Which phone will work please?

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Lorri

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Hello, we have an elderly uncle who is going to start having his sugars monitored with a libre. The diabetic team want him to have a smart phone so readings can be sent direct via an app. Freestyle libre link.
We tried an old iphone 5s but its too old for the app so today we went and bought a motorola that is android 11 software.
We’re no good with android as we have apple phones so not sure on the software.
set it all up and went to get the app but says not available on this phone!!
What should we buy?? The phone will only be for this app, he will never make calls or send messages etc so dont want to spend a fortune.
Thank you
 
Why don’t you contact Abbott and ask them to send your uncle a Libre 2 reader? (I take it he’s getting a Libre 2?) If he’s not going to use the phone for anything else...
 
Bloden said:
Why don’t you contact Abbott and ask them to send your uncle a Libre 2 reader? (I take it he’s getting a Libre 2?) If he’s not going to use the phone for anything else...
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My guess is they'd like him to upload the data so they can also look at it (which is a bit easier with a phone). A phone also removes the need for scanning the sensor which may be something they're thinking about. It's probably worth exploring exactly what would work best; as @Bloden says buying a phone (and presumably some kind of SIM that'll offer data so uploading can work) isn't a trivial cost or complexity if this is the only use for the phone.
 
Bloden said:
Why don’t you contact Abbott and ask them to send your uncle a Libre 2 reader? (I take it he’s getting a Libre 2?) If he’s not going to use the phone for anything else...
Click to expand...
Ok.
Think the diabetic team want it to monitor remotely. He’s in a care home & it will be the staff having to do the readings as he wont be able to.
Not sure which one he is getting as not seen it yet.
He currently does 2 x finger prick bm’s, has always done this way until the recent appt wanted him to change. He had a few months of his sugars running super high & his record keeping wasn’t very good!
 
Bruce Stephens said:
A phone also removes the need for scanning the sensor which may be something they're thinking about.
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Good point @Bruce Stephens. (I use a reader because the alarms stopped working on my phone thanks to one of the app upgrades, but I also scan with my phone so that the clinic can see my data without me having to upload it).
 
Lorri said:
Think the diabetic team want it to monitor remotely. He’s in a care home & it will be the staff having to do the readings as he wont be able to.
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OK, that probably explains the suggestion of a phone: once it's set up, it just has to be reasonably close and charged. Then the data will be uploaded and he and the nurses can look at the phone to see the current reading (and unlock it to look at the graphs and things, if that's something that they might use). And after the initial configuration (there's a certain amount of setting up the authentication and things for sharing the data with the team) changing sensors (each sensor only lasts 14 days) is pretty easy, so the staff shouldn't find it too much of a problem.
Lorri said:
Not sure which one he is getting as not seen it yet.
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Almost surely Libre 2. (Libre 1 is no longer available and Libre 3 isn't generally offered for some reasons that haven't been made public. Nothing wrong with Libre 2 (it's what I use), but the Libre 3 sensor is much smaller and the packaging is also more compact with a little less waste.)
 
Presuming the care home offers wifi, the phone needn't have a contract. I think Abbott used to offer a phone-like thing as an alternative to the reader, but I'm not sure how much that cost (if his team can't offer one) or whether it's been updated since Libre 2 became a proper CGM. Might be worth asking the diabetes team whether that might work.

Probably Android is cheaper. For example, Google is selling Pixel 6a for £299 (which works even though it's not on their list and is the phone I'm using). I presume there are places selling older phones on the list: https://www.diabetescare.abbott/support/manuals/uk.html (in case it's not clear, Freestyle Librelink, Mobile Device & OS Compatibility). Looks like Apple sells refurbished iPhone 12 mini from £379; it seems likely an older iPhone would work for this but there's the usual issues of finding one that's working adequately well.
 
Lorri said:
Lorri said:
Thank you all.
Think we will see if it can be done just with a reader & get staff to send readings in once a week??
Click to expand...

Thank you all.
Think we will see if it can be done just with a reader & get staff to send readings in once a week??
Click to expand...
it is not 'just the numbers' they'll want to see though - plus nobody else whoever ot wherever they are would see or hear the alarms from the reader. To share the info from the reader it must be downloaded to software already down loaded on a computer, so you have to plug in a lead from the reader to the computer then download it specifically. Plus, the reader battery has to be topped up a lot more frequently than a phone else it just stops working - as a phone would - so who is going to make sure whichever is done regularly without fail? The phone doesn't have to be physically downloaded as long as it's got the wifi turned on and is pretty constantly in touch with the network. I still use the reader because I simply don't carry my phone at all times and doing that would just be inconvenient to me, not all my clothes have pockets big enough and I don't wear 'baggy' enough things very much either. When your bones make you size 10 and you're only 5ft 2 it's hard enough getting a deep enough side pocket for a half used hanky! let alone owt else.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Presuming the care home offers wifi, the phone needn't have a contract. I think Abbott used to offer a phone-like thing as an alternative to the reader, but I'm not sure how much that cost (if his team can't offer one) or whether it's been updated since Libre 2 became a proper CGM. Might be worth asking the diabetes team whether that might work.

