Many of us have been using the Libre for some time, but someone has, at last, created what seems to be a credible app for using it on an Android phone. The Glimp software can be found here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.ct.glicemia
It seems to need activating with the Libre reader, but then it reads the raw data without doing any interpolation or use of any predictive algorithms. This means that it also reads immediately after the sensor is activated (unlike the Libre reader which takes an hour to settle in) and also continues to read beyond the 14 day limitation imposed by Abbott via the Libre Scanner. This is one of the screenshots from Google Play store:
Now it’s not clear how good the readings are beyond 14 days and based on my recent experiences of the sensors, I wonder whether that data will be of any use at all, however, a step in extending the Libre sensor life can’t be a bad thing, so I’ll be getting my old NFC enabled Android phone out and giving this a go later today or tomorrow.
An update: I used Glimp for 24 hours. At the end of that period, my sensor died. It stopped providing readings. It is also a new Libre reader. I’ve never had a sensor do this before, so I can’t conclusively say that Glimp is the reason that it died. I’ve heard anecdotally that others have seen sensors die after use with Glimp, but unless I risk another sensor, the only advice I can give is that if you are using a new sensor, you might want to consider that there is a risk that Glimp can kill a sensor.
Dear Treets,
I'm the author of Glimp. I read your writing and I'm sorry about your problems with the sensor.
I would like to have some more info to check for the issue. Can you please write to me at my mail ctappsoftware@gmail.com ?
Thank you very much.
I just got the new 14 day sensors and I’m being told glimp won’t work with those i hope this is not true
I assume you are in the US. If so, that’s correct. The DIY systems and converters need updating (which is apparently in the works!).
Sir,
I am using glimp from last one year on SAMSUNG GALAXY ON8, it was working fine till last week, due to switching the phone i had did factory reset of the same mobile, but unfortunately after doing factory reset the glimp is not working.
what might be the issue, and how to solve this as soon as possible
You would need to get in touch with the developers.
I am on my first sensor and there is issue with glimp. First 5 days readings were similar to abbott reader. But then readings became way off. When bg level is at 14 glimp may read 7. Yesterday it was reporting 2.9 while really it was 6.
Anyone having this issue of raw data getting worse through time? If this continues, my nightscout setup makes no sense.
There is a 5-7 minute lag time between blood glucose reading from finger prick and sensor reading of interstitial fluid glucose. If you blood glucose level is changing rapidly, such as after a meal, there will be difference in the 2 types of readings.
Glimp cam still read data from the sensor after 14 days but it can not be used as they are mostly flat and around last measured values before expiration. There is a timer inside the sensor and I think when it is out, part of the circuit are burnt.
how we can continue to use the sensor after 14 days
No-one has yet worked that out. There seems to be a timer on board the sensor that stops the transmissions after a little over 14 days is up.
Glimp is reading only 12 hrs accurately after the sensor is expired. After that it will keep giving the same last result.
My sensor is now on day 19 and 4 hours, it still gives me accurate readings. It is my third sensor and it’s the first time i still use it after 14 days.
I do not think that GLimp destroys your sensor but you NFC device does it maybe.
I use Glimp on a smartphone without NFC but it’s connected to a smartwatch with NFC and Glimp.
Hi Erik, you’re the first person I’ve heard be able to get more than 15 days out of a Libre sensor. How have you managed that? Did you start the sensor using the Glimp S app or the Libre Reader/LibreLink app?
Hi, i didn’t do anything special i think…. 😉
I start using the sensor with both the libre reader as the librelink app on my girlfriends phone. For my convenience i mainly scan the sensor with my sony smartwatch3 with Glimp. After 14 days i could not scan the sensor anymore with the libre reader nor the librelink app. Today day 20 still reading accurate measurements with smartwatch/glimp….
Very interesting Erik. As far as I am aware, Abbott haven’t changed the sensor design, so it still has a time out on picking up data after 14 days, but will still replay the last data points constantly until the battery runs out.
Based on the experiences of myself and many others, I suspect one of two things is going on.
Either you have amazing glucose management skills and your level of remaining in range means that even though the sensor has expired, it looks like it is still working, and kudos to you for that, or;
You have one with a manufacturing fault, which means that the timer has failed to function properly and it is still working.
Either way, if it works for you on this occasion, that’s great news. If it’s the latter, we’d need to work out how that had happened.
