FreeStyle Libre 2 and iOS 15.5 update

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counsellorneil

counsellorneil

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi, since updating my iPhone SE2020 to iOS 15.5 on Tuesday, I've been having problems with scanning any new FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors. On Wednesday lunchtime I put a new Sensor on my arm, the usual place. Worked overnight, then from 2 pm this afternoon kept getting the error shown in the image. Eventually filled in the online form to get a replacement sensor. Then I removed the one that wouldn't scan and put a new one (my last) on my other arm. Initially, it would not scan either, giving the same error message. After multiple attempts, it recognised it was a new sensor and I had to wait the usual hour. It has since not given me a successful scan, again just giving the same error message.

I'm wondering if this is connected to the iOS upgrade? Is there now some inconsistency between the app and the iPhone 15.5 upgrade?
Is anyone else getting the same issue?
Or is it a bad batch of sensors?
Or is there something I'm doing wrong? Though I think I'm just doing the same as usual, having been using the sensors for a couple of years now.

I finally called the FreeStyle support line. Not much help about the specific problem I'm having, though they are sending out a new Sensor, in 5 to 7 days, which means I now have no Sensors at home. Looks like I'm back to finger pricking for a while .

Any thoughts? Many thanks.

8DEE622E-025E-4FEC-8A31-E3F1B89A5B68.png
 
Have you tried turning off the blue tooth connection for a few minutes and then switching it on again?
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Have you tried turning off the blue tooth connection for a few minutes and then switching it on again?
Click to expand...
No, that's one thing I haven't done. Will try that. Interestingly, just had a low glucose alarm on my iPhone, which again a scan did not work, though a blood test confirmed (3.7). Will try turning off the blue tooth now.
 
Unfortunately turning off the blue tooth has not made any difference. At least I'll get alarms. Feel a bit safer overnight.
 
counsellorneil said:
Unfortunately turning off the blue tooth has not made any difference. At least I'll get alarms. Feel a bit safer overnight.
Click to expand...
Oh that's a shame, as I know it worked with my Dexcom. Glad you have alarms though which is better than nothing.

Can you reinstall the app before you insert a new sensor?
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Oh that's a shame, as I know it worked with my Dexcom. Glad you have alarms though which is better than nothing.

Can you reinstall the app before you insert a new sensor?
Click to expand...
I have thought about uninstalling the app and then reinstalling it. Though not sure what would happen to the currently in-place sensor. Would it reconnect when the app was reinstalled? No idea, though I think not?
 
counsellorneil said:
I have thought about uninstalling the app and then reinstalling it. Though not sure what would happen to the currently in-place sensor. Would it reconnect when the app was reinstalled? No idea, though I think not?
Click to expand...
I have no idea hence why I wondered about doing it once your sensor had ended. There's no updates for the app is there?
 
Pumper_Sue said:
I have no idea hence why I wondered about doing it once your sensor had ended. There's no updates for the app is there?
Click to expand...
If nothing changes I will do a reinstall of the app when the sensor expires. That’s 2 weeks away now.

Yeah, I’ve got the latest version of the app, though it’s not updated very frequently by the company.

Appreciate all your suggestions. Thanks.
 
If the problem is scanning and you are getting alarms, the problem is not Bluetooth but maybe NFC.
Are you able to turn NFC off and on again with an iPhone! Maybe put it in airplane mode for a few minutes. (That will also turn off Bluetooth so don’t do it when your levels are fallingmas you will not get alarms.)
I take it you have tried the usual - turn your phone off and back on again.
 
counsellorneil said:
I have thought about uninstalling the app and then reinstalling it. Though not sure what would happen to the currently in-place sensor. Would it reconnect when the app was reinstalled? No idea, though I think not?
Click to expand...
Re-installing the app is not a bad idea, however, alarms only work on the device that started the sensor. When you re-install the app, then scan the sensor, the sensor detects it as a new device. So while it may work to scan at that point, alarms won't work on it until you apply a new sensor
 
Okay. Have just spent an hour on chat and phone with a really helpful and nice person at FreeStyle support. Tried the things mentioned above by various people again, including deleting then spp and reinstalling it. No change. Still no scanning. I guess at some point in our conversation he was feeding things back and towards the end said they are getting lots of calls of iPhone SE2020 users having the same problem. They are now looking to resolve it. I hope their software teams are able to do this quickly!! Thanks again to everyone for your support. He did suggest using another phone, so going to install the app on my wife's Android phone when she gets home and see if that works. He didn't mention alarms wouldn't work?
 