Probably Android is cheaper. For example, Google is selling Pixel 6a for £299 (which works even though it's not on their list and is the phone I'm using). I presume there are places selling older phones on the list: https://www.diabetescare.abbott/support/manuals/uk.html (in case it's not clear, Freestyle Librelink, Mobile Device & OS Compatibility). Looks like Apple sells refurbished iPhone 12 mini from £379; it seems likely an older iPhone would work for this but there's the usual issues of finding one that's working adequately well.
Click to expand...

My new phone (2 weeks) is a Pixel 6 and works as it should with CGM and data to my care team. Think the reader was about £130
 
Oh, PS - I have a redmi phone and that works OK for everything and downloaded the Libre App fine.
 
Lorri said:
What should we buy?? The phone will only be for this app, he will never make calls or send messages etc so dont want to spend a fortune.
Click to expand...
Partner posting the technical info - ( It's technical so (no human feelings) as the tech won't understand them). Full disclosure @Lilly not using Libre2 anymore she is pumping with a MiniMed 780G insulin pump

Well as this is for Freestyle Libre the main requirement is for a phone that supports 'Near Field Communication' which means NFC for short; but it also needs WiFi and Bluetooth. I guess most devices with NFC pretty much all have WiFi and Bluetooth. The actual android version may or may not be very relevant, but there is information about the APP's prerequisites listed on Google's APKmirror site. I think if I remember correctly Librelink App is the one you need? So for Freestyle Librelink App used for libre2 sensor, look at this link
freestyle-librelink-gb which sends you straight to the apkmirror.com site, where you can see the listed tech requirements for the particular APP as follows:
Code: 
 App: LibreLink
Version: 2.10.1 (10406)
Languages: 78
Package: com.freestylelibre.app.gb
Downloads: 511
37.36 MB (39,170,088 bytes)
Min: Android 8.0 (Oreo, API 26)
Target: Android 13 (API 33)
arm64-v8a + armeabi-v7a + x86 + x86_64
nodpi

Notice it states it requires Android 8.0 as a minimum, buy its target intended for Android 13. I have an old OnePlus3 (A3003) phone which worked for LibreLink and LibreView APPs and probably LibreLinkUp App too; but there are more up-to date ones.

The re is a Reader for Libre2, but a smartphone is far preferable, as you get the wonderful graphical display that truly lets you control your Diabetes.

IMHO I prefer Androids over iPhones because of apples more proprietory and restrictive business model.
 
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Bloden said:
Good point @Bruce Stephens. (I use a reader because the alarms stopped working on my phone thanks to one of the app upgrades, but I also scan with my phone so that the clinic can see my data without me having to upload it).
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Had that problem too but a phone call to Abbott and had to sort out the App's permissions, and set up appropriate priorities and sounds for the alarms - quiet for the high and loud for the low alarms to avoid hypos.
 
Lilly said:
Had that problem too but a phone call to Abbott and had to sort out the App's permissions, and set up appropriate priorities and sounds for the alarms - quiet for the high and loud for the low alarms to avoid hypos.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was in contact with Abbott and did everything they suggested, repeatedly. No joy. I prefer using a reader, tbh. It’s dinky and easier to handle! 🙂
 
Another vote for a reader, unless you are wanting a follow app so that the rest of the family can oversee your uncle's results. I am not sure if Libre has that facility though.
I love my Libre reader because it is small and simple to use. I am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to phones. I tried the app on an old iphone for a while and it worked OK but when I was hypo a few times my muddled brain wasn't able to operate it and so I am far happier with the simplicity of the reader.
 
Is something small a good idea for someone in a care home?
It will not need to be carried around and I would have thought something larger like a phone would be less likely to be lost.

Does the reader do CGM or will it also need scanning?
 
There are benefits and drawbacks to both options I think. I find I struggle to hold and manipulate my iphone whereas the reader is just comfortable, simple to turn on and easy to scan but you need a PC to download the data to LibreView,
Having tried both systems, I found it far easier to use the reader and have gone back to it, even though it doesn't have full CGM. I am guessing the OP's uncle may be like me and not a huge fan of smart phones and may find it confusing to operate.

My android phone is a Motorola and it wasn't compatible, so I bought a second hand iphone 8 but I really dislike it and have migrated back to using my trusty reader. I do however have a PC to download the data to LibreView, so that may be the deal breaker for your uncle if there is no access to a PC to download it.
 
helli said:
Is something small a good idea for someone in a care home?
It will not need to be carried around and I would have thought something larger like a phone would be less likely to be lost.

Does the reader do CGM or will it also need scanning?
Click to expand...

After my amputation Adult (Don't) Care transferred me to a care home. My mother was also in a care/nursing home environment. They lose lots of things unfortunately and I think the smartphone would be the better option as you can ring it if it cannot be found. To avoid confusion uninstall any unnecessary apps like FaceAche, Twoddle (now strangely called X), GB News, etc. He might like WhatsApp if he is not overly confused (I have used it for calls to sub-Saharan Africa). If needed the BG data can be shared directly with his diabetic clinic. Hope it goes well whichever you choose.
 
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