FreeStyle Libre 2 - US Reviews

I called about this. I have screenshots for proof but they have no way for me to submit them. This morning the scan and logbook show a reading of 73. The graph shows about 130 for that reading. The graph shows the high logbook readings very accurately. But not the lows. I think theres an error in the graphing programming that is not displaying low readings accurately. Everyone i talked to wants to assume its the sensor OR they give you this standard explanation that the graph is an average. If that were the case then the high readings would not exactly match the logbook readings. Unfortunately the low logbook readings don’t display accurately on the graph.

People using FreeStyleLibre2 - DONT make treatment decisions based on the graph - use the logbook which is accurate readings taken by the sensor. Hopefully if enough people complain about the graph they will get a software engineer to look at it. Customer service - i have screenshots if you figure out how i can submit them. I actually really like this much better than fingersticks but lets get the programming fixed to accurately graph your results. Customer service apparently can’t tell the software engineer theres a problem. Might have to write abbot corporate. Probably get ignored there too. For the record, I am an engineer so I know for certain there is an inaccuracy.

This whole change over was supposed to be better for me since I have frequent lows and the alarmed seemed to be the smartest idea. I’m coming from the freestyle libre 14 day. You start your sensor with the reader and enjoy the convenience of using your phone. It was great- since my fiancé likes to check me while I’m sleeping to see what my levels are since it didn’t have any alerts. So, I got the freestyle 2 thinking it’s going to work the same way- that you’ll be able to turn on alerts on your phone and off on your reader- since everything else is described as the same. Nope. You have to use the reader OR you have to use FreeStyleLibre2 - you can’t use both like you could with the 14 day. This ACTUALLY makes me want to dump the 2 since getting alerts only on the the reader is useless to me. It’s better for me to get it on my phone where it bumps the alert to my watch than to have to listen for the reader, which isn’t always within ears shot. I was hoping Abbott now has it together and was going to be ideal for my situation. Well, now it’s looking like I’m going to have to spend MORE money and switch to the dexcom (even though I hate the idea of it on my stomach). Now, I’m heading the libre 3- is cell phone only- no reader…. I think only having to carry one device for CGM, glucose and ketones. I’m very disappointed. I wish they’d been transparent about this and where’s misrepresenting it.

I see a lot of complaints about the very loud and intrusive alarm. As an Uber driver, that was a deal breaker for me, too, but I’ve found my workaround. If you go (on an iPhone)
Into Settings/Notifications/Libre2/ Critical Alerts, you can temporarily turn them off. I get that it’s there to help people not go into critical blood sugar events, but jobs are jobs. I also have to turn off Bluetooth when driving since if it is on, all apps quit “talking” and I miss driving prompts. So, I scan, turn off critical alerts, turn off Bluetooth, drive a ride or two, turn them back on, and scan again. The prompts still quietly appear on the screen. I’d prefer a one step Work or Drive mode that does that for me, but maybe it can be considered for future upgrades.

Despite that, it’s useful, much more practical than the handheld device, and allows my clinicians to see my data in real time for med corrections. I also don’t have always be at my desktop and uploading the meter (and charging the meter) so I love the convenience of that. Overall? I’m confident my next A1C is going to be significantly better thanks to the information FreeStyleLibre2 constantly provides.

My doctor gave me a sample Libre 2 to try out and I am not a fan. I have been using the original 14 day Libre for several years and will be sticking with that version. With the Libre 2 I get daily error messages and as others note, the alarms are very annoying and cannot be turned off. I run several times a week so I get false low readings and having an alarm that cannot be shut off drives me crazy. Being unable to use both a reader and my phone is also inconvenient. There are times when a quick scan with a reader is best (middle of the night) and times when the more robust app is a better choice. Libre 2 takes that choice away. Its one or the other. It’s not a bad product and beats finger sticks by a million but Libre 1 is a better choice until Abbott links the product (hopefully the Libre 3) with Omnipod or another pump product at which time the failings of the Libre 2 will be outweighed by the benefits of a closed loop system.

