Abbott Fails to Update App
Abbott has not released an update for the app in almost a year! Considering this is a literally life saving product, of which consumers must use the app to access critical health data using their smartphones, you would think that app updates would be a priority. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here.
There are additional security and troublesome issues with Abbott’s failure to provide an update of this app for its consumers. The current app is NOT compatible with up to date device operating systems. This means consumers who rely on Abbott’s product are unable to update their devices with the most recent and important operating systems, leaving them open and vulnerable to security issues. Along these same lines, since consumers who rely on this app for their health are unable to update their devices, they are also “stuck” having the inability to utilize other apps and services which require the newer operating systems as well.
It is extremely disappointing that the company providing the very product/app combo which can be incredibly useful in improving its consumers’ quality of life, and even helping to save lives, would be neglected for so long. Clearly, Abbott is more focused on making money off of selling the pricey sensors used with the app, than they are in maintaining their services to actually help and retain consumers. It is almost sickening.
There are additional security and troublesome issues with Abbott’s failure to provide an update of this app for its consumers. The current app is NOT compatible with up to date device operating systems. This means consumers who rely on Abbott’s product are unable to update their devices with the most recent and important operating systems, leaving them open and vulnerable to security issues. Along these same lines, since consumers who rely on this app for their health are unable to update their devices, they are also “stuck” having the inability to utilize other apps and services which require the newer operating systems as well.
It is extremely disappointing that the company providing the very product/app combo which can be incredibly useful in improving its consumers’ quality of life, and even helping to save lives, would be neglected for so long. Clearly, Abbott is more focused on making money off of selling the pricey sensors used with the app, than they are in maintaining their services to actually help and retain consumers. It is almost sickening.
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Response from developer
Thank you for your comment. Please contact our Customer Care team at 855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
Great when used correctly!
I've been wearing the Freestyle Libre sensors for years. I was very excited to try the 3 due to its much smaller size, but then I read the reviews on the app and I waited 2 months before deciding to give it a try. The first day, I had alarms going off constantly, lost signals...my husband went on the Abbott website, he told me to just let the app run in the background and not to close it. That worked! No more alarms out of nowhere, readings are always there. And just an FYI, there is now a reader available to go with the 3 if the phone app isn't working for people. I would like to be able to also see my readings on my Apple watch, but it sounds like it may be coming in the future. (Possibly Series 8?) So far I'm very happy now with this app! UPDATE: I spoke with Abbott customer service today, there are watches that will allow alerts to be sent to them, but at this time there aren't any that will show the actual glucose level at this time, if that helps anyone.
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Response from developer
Thanks for the comment. We appreciate hearing from you.
Very good but easily could be much better
Other users have mentioned this… why can’t we customize the alarms??? This is such a simple programming fix and would make use of this device so much better. You guys charge an arm and leg for these things… fix this. I have been using these for almost a year now and multiple times they have had errors and just stop working. Needless to say this is pretty unacceptable for how much they cost and how important they are. I understand it’s a newer technology and there are growing pains but when my insurance only pays for 2 a month and 1 of them craps out after a day…. I have attempted to contact Abbott about this issue and to say they were dismissive would be an understatement. Finally, why are they so hard to find?? I’ve had to transfer my prescription 3 times to find a pharmacy that has them in stock. Is this America? Don’t pharmaceutical companies print money in this country? Use your vast wealth of resources to fix these problems, I’m not asking for a lot.
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Response from developer
Thanks for the comment. We'll need more information to help with this issue, so please contact our Customer Care team at 1-855-632-8658.
Great monitor pathetic app
I have fairly recently started using a Libre 3 after getting to try out a Dexcom G7 for a bit. Unfortunately my insurance won’t cover the Dexcom currently. I have been pretty impressed with the monitor itself, I love the size and it hasn’t lost signal hardly at all, it has also been within a couple points of my standard glucose monitor every time I’ve checked which is awesome. Unfortunately the app that goes with it is incredibly generic for such an impressive device! I like to be able to look back and see exact number for all times throughout the day and all you get with the app is a pathetic line graph with absolutely zero detailed info unless you make a note at every time you want to know something! I don’t know if this was someone’s first attempt at an app or if they just have no idea what people actually want or need to use these monitors for but it needs a LOT of work!! I have read through tons of reviews and it doesn’t seem like many people are impressed with the app. I would gladly go back to the Dexcom purely because of how user friendly and well laid out their app is. I sure hope the developers of the Libre 3 app are reading these reviews and planning to do some serious revamping!
