LIBRE & APPLEWATCH

[BellaB]

hello - first time on here! My youngest son aged 14 was diagnosed with type 1 in the summer this year. We are getting there and he is well & happier than he has been in months now and I cannot describe how that makes us all feel. I am sure there will be many mountains ahead but am happy he is happy for now. My big question is this ... he uses a libre 2 and an omnipod. For various reasons it is not practical to give him access to his phone 24/7 and so I have been looking at an apple watch for him to use so he is not carrying too many readers. My initial research is steering me to the blucon nightrider but I gather a miao miao and a nightscout would do the same job. We would get him an apple watch series 3 which I think will work with the app once it is paired through his phone but I am hoping that will work when he doesn't have his phone with him. Any help and advice would be MORE than welcome. My brain is fuzzed with it and I am the wrong age to deal with all the technology - Thank you!

 

[Jaylee]

hello - first time on here! My youngest son aged 14 was diagnosed with type 1 in the summer this year. We are getting there and he is well & happier than he has been in months now and I cannot describe how that makes us all feel. I am sure there will be many mountains ahead but am happy he is happy for now. My big question is this ... he uses a libre 2 and an omnipod. For various reasons it is not practical to give him access to his phone 24/7 and so I have been looking at an apple watch for him to use so he is not carrying too many readers. My initial research is steering me to the blucon nightrider but I gather a miao miao and a nightscout would do the same job. We would get him an apple watch series 3 which I think will work with the app once it is paired through his phone but I am hoping that will work when he doesn't have his phone with him. Any help and advice would be MORE than welcome. My brain is fuzzed with it and I am the wrong age to deal with all the technology - Thank you!

Hi @BellaB ,

Welcome to the forum.

From what I can gather. You are looking for a "stand alone" watch for your son that can work independently from his phone?
Most smart watches are "wearables" linked to the phone.

I use the Libre 2 connected to my Android phone. But I also use a separate bluetooth bridge called a Bubble mini which scans & sends directly to my watch? (Watlaa one.) It's just a basic timepiece with the capability of accepting readings from the Libre every 5 minutes.
It will vibrate alarms too..

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) the issue is once the L2 is paired directly to a particular device. That's it. Paired for life. (14 days.)

Yer not the wrong age. I've been waiting 40'od years for "Star Trek" to happen on the diabetes front..

 

[BellaB]

THANK YOU!

I had a chatter with the Apple expert in John Lewis and I gather that the entry level apple watch would work but I am uncertain as to which 'bridge' is the best. The apple watch doesn't need to be beside the phone to work or that is what I think! Any other help would be amazing.

 

[Jaylee]

THANK YOU!

I had a chatter with the Apple expert in John Lewis and I gather that the entry level apple watch would work but I am uncertain as to which 'bridge' is the best. The apple watch doesn't need to be beside the phone to work or that is what I think! Any other help would be amazing.

I'll tag in @searley , who I believe does Apple Watch. I'll also tag @Brunneria , who was using one a while back, too.

I'm not totally convinced it will work as a stand alone for the L2 even with a bridge.??
It would be a shame that you made a purchase with the best intention in mind, only to find more headache..

But there are less pricier smart watch options to consider independently developed specifically for this application as a stand alone.

 

[searley]

Hi and welcome

i will make it quite clear, that currently there is no good solution that will only use a watch. ive tried many ways... decom was going to go standalone... but the biggest issue is battery life... the constant connecting to a bluetooth device kills the battery FAST.. i dare say we will start to see solutions over the next year or so

i use apple and android and also sumsung tizen... and the john lewis rep is wrong the w apple watch wont work standalone except with bluon which does state that the watch app will connect to the blucon... and it does sometimes... but it WILL kill the battery fast.. you wont get a school day out of it... besides that blucon in my opinion is trash... i had 2 neither work properly or stay connected .. and another issie is the bluecon is quite chunky and sits right ontop of the sensor... much more risk of knocking the sensor off.

your best bet maybe to reconsider the phone idea.. but look more into the parental controls. there is now on apple more controls that can limit times of days and what apps can be used... you could lock it down so that only the diabetes apps can be used...

I also have a MiaoMiao and a bubble.. i preferred the bubble, the support was good and it always worked

 

[BellaB]

Hi and welcome

i will make it quite clear, that currently there is no good solution that will only use a watch. ive tried many ways... decom was going to go standalone... but the biggest issue is battery life... the constant connecting to a bluetooth device kills the battery FAST.. i dare say we will start to see solutions over the next year or so

i use apple and android and also sumsung tizen... and the john lewis rep is wrong the w apple watch wont work standalone except with bluon which does state that the watch app will connect to the blucon... and it does sometimes... but it WILL kill the battery fast.. you wont get a school day out of it... besides that blucon in my opinion is trash... i had 2 neither work properly or stay connected .. and another issie is the bluecon is quite chunky and sits right ontop of the sensor... much more risk of knocking the sensor off.

your best bet maybe to reconsider the phone idea.. but look more into the parental controls. there is now on apple more controls that can limit times of days and what apps can be used... you could lock it down so that only the diabetes apps can be used...