If there was a 0 star option. I would have used it. I liked the first version ok. I kept having problems with the sensor being knocked off my arm bumping into a door, having my son climbing on me but the phone app was helpful. I’m not covered by insurance but I’m a nurse and having finger sticks at work is a portal to infection so the cost seemed worth it… mostly. I never bothered to have the sensors replaced. I just did finger sticks when the sensor came off or malfunctioned- twice within 2 days :-/. Now with the Libre 2… it won’t even work! I called the hard-to find on the box number and got two people after 2 calls neither of which could hear me through the static. The connection was clear as a bell on the menu line. I’m irritated and angry. BTW, I also got woken up several times last night. Get it together please! Update, I called a total of 4 times. The company refused to offer me a refund despite my out of pocket 75$ a month and 2 failed sensors back to back. They offered me a replacement but neither of the previous 2 worked. They also refused to listen to my complaints and instead, punted me to an automated message like a hang up several times. Product is a thumbs down, so is a thumbs down and customer service is a huge thumbs down. NEVER using again. Worst experience EVER.

Had my Freestyle Libre for a little over a month now and was very happy to finally get it. I first used it with the reader and my numbers were very close to my finger sticks…1 or 2 point difference. Second 14 days, I decided to try FreeStyleLibre2 on my phone as there is greater functionality with FreeStyleLibre2 in tracking and inputting information. Meter reading were 30-35 points off from in comparison to finger stick so I discarded the disk and tried another thinking the disk was defective. On second disk, readings were still 30-35 points off from compatible finger sticks so I removed the disk again and started back using the reader. When I went to fill my rx again, it was a challenge getting the replacement disks as I was told it was too soon to fill them. I like FreeStyleLibre2 , but the readings made it difficult to truly know my blood sugar readings and even more difficult to get the disks I discarded replaced. In looking at other forums on the web it appears that off readings is consistent when using FreeStyleLibre2 with some other users. As a note, I used each disk for 3 days prior to removing them. Directions state to track with stick readings for the first 12hrs to ensure accuracy, but my incorrect readings lasted longer than that. Took screenshots as proof of the off readings as a backup.

I got a free sample voucher to try it out so I asked my endocrinologist to write me a prescription. I’ve been using my original FreeStyle for over a year now. I’m about 5 days in and I don’t think I would use this version. I’ve had at least three instances of the scan not being available - it tells me to try again in 10 minutes. But when I re-scan after 10 or even 20 minutes I still get the error. I was able to fiddle with the alarms because they are quite loud but the low alarm is not able to be disabled at all (I totally understand why - that’s the whole point of the monitor). FreeStyleLibre2 must be running in the background at all times which isn’t workable for me as it drains the battery on my phone after just a few hours. The FreeStyle 2 is also not covered by my insurance, so I can’t justify the extra expensive on my limited budget for a monitor that seems a little unreliable for me. I think the concept is great but this just wouldn’t really work for my lifestyle. I’m perfectly happy with the FreeStyle 1.0 and feel it has been reliable and mostly accurate.

This device measures interstitial fluid under your skin which means it’s roughly 5 to 15 minutes behind your blood glucose, although in most cases the readings should be reasonably close. It also shows if you’re trending up, down, or maintaining level. Problem for me after ten days of use is that it has been as close as 45 less than my blood sugar meter and as far off as 95 less than my blood sugar. It has never been higher or even remotely close. The alarms have been relentless, waking me in the night, and upsetting because I have never had any low blood sugar symptoms when they’ve gone off. There is no way to silence the alarm or lower the volume. Sound is completely unnecessary for me as my smartwatch vibrates and alerts me, and I don’t appreciate loud false alarms in the grocery store, workplace, or while sleeping. An alarm also goes off if you get more than 20 feet away from your phone. If you disable the critical low alert, FreeStyleLibre2 refuses to give you any reading. Currently I’m enabling the alerts, taking a reading, and disabling them so I don’t have to deal with it. If this continues when I change discs that will be the end of my experience with this technology.

