope of resolving the 'fault' - an action that has taken up many hours in resetting the various apps on my phone! The Apple backup and restore facility leaves several issues where it seems the identity of the phone changes, and many services don't recognise it.

I assume the same issues will arise with Android.

I have sympathies with Abbott, as they are always on catchup. I just think clearer information should be given.

Has anyone else had these issues and if so how have you tried to resolve them?

 

[SpitTheDog1963]

I have experienced this today. I had been had problems 5 times in the past 12 months, and they have always been good at sending replacements. Today I was told it was because my iPhone is on 18.4.1, and the app is only approved up to 18.0.1. Their solution is to send me a reader, with no appreciation of my losing any high or low alarms. No advice given on how to mute the signal loss alarms. T his feels like a major retrograde step. To say I’m fuming is an understatement. I have asked my GP to put me on another system. I can’t put up with this

 

[becca59]

To be fair that is quite an old phone. They were discontinued February five years ago and the most up to date one is now a sixteen. The way technology moves today it is hard to keep up with.

 

[Rachox]

I use Libre 2 plus with LibreLink on an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 18.4.1, (just updated today) and it all works just fine.

Edit for typo

 

[PeeBee12]

I have experienced this today. I had been had problems 5 times in the past 12 months, and they have always been good at sending replacements. Today I was told it was because my iPhone is on 18.4.1, and the app is only approved up to 18.0.1. Their solution is to send me a reader, with no appreciation of my losing any high or low alarms. No advice given on how to mute the signal loss alarms. T his feels like a major retrograde step. To say I’m fuming is an understatement. I have asked my GP to put me on another system. I can’t put up with this

Hi, just to reassure you, the reader does give you high and low alarms, also the lost communication alarm if the reader is out of contact with the sensor. It’s just far less convenient having to carry two items. The reader is also more clunky than the phone - needs a hard press to get it to work, and the screen is easily scratched.

 

[PeeBee12]

To be fair that is quite an old phone. They were discontinued February five years ago and the most up to date one is now a sixteen. The way technology moves today it is hard to keep up with.

Admitted this is true, but also consider the catch22 when buying a new phone that will have an operating system that is ahead of Librelink compatibility and no assurance that Librelink will catch up.

 

[Rachox]

when buying a new phone that will have an operating system that is ahead of Librelink compatibility

As I said further up this thread I use LibreLink with the most up to date iOS version 18.4.1, new update as of today.

 

[PeeBee12]

As I said further up this thread I use LibreLink with the most up to date iOS version 18.4.1, new update as of today.

I hope that it continues to work for you but iOS 18.4.1 is not in the compatibility table. My experience with a non compatible iOS version has been intermittent success. I honestly hope it works for you.

 

[Rachox]

I hope that it continues to work for you but iOS 18.4.1 is not in the compatibility table. My experience with a non compatible iOS version has been intermittent success. I honestly hope it works for you.

The only problem I have had was during the disastrous update a couple of summers ago when everyone got a blank screen after an update. I have had the odd duff sensor which Abbott have replaced without question. I am pretty confident that the LibreLink app will serve me well following this latest update

 

[SpitTheDog1963]

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Hi, just to reassure you, the reader does give you high and low alarms, also the lost communication alarm if the reader is out of contact with the sensor. It’s just far less convenient having to carry two items. The reader is also more clunky than the phone - needs a hard press to get it to work, and the screen is easily scratched.

No it doesn’t. The only alarm I get is signal loss. There is a notification saying alarms are not available

 

[PeeBee12]

No it doesn’t. The only alarm I get is signal loss. There is a notification saying alarms are not available

Okay, to be clearer, the reader that I received from the support team three weeks ago does. It has a blue face with the wording ‘Freestyle Libre 2’. In settings you can set the alarms and adjust the levels for high and low alarms. I needed to start the sensor with the reader for it to work.
If you are using an original Libre reader, or if you start the sensor with another device, say, a phone, I don’t think you’ll get the alarms.
If you have the Libre2 reader, and if you started the sensor with the Libre2 reader, and it isn’t giving the three types of alarm (high, low, lost connection) I suggest you contact the support desk.
Hope this helps.

 

[Audioglow]

Hi, just to reassure you, the reader does give you high and low alarms, also the lost communication alarm if the reader is out of contact with the sensor. It’s just far less convenient having to carry two items. The reader is also more clunky than the phone - needs a hard press to get it to work, and the screen is easily scratched.

HI Same issue (Type 3c) with 18.4.0 (and 1) loss of signal and will not reconnect, as you say their solution is a reader, which I now have but the readers battery last about 36 hours at best (they say 7 days)! now carring a phone and a reader. Their solution is not to update the software but apple does this even is you have auto updates switched off (after a number of days of asking you to install) whether you like it or not. There is no reversal possible either without losing data. How is it possible that a company that provides this type of product can be allowed to operate like this, I rely on this thing for hypo warnings, pricking fingers 20plus times a days isnt a solution either.
Their software team appears to be way out of its depth and they have no solution either other than to wait a month (or two) for a fix, what world are they living in. Seems to me that their is a vast opportunity for a competitive company to come in a steal this market (and its not Dexcon etc)

 

[PeeBee12]

Yes, I agree entirely. The front line support staff are no doubt doing all they can with the information provided to them but they just can’t provide the support needed for users to move forward.

I’ve now established that refurbished iPhones are usually sold with iOS updated to latest version, currently iOS 18.4.1, which isn’t currently verified as compatible with LibreLink according to the compatibility table from Abbott. Even if you can find a refurbished (second hand) iPhone with the original iOS 15, your only option is stick with iOS15, or update to iOS 18.4.1 because you can’t update to anything short of the current version of iOS (Unless you are prepared to ‘jailbreak’ you phone, if you know how to - I don’t).

If we buy a phone with iOS 18.4.1 will LibreLink be verified as compatible at some stage. If we wait for verification from Abbott before buying a new iPhone Apple will likely have moved on to a new iOS level.

We need guidance from Abbott!

 

[becca59]

I have to say I have had actually zero issues and am on the latest update. I googled it when I read your post and all people replying had had no issues either. Which phone are you using?

 

[PeeBee12]

I have to say I have had actually zero issues and am on the latest update. I googled it when I read your post and all people replying had had no issues either. Which phone are you using?

As stated above, my phone is an iPhone 8. It is now on the latest iOS compatible with that particular phone (iOS 16.7.11).

I noticed that SpitTheDog1963 stated above the the support desk has stated that iOS 18.4.1 is the cause of STD63’s problems. Again, I think we need better communications from Abbott.

 

[Rachox]

I’ve now established that refurbished iPhones are usually sold with iOS updated to latest version, currently iOS 18.4.1, which isn’t currently verified as compatible with LibreLink according to the compatibility table from Abbott

I have already said twice in this thread that I use the Librelink app on my iPhone 14 pro running iOS 18.4.1 with no problems. My guess is that Abbott just haven’t updated their compatibility table.

 

[PeeBee12]

And as I have said twice, we need better communication from Abbott. The compatibility document seems to have been last updated in February.

Edited for spelling typo