[IMG]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5KDu-gtDS1ZdUJFQjNOQlZpU0k/view?usp=sharing[/IMG]
[IMG]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5KDu-gtDS1ZMlFKTG5GekVEVHc/view?usp=sharing[/IMG]
it is definitely no replay, sensor is still picking up real time data. it stopped communicating with the libre-reader and libre-app after 14 days precisely. I did not start/register the sensor with the Glimp app, so maybe that is why it did not stopped after 14days?
I try to post 2 screens of the glimp app in the reply above. When i start glimp app it says the sensor is expired for 5 days and …hours.
I do not know what you mean with the link of my glucose management skills and a working sensor?
Sensor stopped after exactly 3 weeks, so i had 1 week extra by reading it with Sony smartwatch/Glimp
Sensor becoming out of service, is highly due to the NFC implementation of the mobile, not to the application used.
Some models of Android phone are reported to create these conditions.
I experienced about 10 sensor dead cases, running a Samsung Galaxy J3, with different OS, type of application. And could fix only by changing to another Alcatel Idol 3 model.
List of devices affected to be established, but could get one from within description of another app similar to this one on Google Play.
Agreed Cyrille, and the Libre Facebook group plus the Glimp website has this information.
At the time this blog was written, 18 months ago, we didn’t have as much insight into what was causing the issues.
Do you know of any issues with a Samsung Note 4 as my NFC will not pick up the sensor but it will pick up thinks like my credit cards……Strange
I’m not aware of what does and doesn’t work with it. Probably best to ask the developer directly, or look on the Libre Geeks facebook group.
Darren, some times the NFC is blocked by a phone manufacturer App. That was the case in my Huawei P9 Lite. The standard Huawei NFC app was hogging the NFC chip and no other app would have access to it. I deactivated Huawei Beam in the config menu and all Apps started working.
There appears to be a way to reset the NFC so that you can continue to use the Abbott Freestyle with applications like Glimp.
See this youtube video
is this app NFC retagg working properly? somebody tested it? is possible to reuse the libre sensor?
Thank you.
I’d ask the app maker – you can find their details in the Google Play Store.
I don’t think the video is showing you how to continue using the sensor for glucose monitoring. The author is showing you how you can use the sensor for other purposes by adding new NFC tags to it.
Is anyone using Glimp with a Google Pixel XL phone? Is there a problem?
The question is: is the expiration timer in a sensor timer or in a reader timer?
It’s within the Sensor.
If it’s in the sensor why can GLIMP get 14-1/2 days when using libre reader it dies in 10?
This was written in relation to the European version of Libre which lasts 14 days with the Abbott reader. The US version is slightly different and I have no experience of it.
I am using the UK version of GLIMP. I started it using my phone with the GlimpS app.
I think you may need to check with Glimp. On the UK sensors started with the UK reader or LinbeLink App, you get 14 days of data. If it’s dying in 10 days there is something wrong.
Hypothetical If for some reason you applied a new sensor activated it and took no readings from it for 14 or more days, would it work?
Then you’d have wasted fourteen days as it would time out.
Has anyone tried to reactivate an expired sensor with a different second Libre reader?
It’s not possible to do that.
I have tried to drill into the device and short the battery terminals momentarily. It then shows sensor damaged. No reading of old data possible even. I think the processor reads the NFC and sees if its brand new or already there is data on it. If it has data then it will corrupt all the data on NFC.
On a side note you can re-insert the sensor back if you noticed it has come out within a few hours before the capillary wicks dry out. For this you need to have preserved the inserter. I can post a step by step if some one is interested.
I guess the difficulty with reinsertion is that you are now putting a non-sterile item under the skin, which obviously comes with its own risks.
I wouldn’t do that, I did this and got a minor skin infection.
As with a poster above, last year I had two sensors that each went beyond expected lifetime by a week, although I had to use Glimp to read the data beyond 14 days. I didn’t do anything special either. I have never had this since so concluded it must have been a manufacturing fault with that batch :-/ Wish I’d bought 10 sensors rather than 2 on that shop!!!
Love your blog, by the way – always something interesting and relevant.
With a Huawei Mate 9, the Glimp application and the sensors work great — been using it for 3 days so far. I use both the Libre’s reader and Glimp at the same time. no problems, no issues.
It doesn’t work on my P10 Plus at all. There aren’t any signs of “life”….
Cool info. I just got the app.
I cannot find explanations of the symbols that appear on Glimp display. What means a “catfoot”? Why an exclamation mark? The Glimps manuals do not give this data.