I couldn’t agree more with the majority of the reviews here - WE DON’T NEED YOU TO FORCE UNBEARABLY LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS ALARMS ON US. Like, the whole point of things like this is to give us more control, not less. Change the alarms. Make them customizable for every situation - I don’t want this thing going off in church or a movie theater or the grocery store (really anywhere, but hopefully this gets the point across) - make it so we can still receive notifications but they don’t have to be audible and/or vibrating, depending on the situations’ needs. I was honestly so excited because this is the kind of freedom I crave with my diabetes - I am so much more capable of taking care of my diabetes when there’s freedom and simplicity and accessibility. But these alarms are straight garbage. I’d rather go back to stabbing myself 4-5 times a day. FIX IT. If you fix the alarms and make it so that I get to choose when and how the alarms go off, and also set the boundaries for when they trigger, FreeStyleLibre2 will jump up to 5 stars easy. Don’t be like every other app developer - actually listen to the feedback you’re getting and fix it. It’s very simple. Pretty please.

I had no trouble with the Libre sensors and Libre 15 Day app, but I’m very unhappy with Libre 2. I appreciate the concept of alarms, but I’ll get woken up 4 times in a night, take readings, and eat something, only to find later that the line chart values for those times were way above the readings I took - were they real or not?? This didn’t happen with Libreview readings. I’ve yet to have finger pricks anywhere close to the readings I get even when I’m pretty stable. Then there’s the “try back in 10 minutes” and way too many “loss of signal” alarms - the latter give my poor dog panic attacks and apparently can’t be changed. After four days on one sensor I switched to another, and saw no improvement. I called Abbott: “There’s nothing wrong with the sensor.” So I called their data / app department - they said that FreeStyleLibre2 is not compatible with iOS 15.2, and it won’t be until they get FDA approval of FreeStyleLibre2 update. (They took me through a multi step process to get to the fine print on their website that says that it is not compatible.) What business do they have selling us the sensor and showing its use with FreeStyleLibre2 when it’s not trustworthy? #ProfitsoverPeople

If I was grading the alarm it would be a 1. It’s constantly going off and I refuse to carry my phone every minute of the day for life!! To kill high alarms I raised the alarm score to 300. I really would like it at 220 but without much sound control I feel trapped into using a bad number.

The ability to now comment is huge and I am giving a 5 for that! Some are complaining that the meter is far off from a finger stick. Of course it is! The sensor is behind because it is reading your interstitial fluid and not your blood. The fluid reading can be 10 minutes behind your blood reading meaning the glucose just hasn’t arrived to the fluid yet. Be patient, it will arrive. IF you fix that horrible alarm I think most people will be happy.

I really would like it if you had better notifications. I have looked for a phone app when I first got my Libre 2 but it didn’t exist. I allowed notifications. Today is March 2022, yet I see reviews going back as far as August 2021!?! So much for up-to-date notifications!

I have not had the opportunity to use the Libre 2 yet, I’m waiting on my next Doctors appt so he can write the RX for it. But I’ve been using the Libre 14 day for a long time now, so this isn’t so much a review but more of an observation and a recommendation. FreeStyleLibre2 needs to work on the Apple Watch in conjunction with the iPhone. The previous reviewer complained about not being able to hear the alerts. If a user could get those alerts on their Apple Watch either by sound or vibration it would be very beneficial. My iPhone pretty much lives in my back pocket or a cargo pocket on my leg and there have been many times even with the loudest alerts I would have missed a call or text if it hadn’t been for me wearing my Apple Watch. So from a longtime Libre user and future Libre 2 user please develop an update that allows the Apple Watch to display the information the phone is receiving from the sensor. I promise you customers will love it.