I also have a MiaoMiao and a bubble.. i preferred the bubble, the support was good and it always worked

t

Hi and welcome

i will make it quite clear, that currently there is no good solution that will only use a watch. ive tried many ways... decom was going to go standalone... but the biggest issue is battery life... the constant connecting to a bluetooth device kills the battery FAST.. i dare say we will start to see solutions over the next year or so

i use apple and android and also sumsung tizen... and the john lewis rep is wrong the w apple watch wont work standalone except with bluon which does state that the watch app will connect to the blucon... and it does sometimes... but it WILL kill the battery fast.. you wont get a school day out of it... besides that blucon in my opinion is trash... i had 2 neither work properly or stay connected .. and another issie is the bluecon is quite chunky and sits right ontop of the sensor... much more risk of knocking the sensor off.

your best bet maybe to reconsider the phone idea.. but look more into the parental controls. there is now on apple more controls that can limit times of days and what apps can be used... you could lock it down so that only the diabetes apps can be used...

I also have a MiaoMiao and a bubble.. i preferred the bubble, the support was good and it always worked

 

[BellaB]

Hi, thank you. I need to avoid the phone as an option while I can. Teenagers are way too clever at getting round controls and there are times where he simply can’t have it. Do you reckon an android phone plus bridge is a better option? I’m super confused and every time I look at a product online it makes it worse. I just can’t believe that something as global as the Libre will not work with an apple watch!

 

[searley]

Hi, thank you. I need to avoid the phone as an option while I can. Teenagers are way too clever at getting round controls and there are times where he simply can’t have it. Do you reckon an android phone plus bridge is a better option? I’m super confused and every time I look at a product online it makes it worse. I just can’t believe that something as global as the Libre will not work with an apple watch!

There are more software options for android phones the best being xdrip

But bubble can also use diabox which is a nice simple app

I currently use android as its more flexible that apple


Libre was never intended to work with a watch... as I say the biggest issue is battery on a watch its just so small

 

[BellaB]

That’s great - thank you. Which android watch do you have or do you run it on phone?

 

[searley]

That’s great - thank you. Which android watch do you have or do you run it on phone?

I will go back to what I said earlier

There is NO good watch option you will need a phone to collect the data this can the be passed to a watch BUT adds extra complications

There was one watch made for this I think it was called waatla watch or something similar

But I never heard of anyone having great success

So if you really must avoid the phone you'll need a libre reader

 

[Jaylee]

I will go back to what I said earlier

There is NO good watch option you will need a phone to collect the data this can the be passed to a watch BUT adds extra complications

There was one watch made for this I think it was called waatla watch or something similar

But I never heard of anyone having great success

So if you really must avoid the phone you'll need a libre reader

The Watlaa? Works as a stand alone watch for me.. (Without the need for a phone.)
I can ring about 4 days battery life out of the watch. (Before recharging.) but this is basically geared as a timepiece & BG reader/collector.
However, It does need a Bluetooth bridge. I was using a Miaomiao 2 with the Libre 1, but the changed algorithm on the Libre 2 caused it issue.plus the battery life was dwindling after a full recharge?
I now use the Bubble mini as a bridge. (After your recomendation?) The firmware needed updating on the watch to accept the Bubble.
& the firmware on the Bubble regarding the L2 algorithm.

I feel as a watch option for a 14 year old lad. The device may not apear too bulky?

I'll add an old photo to highlight (give an idea on.) the watch..

The fist pic is the simple face option. Sorry about the quality. Taken with & juggling an iPad one handed?

Looks like I had a bad day at the "office" on the second pic..

 

[Jaylee]

Further info on the above. Alarms & perameters can be set regarding alarms.
It vibrates. I leave it on a hard surface next to the bed at night & the rattle alarm can wake me? I wore it to bed once & I was wrist slapped by my wife thinking it was a wasp.. Sharp response..

So, one would need a BT bridge for the watch to work.. (Work it's "magic.)

This is the Bubble mini. Looks more comfortable to wear than it looks.. The separate holder I aquired off eBay is a soft rubber.

The Bridge I currently use on the left also has a smaller "footprint" than the MM2 (on the right.) I previously used for the Libre 1.

There can be a "work around" @BellaB . But from what I've seen. This is all I know for now if your son uses a Libre.

 

[BellaB]

thank you all for replying - will get my head round all that information but am really super grateful!

 

[Jaylee]

thank you all for replying - will get my head round all that information but am really super grateful!

Best wishes on your quest...

Feel free to ask further & we'll do what we can to help. Without the "boffin" talk..