Could you recommend a smart phone compatible with Libre 2?

[Yeeta]

Are there any recommendations for a basic smart phone that will work well with Libre 2 ? The phone wouldn't be used for anything else. I've never bought a smart phone before, but it's been recommended by the Diabetic team to help monitor the blood sugars.

 

[MikeyBikey]

To me if you are only going to use it for BG a smartphone is over the top. @rebrascora uses a reader and may be able to comment. The cheaper smartphone I got initially turned out not to have NFC (near field communication) and although I now have that Android 14 id giving me high BG alarms but not low ones.

 

[Yeeta]

To me if you are only going to use it for BG a smartphone is over the top. @rebrascora uses a reader and may be able to comment. The cheaper smartphone I got initially turned out not to have NFC (near field communication) and although I now have that Android 14 id giving me high BG alarms but not low ones.

Thanks for the heads up about Near Field Communication. I didn't know to look out for that.
I'm trying to buy a suitable smartphone for my sister who is in a Nursing Home. The staff want to be able to check her blood sugars during the night without waking her up. She is often found to be lying on the arm which has the Libre sensor.

 

[rebrascora]

I assume from what you are saying that your sister has a reader, but staff were wanting a phone which would provide bluetoothed readings for when she is lying on the sensor, rather than having to wake her to scan the sensor?
What I would say is that the sensor can be unreliable when lying on it and cause what we call "compression lows" where the system will suggest that the patient's levels have dropped into hypo when they have not. It is one of the limitations of the system. I suppose in that situation, they would need to wake her anyway to ideally test her with a finger prick before then treating her for a hypo if necessary or ascertaining that is was in fact a false hypo ie a just compression low.
I bought an old iphone 8 second hand which cost me £100 about 3 years ago. I hate the thing but it does work with the Libre 2. I used it for a few weeks and then went back to using my reader because I much prefer it and just keep the phone as a back up in case anything happens to the reader.... I managed to lose it in the garden last June and didn't find it for a (very rainy) month, so I was pleased of having the iphone, but I managed to pour the water out of it and put it in a tub of hot dehydrated couscous for a fortnight and amazingly it came good again.... Lucky or what!! And it literally was full of water!

Anyway, I know almost nothing about smart phones, I hate the things, but I do know that the iphone 8 works with Libre. You wouldn't want to go any older than that though as I think the iphone 7 may no longer be supported on the app. and I imagine at some point that will happen with the iphone 8 but hopefully not for a few years.

 

[Yeeta]

Thanks, that's helpful. I'm learning so much from this group that I wish I'd joined years ago.
Yes, my sister hates being woken up during the night, especially if when the nursing staff have scanned her patch with the reader then say all is well and she should go back to sleep.
I'd not heard of "compression lows" before, but that does make sense.

 

[rebrascora]

The nursing staff may not know about compression lows, caused my lying on the sensor. They might just take it at face value and treat it as a real hypo and then end up with your sister's levels going sky high and the next shift coming on wonder what on earth is happening, so it might be worth mentioning it to them if you get the chance. ie. That Libre is not reliable below 4 or over 10 and a finger prick should be done to double check before any action is taken below or above those levels.

 

[MikeyBikey]

How does your sister sleep? Since my amputation I usually sleep on my back or right side as on the left feels unbalanced. To avoid compression lows I now only use Libre on my left. Having long arms I alternate between top and bottom of the arm so the sites are well separated.

How's your search for a phone going? If you subscribe to Which a friend told me they recently reviewed mobile phones for older people . The sub-£100 apparently are often just basic phones and the ones somewhat higher lack features like NFC!

 

[rebrascora]

How does your sister sleep? Since my amputation I usually sleep on my back or right side as on the left feels unbalanced. To avoid compression lows I now only use Libre on my left. Having long arms I alternate between top and bottom of the arm so the sites are well separated.

How's your search for a phone going? If you subscribe to Which a friend told me they recently reviewed mobile phones for older people . The sub-£100 apparently are often just basic phones and the ones somewhat higher lack features like NFC!

The OP's sister need a smart phone to get CGM on the LibreLink. At least that is my understanding. They are not looking for a simple phone for an elderly person to use. It is for the carers/nurses to use.

 

[RBZ5416]

I would suggest asking around your friends & family for anyone that may have an older phone sitting unloved in a draw. The reason I suggest this is that both Android & Apple have recently updated their operating systems & there seem to be issues with both. An older phone, especially a tatty one, may also be less likely to disappear!

Android would probably be best as Apple phones require an Apple ID, which in turn requires a payment method to be assigned.

So all you need is a phone running Android 8 or above with NFC capability for local scanning & bluetooth for the desired CGM updates. Here's the compatibility list for the latest app from Abbott.

Samsung
Galaxy A7, A20, A20e, A21, A22, A23, A30, A32 5G, A40, A41, A52, A52
5G, A70, A71, A71 5G, Feel2, Note8, Note9, Note10+, Note10 Lite, Note20 Ultra
5G, S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S9, S9+, S10, S10 5G, S10e, S10+, S20, S20 FE 5G, S21
5G, S21 5G Olympic Games Edition, S21+ 5G, S22, Z Flip3 5G, Z Fold3 5G

Asus
Zenfone 8

Fujitsu
Arrows 5G, U

Google
Pixel, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a
5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro

HTC
Desire 22 Pro

Huawei
P20 Pro

LG
style3

Motorola
moto g 51 5G

OPPO
Reno A, Reno3 A, Reno5 A

Sharp
AQUOS R3, R6, sense3, sense3 plus, sense3 plus

Sony
Xperia 1 II, 5, 8, Ace II

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T

 

[trophywench]

I have a Xiamo Redmi myself and it doesn't have the normal 'Google App Store' thing that most other Android phones have, instead it has a thingy labelled 'App Mall' which you just click and just search for Librelink and install that in the normal way you install any App on any phone.

 

[heathero]

To me if you are only going to use it for BG a smartphone is over the top. @rebrascora uses a reader and may be able to comment. The cheaper smartphone I got initially turned out not to have NFC (near field communication) and although I now have that Android 14 id giving me high BG alarms but not low ones.

Yes I had the same top level alarm when I used phone giving. So embarrassing in exercise at Health club. Much happier using reader set to buzzer also at night under my pillow.

 

[heathero]

Yes I had the same problem Top level Alarms unable to reduce when I had phone giving alarms. So embarrassing in exercise at Health club. Much happier using reader set to buzzer also at night under my pillow.