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Response from developer
Thanks for your feedback.
Can’t recommend these devices
To be honest, the high failure rate of these devices and the limited functionality of the software makes it difficult to consider these devices as a credible CGM solution. Out of the last 12 sensors, 10 have failed at approximately the 7 day mark (supposed to last for 14 days). The software has no integration with Apple Health, and does not provide data to any outside source or device. It’s impossible to see more than 24 hours of information, and at least for me, the readings given are not anywhere close enough to the data shown from my finger stick device to make me confident of using it as the sole monitoring tool for my blood sugar (if I’m still carrying a meter around, I fail to see the point in having this device). The simple addition of an adhesive patch to secure the sensor to your arm would be a significant improvement, since the sensor frequently falls off and cannot be re-inserted, requiring starting a new one, which gets expensive even with insurance coverage. (Tip: fabric Band-aids are your friend here.)
To their credit, the support people have been very good about replacing the faulty devices, but the cost and usability issues of this “solution“ vs the amount of time invested in dealing with the reliability issues just isn’t enough to make it worthwhile.
To their credit, the support people have been very good about replacing the faulty devices, but the cost and usability issues of this “solution“ vs the amount of time invested in dealing with the reliability issues just isn’t enough to make it worthwhile.
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Response from developer
We'd like to follow up with this. Please give us a call at 1-855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
Don’t waste your time!
Abbott, in their “infinite wisdom”, has not made a reader for the Libre 3 so the only option there is is the phone app. Oh, and if you have an iPhone with iOS version 16.3.1, your Libre 3 CGM is worthless. The app is not compatible with this software version! And heaven forbid they make an app that is not so sensitive to phone software updates or make a reader that is compatible with the Libre 3! For those of us who can’t afford the Dexcom, we’re pretty well screwed! Thanks for nothing, Abbott! I just “love” how Abbott responds to ALL complaints here by telling you to call their “Customer Care” team. And what will they say? Yeah, sorry we’re so stupid that we can’t provide an app that works with ALL types of phone software or that we can’t provide a reader that is compatible with both the 2 and the 3. Give us another 10 years and we MIGHT come up with something that works for you!
So I called the number I was provided by the Developer only to be told they didn’t know when they’d have the reader for the Libre 3. Thanks a lot, Abbott. You just proved again what imbeciles you are.
So I called the number I was provided by the Developer only to be told they didn’t know when they’d have the reader for the Libre 3. Thanks a lot, Abbott. You just proved again what imbeciles you are.
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Response from developer
We'd like to follow up with this. Please give us a call at 855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
Useless
My dr prescribed the Freestyle Libre 2 for me and the pharmacist told me I would have to have a separate reader so I asked my dr to write an Rx for the Libre 3 so it would work with my phone. After waiting for it to come in, read all the info on how to use it, applied the first sensor, it wouldn’t work. I bled through the hole in the sensor. I went to the pharmacy and was told to call the customer service number so they could replace it because it was defective. After an hour on the phone I got no where. The CS rep couldn’t understand me, I speak clear, plain English, she was middle eastern. She asked me the same questions over and over and had no idea what my problem was because she wouldn’t listen to me. She refused to let me speak with a supervisor until I had to be insistent. Supervisor informed me the Libre 3 will not work with lates IOS! It only goes up to IOS 16 and I have IOS 16.5. How irresponsible on Abbots part to not have a up to date app?? They’re advice to me was to “find an old phone” to use. They promised a replacement or a voucher for a new sensor but never sent either one. Back to pricking my finger all day. So disappointed!
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Response from developer
We'd like to follow up with this. Please give us a call at 855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
Alarm TOO loud
You can shut off most alarms except the lowest one re glucose level critically low. You ought to give the sensor wearer a choice as to what level of sound is best for them because what you’ve done is created an alarm that can wake the dead in the next county. Bloody frustrating. For this reason, I am seriously considering leaving Libre. Has anyone noticed that when you have a complaint about this sensor, all the company does is respond to everyone with the same exact word - to call Customer Service? Well, they are useless, too.