I love the convenience of checking my blood sugar with my phone and not having to carry the separate reader anymore. Although FreeStyleLibre2 has been lagging recently and I have to wait about 15 seconds before I can hit any buttons on it or check my sugar. The “urgent” alarms can be very annoying too and I wish you could customize these better. I like that it alarms me when my blood sugar is 55 but the fact that it has to alarm me every 5 minutes about it can be annoying since you’re suppose to eat 15 carbs then recheck 15 minutes later. It’s very loud, annoying and has been waking my newborn since I can’t adjust this alarm anyhow

And no, I will not be contacting Abbott support. If FreeStyleLibre2 is getting this many repetitive reviews stating/complaining of the same issue then it’s clear what the issue here is. Make the alarms completely customizable in FreeStyleLibre2 as they are with the reader. This is not an Abbott issue as it is an app issue

I (like many other reviewers) am very disappointed not to have the versatility to scan with either the reader or the iPhone. With the Libre 14 day at night (I hope the Libre 3 will be easier for night use.) I kept the reader under my pillow and scanned as needed without having to wake up fully. (I have wished for a night screen dimmer, but otherwise it worked fine.) Now for a night reading I would have to unlock my phone, open FreeStyleLibre2 and then scan. Unless I have missed where you can set something up to scan from the lock-screen. I understand that one or the other would probably need to be the primary source for alarms but I don’t think that should inhibit being able to get a reading with an additional device. If the data is similar to that of the 14 day, I found FreeStyleLibre2 ’s data much more comprehensive and easier to use. The reader is a clunky piece of equipment for this day and age. Adequate but cheaply designed. We use these devices multiple times constantly for years and I think there could be a more modern system.

Critical alert goes off 20+ times a day including all night, even when your sugars are fine. I shut off all the other alarms, but shutting off that one is not allowed. Woke me up at midnight and said my blood sugar was 54. I felt fine so I checked the glucometer. It was 80. Goes off again at 12:25 am. Ok. Fine. I’ll get up and eat something if I have any hope of sleeping. Wake up in the morning and it says my sugars are 291. I use the glucomoter: they’re 243 (they would have been fine if FreeStyleLibre2 had not forced me to choose between sleep and normal sugars). I remove the sensor and disabled FreeStyleLibre2. I can’t be making decisions about insulin ingestion when this thing misses the mark by 20 - 40% in both directions. This technology is going to cause someone to kill themselves, but that isn’t going to be me. The constant, high-pitched alarm to remind me that everything is normal put me in a state of perpetual anger. But, discovering that it’s not even remotely accurate made me realize it’s dangerous. Be very careful with this technology, or better yet, don’t use it.

I used the Libre 2 reader for my first sensor and was excited to use FreeStyleLibre2 on my next one (as they cannot both be used with the same sensor). Unfortunately, the sounds cannot be adjusted for the alarms. Having the alarms has been my favorite part of Libre 2, however not having the ability to only have vibrating alarms is super inconvenient. I’m not supposed to have my phone on me at work, which will be practically impossible with this feature. On another note, I often get readings with FreeStyleLibre2 that say the sensor cannot be read. I never had this issue with the reader, but for some reason with FreeStyleLibre2 it’s a constant issue. At this point, I’m going to have to turn off all of the alarms after scanning my blood sugar, which entirely defeats the purpose of the new enhancements with the 2 sensor. Overall, I’m very disappointed with FreeStyleLibre2 and wished I had scanned my new sensor with the reader. Now I’ll have to wait another 2 weeks to switch back.

App opens but whenever you tap the check glucose button, maybe it will open, most likely it will not. You can close it and open it as many times as you want and hear the beeping of the critical alert it gives each time FreeStyleLibre2 is closed. Even when left open it does not track levels even though it says it does and that’s why you give the critical alert whenever you close FreeStyleLibre2 . Main function off FreeStyleLibre2 (check glucose through the sensor) does not function.

Update: I waited a few days before making this update. Contacted support and went through the usual clear cache, uninstall and reinstall. Still does the same thing just not as often anymore. Support says it might be a sensor issue and not FreeStyleLibre2 itself. If that’s the case then there’s a bad batch of sensors out there because I went through 3 of them troubleshooting it with customer support.

***Update: no I do not want to contact customer services for assist as there nothing anyone can do. FreeStyleLibre2 was set as it is. Just admit it: FreeStyleLibre2 is set the way you want it not customers.