An update. After speaking with Apple Support on the phone and in an Apple shop it was determined the NFC chip had failed in my iPhone. Apple Pay had also not working, which I guess was a clue it was more than the FreeStyle app. As the phone was less than 2 years old, it was replaced for free and all is well for scanning and Apple Pay now. So I don't know if this is related to the 15.5 iOS upgrade or just a weird coincidence? Did the upgrade somehow fry the NFC chip ‍♂️?
 
counsellorneil said:
An update. After speaking with Apple Support on the phone and in an Apple shop it was determined the NFC chip had failed in my iPhone. Apple Pay had also not working, which I guess was a clue it was more than the FreeStyle app. As the phone was less than 2 years old, it was replaced for free and all is well for scanning and Apple Pay now. So I don't know if this is related to the 15.5 iOS upgrade or just a weird coincidence? Did the upgrade somehow fry the NFC chip ‍♂️?
Click to expand...
Dear counsellorneil. Thanks for sharing your valuable experience. I’m from the Netherlands and experienced this week exactly the same sequence of events as you described in great detail. I have used the FreeStyle Libre 2 together with my iPhone SE 2020 flawlessly for two years. I too got the ‘Scan Error’ message and changed my sensor twice unsuccesfully and contacted the Helpdesk. My first thoughts were possible defects in the Bluetooth and/or NFC connection, originating from the iPhone. However, Bluetooth connections with other devices could be made without any problem, including the transfer of data. Defects with the NFC could also be excluded since I was able to use Apple Pay at the checkout counter effortlessly. I also followed all the obvious procedures from the Apple Community to get rid of possible software glitches: I installed the FreeStyle LibreLink app twice; renewed all network settings; turned off and restarted the iPhone several times; similarly, turned off and on Bluetooth several times, both in general and specifically for the app. None to any avail. Like yours, my problems started suddenly while reading the sensor that was already in use for 6 days. First it took several attempts to get a successful connection after which it failed altogether. A new sensor could only be initiated with great difficulty but then failed definitely for subsequent read-outs after the 60 minutes waiting period. The Helpdesk informed me today that the SE 2020 was tested for compatibility with the sensor but that the operating system was only tested for compatibility up to version iOS 15.3 (NOT vs 15.5!). In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with the SE 2020, its Bluetooth, nor its NFC. It functions just as it should. However, Abbott has to URGENTLY test the SE 2020 in conjunction with iOS 15.5 for compatibility with their FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor. I urged the Helpdesk to convey my experience to their software development team ASAP. For now, I am confined to using their Reader device with its limited possibilities untill Abbott has solved this issue. If other users experience similar problems, please contact your local Helpdesk.
 
MaWa said:
Dear counsellorneil. Thanks for sharing your valuable experience. I’m from the Netherlands and experienced this week exactly the same sequence of events as you described in great detail. I have used the FreeStyle Libre 2 together with my iPhone SE 2020 flawlessly for two years. I too got the ‘Scan Error’ message and changed my sensor twice unsuccesfully and contacted the Helpdesk. My first thoughts were possible defects in the Bluetooth and/or NFC connection, originating from the iPhone. However, Bluetooth connections with other devices could be made without any problem, including the transfer of data. Defects with the NFC could also be excluded since I was able to use Apple Pay at the checkout counter effortlessly. I also followed all the obvious procedures from the Apple Community to get rid of possible software glitches: I installed the FreeStyle LibreLink app twice; renewed all network settings; turned off and restarted the iPhone several times; similarly, turned off and on Bluetooth several times, both in general and specifically for the app. None to any avail. Like yours, my problems started suddenly while reading the sensor that was already in use for 6 days. First it took several attempts to get a successful connection after which it failed altogether. A new sensor could only be initiated with great difficulty but then failed definitely for subsequent read-outs after the 60 minutes waiting period. The Helpdesk informed me today that the SE 2020 was tested for compatibility with the sensor but that the operating system was only tested for compatibility up to version iOS 15.3 (NOT vs 15.5!). In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with the SE 2020, its Bluetooth, nor its NFC. It functions just as it should. However, Abbott has to URGENTLY test the SE 2020 in conjunction with iOS 15.5 for compatibility with their FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor. I urged the Helpdesk to convey my experience to their software development team ASAP. For now, I am confined to using their Reader device with its limited possibilities untill Abbott has solved this issue. If other users experience similar problems, please contact your local Helpdesk.
Click to expand...
Overnight, my iPhone just stopped reading the sensor. I went through all reboot processes but no joy.