Note: I had failure this morning with a brand new sensor. (I have been using Libre 3.). The call to customer service was useless, and waste of my time. It never went thru the full 60 minutes before you can start using it. I called customer service and that was a nightmare. The customer service person had an accident so thick I had great difficulty understanding them. Eventually the representative tells me that it’s going to take them 20 to 30 minutes on the phone before they can issue me a new sensor. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with utter nonsense like that. If you can’t handle your business within five minutes on the phone get out of business. This is the THIRD sensor that I’ve been thru that has been defective. Your company is taking my money. Not any more. I’ll be giving my business to your main competitor- hello G7!
Note: I had failure this morning with a brand new sensor. (I have been using Libre 3.). The call to customer service was useless, and waste of my time. It never went thru the full 60 minutes before you can start using it. I called customer service and that was a nightmare. The customer service person had an accident so thick I had great difficulty understanding them. Eventually the representative tells me that it’s going to take them 20 to 30 minutes on the phone before they can issue me a new sensor. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with utter nonsense like that. If you can’t handle your business within five minutes on the phone get out of business. This is the THIRD sensor that I’ve been thru that has been defective. Your company is taking my money. Not any more. I’ll be giving my business to your main competitor- hello G7!
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Response from developer
We're so sorry to hear that your issue wasn’t resolved. We'd like to follow up with this. Please give us a call at 855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
Very unfortunate app for a great product
As a pharmacist, I just started testing and comparing the Freestyle Libre 3 and and Dexcom G7 on myself. After trying the Dexcom first and being able to see exactly what my levels were on the graph by dragging the little pointer along it to highlight my numbers, I was extremely disappointed to see that the freestyle doesn’t have that capability. I went through the trouble of getting a prescription and buying a prescription only to find I have no way to look back in time and see what my levels were exactly unless I’m looking at the app in real time. Even though Dexcom is worn for 10 days, the app alone makes it better.
The other issue is freestyle doesn’t allow you to turn off notifications of critical lows no matter what you do. It seems the first night you put it on, you get crazy low numbers over night that aren’t accurate. And I’ve had patients complain of that feature as well. I’m not diabetic nor concerned with lows. I’m a health conscious insulin resistant healthcare provider who wants to better manage my diet. I don’t need to be woken up in the middle of the night by false negatives. Freestyle, you have some incredibly simple app upgrades that would make this product superior to Dexcom. Do them.
The other issue is freestyle doesn’t allow you to turn off notifications of critical lows no matter what you do. It seems the first night you put it on, you get crazy low numbers over night that aren’t accurate. And I’ve had patients complain of that feature as well. I’m not diabetic nor concerned with lows. I’m a health conscious insulin resistant healthcare provider who wants to better manage my diet. I don’t need to be woken up in the middle of the night by false negatives. Freestyle, you have some incredibly simple app upgrades that would make this product superior to Dexcom. Do them.
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Response from developer
Thank you for your comment. Please contact our Customer Care team at 855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
App is useless!
I upgraded from Libre 14 Day to Libre 3 only to find out I can’t do something as simple as enter my BG in the logbook. REALLY?? That was a feature in the Libre 14 Day!! Come on Abbott, take a few dollars of your huge profits that we pay and develop an app that is informative to the users of this very expensive CGM. Also, the daily graphs are useless, you can’t do something as simple as drill down to specific glucose readings. Sure you can get a general trend, but there is no way to tell if your glucose is even within +/-20 points of a reading for a specific time. That can be a huge difference in decisions we need to make. Sure you tell us to take a BG reading before making adjustments which I do, but to be able to see more detailed readings on the graph would be very beneficial to your customers. It can’t be that hard to program your app to do this. I know, I know, it would cost you precious profits, but you would have much happier and probably more users of your CGM. Maybe we should switch to DEXCOM!! At least DEXCOM has the ability to calibrate and their app is much more informative!!!
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Response from developer
Thank you for your comment. Please contact our Customer Care team at 855-632-8658 so we can better assist.