Today the first time & first day using this glucose sensor with app. At first I like it because it easy but then it became annoying. I have certain way of how I set my notifications & alarms. With FreeStyleLibre2 I can’t set it up the way I want it to be. If I do then my phone will go crazy with alarms & alerts. Apparently all notification, banners, Lock Screen, sounds, & badge icon numbers must be on. Heck the badge icon numbers don’t work. All I want is Lock Screen & no sounds. I appreciate this company that made FreeStyleLibre2 for us diabetic people but it should allow US, diabetic customers, to set up how we like it with notifications & alarms. This is making me wonder if I made the wrong choice & have to look else where.

There’s a lot here that could be improved. I will say the Libre 2 is my first experience with their sensors, and before that I was on Dexcom. I prefer the Dexcom app, I was hoping FreeStyleLibre2 would be similar in some ways. I was surprised with a couple issues I had.

My biggest issue is with the alarms. There’s no way to put them on vibrate or make them quiet unless you turn them off…which defeats the purpose of a notification/alarm. Honestly just that aspect alone has me considering going back on the little reader I had to use before FreeStyleLibre2 was available to the US. I get why they made it that way, but it’s really disruptive, and I’ve found no way to at least make the alarms quiet. They turn my phone on full volume whenever they go off.

The next is there is no way to calibrate the sensor. I don’t know if it's possible , but calibration would be so helpful. There was one time I was getting a reading 120mg/dl over my actual blood sugar, which was scary to say the least. I don’t even know how long it was so incorrect. Luckily the company replaced this sensor, but it did make me question wether I wanted to stay with the Libre. Having an option to calibrate would be awesome.

All in all, it does what it’s supposed to, but there is a lot there to be improved. The alarms are the biggest thing for me. Make a vibrating alarm option and I’d be much happier.

Pros: I can skip using the archaic reader. Seems to push the data to their online service properly (combining reader and phone data) - however once you start a sensor with phone or reader, you're stuck with that only device.

Cons: 3AM signal loss or erroneous low level alarms. Why can't I disable all alarms? After I acknowledge the risks, I should be able to silence alarms and not hear a blaring alert at 3AM. The only way to make this happen is to remove all permissions to use notifications... however, once doing that, FreeStyleLibre2 refuses to do anything. Seems like lawyers or engineers at Abbott thought that they knew better. Well, they do not - they should be designing for humans that are already inconvenienced by having to wear sensors and track things, and consider these small details.

This new software does not permit the use of the factory reader with an iPhone or with more than one iPhone. To switch from using the factory reader to an iPhone or vice versa, the sensor in use must be discarded, and a new sensor must be installed and initialized for one hour or more. There does not appear to be a way to synchronize data between a factory reader and an iPhone or the Cloud. Consequently, changing readers interrupts calculation of cumulative data and charts. These were not limitations of the previous sensor and reader versions. The maker falsely advertised compatibility of version 2 of the sensor with the iPhone for many months, probably to prevent the public from considering alternative brands. Immediately upon attempting to use the current software, I was blasted with warnings about unproven compatibility with the current iOS. These are my reasons for the low rating and the review title, “Disappointing.”

Who is the IDIOT that thought it was a good idea to make you choose either the Reader or FreeStyleLibre2 ?

Obviously not a diabetic themselves! That’s not how most of us use the thing. The 5 people in my little circle of Libre 2 users, we all do a very similar thing. We start the sensor with the Reader, at home we manage monitoring with the Reader, but when we go out in public we leave the Reader at home. What we need is a tool that lets us get a quick reading with our phone while we are out in public or at work away from home. Yeah, it would be nice if we could transfer the values captured by FreeStyleLibre2 to the Reader, but ya know, not necessary.

But this idea that we have to choose either the Reader or FreeStyleLibre2 ? Take the executive that cut that corner out back, and metaphorically shoot him!

