Dexcom g5, bluetooth and smart watches???

[cazd2]

Hi everyone,
I thinking of trying CGM for the first time and the Dexacom G5 seems like a good option offering alerts and a longer sensor life than others on the UK market.

Has anyone got experience with android smart devices and dexcom?

I spend time in France (as well as the UK) and since its rural, the wi-fi coverage in our family home is really patchy. Will I be able to use an android phone and smartwatch just using a bluetooth? How reliable is it?

Thanks!

 

[cz_dave]

It's pretty reliable in terms of connectivity. You don't need internet, just Bluetooth.

 

[cazd2]

Thanks for that cz_Dave. Do you know if you can just use a smartwatch if there is a good internet connection?

 

[cz_dave]

Go to the official Dexcom website and check which devices are supported. Dexcom only supports specific devices.

 

[Chas C]

There is not yet an App that allows direct connection to a watch, for both Apple and Android you need to pair the G5 to a phone first then the phone sends data to the watch.

Lots of promises since mid last year but still Dexcom do not have the App's ready - there are some rumours that they have submitted for FDA approval.

 

[scotteric]

Hi everyone,
I thinking of trying CGM for the first time and the Dexacom G5 seems like a good option offering alerts and a longer sensor life than others on the UK market.

Has anyone got experience with android smart devices and dexcom?

I spend time in France (as well as the UK) and since its rural, the wi-fi coverage in our family home is really patchy. Will I be able to use an android phone and smartwatch just using a bluetooth? How reliable is it?

Thanks!

I just switched back to Dexcom after using the Libre for a few months and recommend the following setup if you have an Android phone. Use xDrip, not the official Dexcom app. It's so much better, you can customize the alerts and see trends without logging on to the Clarity website. Plus, your transmitter will last as long as the battery actually does - the app doesn't shut it off after 110 days. You also don't need to restart the sensor every 7 days and wait 2 hours again, you can use it until you decide to change sensors without doing anything. I'm using an old Pebble watch. You can still find them cheap on Amazon. They pair easily with an Android phone and your Dexcom number, trend arrow and a small graph will appear right on the watch screen and stay there without having to push any buttons. The Pebble battery lasts much longer than current smartwatches most importantly, you can get 3-7 days out of it.

 

[cazd2]

Fingers crossed it gets sorted soon as it would be a big plus! It looks like I will have to (downgrade my camera and) ditch my sony xperia phone to go on this system. For some reason this phone can only be used on the follow app as it can't install the G5 mobile app. Thanks for your comments scotteric.

 

[scotteric]

Fingers crossed it gets sorted soon as it would be a big plus! It looks like I will have to (downgrade my camera and) ditch my sony xperia phone to go on this system. For some reason this phone can only be used on the follow app as it can't install the G5 mobile app. Thanks for your comments scotteric.

Will xDrip work on it though? There's no need for the G5 mobile app if you can install xDrip, it does everything the real G5 app does and much more. It collects data straight from the transmitter/sensor through bluetooth just like the G5 app does, I don't even have the G5 app on my phone.

 

[cazd2]

Will xDrip work on it though? There's no need for the G5 mobile app if you can install xDrip, it does everything the real G5 app does and much more. It collects data straight from the transmitter/sensor through bluetooth just like the G5 app does, I don't even have the G5 app on my phone.

Thanks do much scotteric you just saved me a wedge of money!

 

[scotteric]

Thanks do much scotteric you just saved me a wedge of money!

Let me know if it works. I hate the real app with a passion, there's no way to set different alarms for different times of the day, no way to silence the urgent low alarm which can be embarrassing in public, no way to see statistics such as average BG without logging onto the Clarity website, and lastly, it will show ??? all the time when the readings are still reliable enough to report. Plus it only works with "Android Wear" watches which excludes the far superior Pebble (in terms of battery life at least - and it was discontinued unfortunately) and will stop working after 90-110 days even though the transmitter still has battery, which is horrible for us who self fund. Also hated having to reset the sensor and go black for 2 hours every 7 days even though no one actually changes a sensor every week (at least no one who self funds). Xdrip doesn't ever make you stop the sensor! The real app made me switch to the Libre, xDrip made me switch back!

 

[cazd2]

Hi Scotteric,
I'm away for a couple of weeks. When I get back and have a chance to try it I will let you know. The app has installed on my phone which is more than the G5 app would do!