I called Abbot who said this is a software issue they’re trying to resolve and are sending me a sensor in the meantime. They could not tell me when it would be sorted or how we would be informed when it is.

Question. Is this an issue for specific iPhones or for all on 15.5?
 
I had this issue for the first 8 hours or so with my iPhone SE (2020) on 15.5, but since then it has been pretty consistent. I did 'blow' on the sensor when it started working, but I think that was just a coincidence!
 
I also have this issue - iPhone SE iOS 15.5. About 6 weeks ago I had two new sensors added within 24 hours fail to scan and initiate the sensor/app. I deleted the app and restarted again, including restarting the phone. Last week, a sensor stopped scanning with a scan error message at about day 11. Reapplying a new sensor over the weekend, I could not get the phone to scan the app for the first set-up scan. Turning the phone off and on as well as deleting the app and restarting has not rectified the issue. However, my daughter downloaded the app onto her phone (iphone 7) and it scans! So now I'm wearing a sensor that I can't really scan (infrequent as my daughter is not always with me) and I have two more. Thank you for these posts which helped me identify the issue. The Abbott technical person in APAC made no mention of the iPhone SE issue and implied that it was my error in applying the sensors. This is so frustrating!
 
I would say definitely NFC reader on iPhone - and can apply to any iPhone. It is a known issue with Apple but apparently not with Abbot Healthcare. Can test by trying to use ApplePay - if that doesn't work then it is NFC. Apple should replace iPhone - if at a store and have problems with staff agreeing say you want to exercise your Consumer Law rights. My iPhone was 18 months old out of 12 month warranty and they changed no problem - I didn't even have to mention Consumer Law - they told me it was within my Consumer Law rights without me asking.
Diabetes UK - could be worth mentioning this within your publication.
 
DavidMarshall said:
I would say definitely NFC reader on iPhone - and can apply to any iPhone. It is a known issue with Apple but apparently not with Abbot Healthcare. Can test by trying to use ApplePay - if that doesn't work then it is NFC. Apple should replace iPhone - if at a store and have problems with staff agreeing say you want to exercise your Consumer Law rights. My iPhone was 18 months old out of 12 month warranty and they changed no problem - I didn't even have to mention Consumer Law - they told me it was within my Consumer Law rights without me asking.
Diabetes UK - could be worth mentioning this within your publication.
Click to expand...
Exactly what happened n my situation. Apple were very helpful.
 
KiwiT1D said:
I also have this issue - iPhone SE iOS 15.5. About 6 weeks ago I had two new sensors added within 24 hours fail to scan and initiate the sensor/app. I deleted the app and restarted again, including restarting the phone. Last week, a sensor stopped scanning with a scan error message at about day 11. Reapplying a new sensor over the weekend, I could not get the phone to scan the app for the first set-up scan. Turning the phone off and on as well as deleting the app and restarting has not rectified the issue. However, my daughter downloaded the app onto her phone (iphone 7) and it scans! So now I'm wearing a sensor that I can't really scan (infrequent as my daughter is not always with me) and I have two more. Thank you for these posts which helped me identify the issue. The Abbott technical person in APAC made no mention of the iPhone SE issue and implied that it was my error in applying the sensors. This is so frustrating!
Click to expand...
UPDATE: I contacted Apple and they requested the return of my phone for diagnostic testing. Subsequent to that, they have replaced by old SE iphone with a new one. I still think Abbott and Apple (given it is moving into healthcare) should be informing people of the issue with the iphone SE.
 
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