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

My experience and possible, temporary solution…

I had a Bluetooth connectivity problem with my latest Libre 2+ sensor and my iPhone SE 2020. The previous sensor was fine and my phone will connect happily to my headphones, so I was suspicious of the Libre sensor. Anyway, I spent a while checking the settings and resetting everything before giving up and calling Abbott. They knew the problem straight away - blamed it on the last IOS update (I was on a slightly out of date 26.2.1 at the time - they promised to send a replacement sensor and a reader - basically saying there’s no way to fix it until Abbott’s developers get a move on and update the LibreView app (my words). Odd that the last sensor worked*

Luckily, I have an old Android phone that I was able to install Juggluco on.

If interested, I found Abbott list of compatible devices and operating systems/versions on this page: https://www.diabetescare.abbott/support/manuals/uk.html

*While I was trying to fix the problem myself, I found a suggestion from Facebook that may help with Bluetooth syncing. Whenever you start a new sensor, it’s vital to keep the LibreView app open for 5-10 mins: don’t lock the phone’s screen and keep the phone within range of the sensor.

This worked for me, even after updating my iPhone to the latest 26.3.1 version. However, note this is not recommended by Abbott, but it does help mean your phone has the latest security updates etc. if you use online banking etc.
 
becca59 said:
@Coffeemonster yes it must be irritating to hear when others, myself included, post that everything is fine for them. But surely the question is why? What is it about your own circumstances that make it incompatible. Abbott saying that the update will not work seems strange when many thousands are not having issues. If those thousands were having issues Abbott would be in big trouble with the NHS. My understanding is this is not the case.
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The obvious answer is that those who don't have the problem probably have auto updates disabled on their phones. As I understand it the problem has arisen because Apple issued an update to IOS with which the Abbott app is incompatible. It beggars belief that Apple didn't publicise the details of their new software to app developers ahead of launch or if they did, that Abbott didn't take the hint and ensure their app was updated in line. But if your phone is still running the previous IOS version then obviously the problem won't arise.
 
I asked my diabetes team if I could trial Dexcom One+ which they kindly agreed and so I thought it may be of interest to provide my evaluation of the pros and cons of each.

LibreLink with Libre 2 plus sensor – pros

Well established and therefore well known amongst the diabetes community.
Slick user interface with minute-by-minute updates.
Has 15-day sensor life.
App updates each minute.
Alarms work even with iPhone silent mode activated (on older phones using the physical switch on the left-hand side of the phone).
Alarm for out of range can be turned off.

LibreLink – cons

Continuously out of step with current iPhone IOS (Abbott has today – 10/6/26 - updated its compatibility list to take compatibility up to 26.4.1 – current IOS is 26.5).
iPhone app displays trend graph which means that on occasions the graph revises recent figures where these are deemed to be outliers. This makes it impossible to refer back to historic readings and events unless the sensor is swiped with the phone to take a live reading (which wil create a log entry).

Dexcom One+ - pros

Becoming well known and an established provider.
Alarm for out of range can be delayed up to 23hours 59 minutes.
Sensor is smaller than Libre 2 plus.
Sensor has a more mutted colour making it less obvious to others.
Excellent compatibility with iPhone IOS (when my iPhone was updated to 26.5 the app compatibility was confirmed within two days!).
Graph in app shows exact readings through a line of dots, each representing an automated reading. When hovering over the line the time and reading for each dot is displayed.
Although sensor has 10 day life an additional ‘grace period’ of (24 hours) 12 hours* is allowed, thereby allowing the time of replacement to be moved to allow you to change the sensor when it is convenient.
An ‘overpatch’ is provided in every box. This can be used to secure the sensor if you have issues with adhesion – having said that I have now used four Dexcom Sensors without using the overpatch and had no issues at all.

Dexcom One + - cons

Interface is less colourful than LibreLink’s, however it is perfectly usable.
Readings are taken every five minutes rather than each minute. This can be a frustration when trying to recover from a low since progress can only be checked slowly.
There is no near field communication (NFC), although even the LibreLink seems to only provide the last reading when swiped – ie it doesn’t instigate a new reading to take place.
There is a maximum reading of 22.2 mmol/L.

Conclusion

I believe both sensors can provide the information required to manage my diabetes control but the issues with iPhone compatibility that exists with the Libre 2 plus mean that I have now changed to use Dexcom as a permanent solution.
I simply can’t get over why Abbot cannot maintain compatibility with the Libre 2 plus whereas Dexcom provide compatibility practically immediately. I do wonder if the use of NFC is the stumbling block for Abbott, and if this is the case I think they should seriously consider dropping it.
Incidentally, when trialling the Dexcom one+ I ran for a few days with both sensors and they were generally consistent, although the less frequent readings from the Dexcom made exact comparisons difficult.

I hope that this post may be helpful to users of either option.

*Edited to correct grace period
 
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I agree that the most probable cause of Libre failure on iPhones is the NFC component. I checked the Libre sensor's compatibility with an old Android phone and it was fine. Having said that, I use my iPhone for a number of different things and reverting to Android wasn't an option, so I too have switched to Dexcom. Apart from the lower sensor life and the app looking less colourful I haven't found any problems. It works well and gives me the info I need. One thing I have noticed is that the Dexcom sensor seems to stick a lot better than the Libre; when I was using the Libre I always had to use the Kovac plastic cover and plaster to ensure it didn't get pulled off when turning over in bed etc. The Dexcom sticks like a limpet without even using the overpatch provided; even when its time to change getting the old sensor off is a serious business.

By the way, the 'grace period' in which the sensor continues to provide readings even after its official life is over is 12 hours, not 24.

Happy Dexcom user here!
 
I got my iPhone 4 years ago when I started with Libre and it worked fine for 2 years but then the NFC failed and Apple were good enough to replace the phone even though it was out of warranty, 2 years later the same problem the NFC failed and Apple said they no longer had that iPhone and I would need to upgrade to an iPhone 16e which would cost me an extra £150 , when I said that I needed the phone for medical reasons they waived the £150 and gave me a new phone ,first class service but a little concerned about the quality of the NFC component .
 
Thanks for correcting the grace period. Mines due for replacement at 6.00 am tomorrow and so the ability to make the change later in the day is very welcome!
 
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