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Janey01

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Type 1
Hi
I have been Type 1 for over 20 years. Today tried to use the Libre 2 system and it is a nightmare! App wouldn't scan sensor. Customer support tried to help, but eventually said they would send me out a new sensor.
Wonder if I am doing something wrong. Any tips?
Thanks.
 
Hi and welcome.

Have you done the Libre Academy or webinar tutorials? Did the application of the sensor go OK?

Which phone do you have? I am a bit of a dinosaur but I think you need to make sure it isn't in airplane mode. The sensor scans with NFC but it sends the alarms via Bluetooth. Are the alarms working? Ie. If you put the phone in another room and walk away from it, does the "out of range" alarm go off?
The NFC receiver on some phones is in an awkward place and you have to hold it in a particular position or orientation to collect the scan data. I think you will find the location on the phone from your phone handbook or possible online. I use the Libre Reader which scans really easily if you just swipe the reader over your arm but some people have mentioned that the NFC can be tricky on some phones and some people have found that the NFC is broken on their phone so it will not scan. At least a couple of people have reported that here on the forum with quite new Apple phones. If you have one of those and you are signed up to Apple Pay you can test the NFC receiver by using Apple Pay. If it works then the NFC is not the issue. If it doesn't then it may be broken and you would be best visiting an Apple store to get it checked out.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome.

Have you done the Libre Academy or webinar tutorials? Did the application of the sensor go OK?

Which phone do you have? I am a bit of a dinosaur but I think you need to make sure it isn't in airplane mode. The sensor scans with NFC but it sends the alarms via Bluetooth. Are the alarms working? Ie. If you put the phone in another room and walk away from it, does the "out of range" alarm go off?
The NFC receiver on some phones is in an awkward place and you have to hold it in a particular position or orientation to collect the scan data. I think you will find the location on the phone from your phone handbook or possible online. I use the Libre Reader which scans really easily if you just swipe the reader over your arm but some people have mentioned that the NFC can be tricky on some phones and some people have found that the NFC is broken on their phone so it will not scan. At least a couple of people have reported that here on the forum with quite new Apple phones. If you have one of those and you are signed up to Apple Pay you can test the NFC receiver by using Apple Pay. If it works then the NFC is not the issue. If it doesn't then it may be broken and you would be best visiting an Apple store to get it checked out.
Click to expand...
 
Hi
Customer service checked that phone was compatible and that I had everything switched on. The app seems to be laid out differently to the one on a friend's phone who has an iPhone. Wonder if I should use the reader instead, but don't know how the hospital will collect the data.
 
Do you have a reader? If so, I would give it a go. The Libre first and foremost is a device to help you with your diabetes management. Yes, it is useful to be able to download the info to your clinic so that they can look at it and help you if you are having problems, but surely being able to use the kit yourself and have the alarms is the first priority. I have a PC so I just download my data to the LibreView link on my PC and the hospital staff can access it from there. If you don't have a PC or other device which you can connect via USB then perhaps a friend or family member does. I only download my data about every 3 months.... or obviously I would download it sooner if I had a problem I needed help with, so it shouldn't be overly intrusive if that was your only option.
 
The usual problem with scanning a sensor with your phone is finding the NFC receiver.
These are usually located on the back of the phone somewhere near the camera and takes a bit of practice to constantly get the NFC receiver on top of the sensor to scan.

I had the reader at the start but as I always have my phone with me, I didn't like having another thing to carry around (and potentially lose).
 
Janey01 said:
Hi
Customer service checked that phone was compatible and that I had everything switched on. The app seems to be laid out differently to the one on a friend's phone who has an iPhone. Wonder if I should use the reader instead, but don't know how the hospital will collect the data.
Click to expand...

Find with apps if problems occur it's worthwhile uninstalling app then downloading it again which can resolve matters, have done this once before with libre app & it all worked out well.

Much like helli much prefer phone app over reader as phone goes everywhere with me.
 
I have both a reader and phone app. I have to activate the sensor with my reader first, for both to work. But I much prefer this configuration, since the reader is MUCH more forgiving and finds my sensor easily than my modern Samsung phone. I can, and do, scan with my reader while walking - which is impossible with my phone. So it's a matter of "horses for courses" or finding which configuration works best for you.

I always have both devices with me, but when gardening, for example, my phone will be less accessible, deep in a pocket and my reader more accessible close by. If I want to enhance the reader alarm volume I keep it in a high vis enamel mug: so easily heard and easily found! My few phone scans transfer the last 8 hrs of readings back to LibreView, removing the need to connect my reader to a PC with a cable. Also, when an alarm does sound on the reader, it automatically "wakes up" and displays, whereas my phone alarms but I have to find and open it to see what the reading actually is. My reader has become a little scruffy from constant handling with garden or other work gloves; my phone remains relatively pristine - since it won't display anything until I'm gloveless.
 
Janey01 said:
Hi
I have been Type 1 for over 20 years. Today tried to use the Libre 2 system and it is a nightmare! App wouldn't scan sensor. Customer support tried to help, but eventually said they would send me out a new sensor.
Wonder if I am doing something wrong. Any tips?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Hi, it may simply be a faulty scanner. I’ve been using Libre2 now for couple of years and there’s only been 1 occasion where it wouldn’t work. Like you phoned customer support and they replaced it. You may just have been unfortunate to get a faulty scanner.
 
Sorry to hear you've had a bit of a kerfuffle with Libre2.

Hope it hasn't put you off the tech, which can be such a huge help, once you get used to its quirks.

If you scan with a smartphone app your details are uploaded to your online account automatically. If you use the reader, you can periodically use software on your laptop to upload your results to your account (and produce fancy-looking reports and graphs if you like!). So your clinic should have access to your results whichever scanning method you use. 🙂
 
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