Fix this Freestyle. I get that it might be tough to transfer values between FreeStyleLibre2 and the Reader. But to make it so you can only use the Reader if you start the sensor with the Reader, and that you can only use FreeStyleLibre2 if you start the sensor with FreeStyleLibre2 ? That’s stupid! You are a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical and DME mega-corporation. Do something more for your patients than just fleece them for your ever-increasing profit margins. Until this gets fixed, I’ve got to kick FreeStyleLibre2 to the curb. k

I have been waiting over 8 months for FreeStyleLibre2. I works great and has much more information than the freestyle 2 meter. The meter had very poor battery life and I needed to recharge it frequently- but the iPhone app is so much better. I can also link my endocrinologist into the data so when I visit he just down loads my data from Abbott.

I really can’t wait for the freestyle 3 with its smaller size and continuous link to the iPhone. Come an Abbott if you can release this ver 3 in Germany you must be able to get the US to approve it here too!!!

In the last iteration of FreeStyleLibre2 /sensor, the instructions said you could start FreeStyleLibre2 with the reader and then use your phone as well. I realize they don’t share data, but what about when I need to calibrate/compare with a finger stick? If I activated with FreeStyleLibre2 , I can’t also scan and verify on a device with the reader. Is it manual entry? I’d love to test FreeStyleLibre2 right now, but I’m 9 days from a new sensor, and it won’t let me read with the phone. Anyway - small potatoes - but something for Abbot to consider in the future.

New to CGMs. Got my Freestyle Libre 2 four days ago. My first sensor fell off after three days (already not a great experience). Just downloaded the new app, and went to try with the replacement sensor I just activated. Against everything documented by Abbott online (which says to activate a new sensor with the reader first, then scan with iPhone) apparently you can no longer use both the reader and app together. You can only use the device that activated the sensor. That, along with absolutely no support for Apple Health, earns the Freestyle Libre 2 one star (zero if I could.) I’m stuck with it as it’s the only device my insurance will cover, but for those who can choose, go with the competition.

Sometimes a CGM sensor blood sugar reading can be far off. Which is fine, since you can wait and replace it later. But this new app is making my life so hard with the new mandatory alerts. I can’t turn them off when they suggest I am low. So every few minutes I get a alarm, like a amber alert, saying I’m low. However, I am not low, as I double check my blood sugar with strips usually. It’s really frustrating and I hope they turn off the mandatory alert system.

I’ll still use it, but I like having all my data in one place to really dig into it and see how everything affects my blood sugar. My protein, fat, and carbs are in HealthKit. My exercise is in HealthKit. My sleep is in HealthKit.

If export my LibreLink data to an CSV file I can use 3rd party add to add it to HealthKit. So I do that. But it would be much better if the LibreLink app did it.

Works great and like FreeStyleLibre2 , just wish Kaiser Permanente would cover it in my insurance…maybe after it’s not so new and more widely excepted?

Please, please fix this.
You cannot scan with phone if activated on the reader. This behavior is different from the original app compatible with libre 1. Yes m, you get the notifications on the device that you used for the sensor activation, but you should be able to scan with both reader and phone.
For many people FreeStyleLibre2 is useless in the way it is now!

The alarm volume does not respond to the phone settings. It’s at peak volume no matter what, which is way too loud. Important logbook readings are clearly absent from the graph. And alarms go off every 8 minutes while low, despite it often taking 15 minutes or more for treatment to raise blood sugar out of the designated low range. 3 alarms every 8 min for a single hypo in the middle of the night is NOT tenable.

FreeStyleLibre2 only allows scanning with a single device. With the previous app, I would activate a new sensor with my Libre scanner, then my phone. That way, I always had an alternate method for accessing my sensor data. Why on earth is that function locked down and not available with FreeStyleLibre2? Been waiting so long for FreeStyleLibre2 to be approved in the US, and am so disappointed.

This is ridiculous. You should be able to scan with both a phone, multiple phones, or the reader. The Libre 1 app allowed this which meant my close family members could scan my Libre and check my sugar with their own phone if needed. No reason that this capability should be taken away with the Libre 2 app.

I have been waiting for this. 🤞🏻 it works as it should.

Would like to still have ability to use phone and reader.

I have been waiting for this omg so excited!