FP4 and Freestyle libre3 connection issue

Help Fairphone 4
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1

Hi Folks,

having problems with my FP4 and my Libre3 sensor from Abbott.

Using the combination since last year and had not so many issues, but since some time I got bit off trouble.

Sometimes the libre sensor is working 14 days without issue. Now I got the problem, that the sensor stops reporting to the app.

Experienced it now 2 times…sensor stops with still 11 days left (I am not sure if this is just a coincidence)

Tried to restart the phone, cleaned the cache. Tried to re-read the sensor with the Libre 3 app…the app recognize the sensor ist already activated, but no communication comes back.

I am not sure if the sensor is somehow broken or the Bluetooth connection is the problem.

I guess the sensor is the issue. Had 3-4 sensors working without problems, than one with broken issue, next worked perfect, now broken again.

Problem is that Abbott support always tells me the FP4 is not a supported device. But the point is, that just some sensors had problems, others worked fine.

Current release of the FP4 is FP4.TP2N.C.0128.20241030

Did the latest update some days ago, but had the problem before the update as well. So I rule this out.

Did some of you experience the same issue?

May some Bluetooth settings that could help me?

I mean the problem is, that if that happens at night times an no alarm is working, this could end in a serious problem for me in case of low blood sugar level.

This should not happen at all.

Hope you could may help me, thanks in advance

Steffen

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hi guys,
bad news, the sensor I attached yesterday, had the same problem this morning. Lost the connection to the phone and it is not possible to reconnect it.

Normally a sensor has a 14 day life.

Had contact with fairphone support. Asked if the last updates did change something in relation to blutooth. They told me, that BT was not affected/changed.

Also had conctact with the Abbott - for Libre 3 sensor. They mentioned again, that the FP4 is not support (but FP5 isn’t as well)

We did some action, but nothing worked to reconnect the sensor.

My point is, where can I activate some extra logging for BT?

My guess is still, in all 3 events as the sensor lost connection, I was out of reach. Typically that wasn’t a problem in the past. When I got back in reach zone, than the sensor connected again and all was fine.

Abbott told me, that they did some modifications at the app, but in September.

My first occurence was 14.11.2024. Connection dropped (with 11 days left), next sensor worked fine for 14 days, than the other one from yesterday (with 11 days left), and the brand new one from yesterday till tomorrow morning at 9:00 am (which has now 13 days left)

Uninstalled the app and reconnected it (in this case I loose all my measured values in the app :-/) rescanned the sensort. The app recognize, the sensor is already activated and mentioned than, that values will be shown. But nothing happens. App still have a small symbol, which means " No signal".

Something change, but I don’t know what. The sensort work if I inititally activate them, but somehow the loose the connection.

Did may somebody know a bit about blutooth communication? There a lot of settings for BT in the developer settings, but I don’t know if that could help me.

3

Maybe check battery optimisation settings for Bluetooth and the App

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Hi Yvonne,

thanks for your answer. That was exactly the post, where I didn’t found the setting :slight_smile: But FP-support send a checklist for BT-issues, and the description in it was a bit more clear for me.

Found it on a different place.

  • Settings - Apps - All Apps - right corner 3 dots choose "show System-Apps "
  • search for Bluetooth and their is a point “Battery usage of apps” in german “Akkunutzung von Apps” - open it
  • than comes a 3 part menu 1. unrestricted 2. optimised 3. restricted
    The setting was on 2. optimised. I changed it now to unrestricted (never changed anything in this section but the App was working with it over one year!)

Now I connected again a new sensor and have to wait what will happen. That is unfortunately a bit of try and error.

My amount of sensors is limited, because I get a recipt for one year + 2 extra sensor. In that case, where the cause of the problem could be the phone as well, Abbott can say it is not supported phone and they don’t have the need to replace the “defect” sensors.

So that is a bit tricky and I need a clear proof, that not the FP4 is the cause. Its not easy!

5

Do you always immediately update or do you let the Playstore auto update? If not just because it was published in Sep does not mean it was installed in September.

Did you also check the Abbot App battery restrictions?

And check the Playstore ratings of the app, they are really bad and indicate it has nothing todo with the phone, there are many recent comments talking about loss of connection

Edit: there are strikt regulations in Germany for medicinal Apps, including clinical trials and I would guess this app falls under those regulations. maybe place a quality complaint to the BfArM

Would not be the first problem reported

6

Autoupdate, but I also thought about, where I could see, when the update of my local app happened. But nethertheless, I’ve did a reinstall of the app, so the last date will be today.

Libre App battery setting is set to “unrestricted”

The rating is poor I know. But what shall I do. The market of those sensor companys is not so big, and the competitiors are not better. The benefit of this system is, that you can use the sensor for 14 days. As far as I know the others are between 7 an 10 days.

Edit: I guess so! Thanks for the links. Will fail a complaint there.

7

It seems this app is not a so called Diga, so most likely no trials needed/done. Still I guess the sensor does not work without app and just saying they dont support all phones is a bit lame in my eyes and their homepage says this, your issue is def not just a minor glitch

Screenshot_20241202-191733
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The list of proven compatible devices is mainly showing Apple, Samsung and Google Pixel…what do they think people do when they already own a phone when they are diagnosed with diabetes?

8

Thanks for checking. Same message comes for FP5. But the 2nd sentence is the point!
Der Funktionsumfang könnte geringfügig eingeschränkt sein. - That means, the function will be affected by minor issues. But losing the connection and don’t getting it back is a major event!

Also interessting is, that Abbotts information .pdf according the FP4 and Android 13 is known since 27.02.2023 (document date).

Nearly 1 1/2 years of not fixing such a problem! As far as I have read, other smartphones are affected as well, like Samsung. :slight_smile:

9

It’s unbelievable, the sensor stopped working, with again 11 days left!

That’s the 3rd sensor with this amount of left days, except for the one who stopped after 1 day.

This time I had the phone in my pocket and ist wasn’t away from me.

This means, that all BT settings and batterie settings I did, have no impact to the problem.

10

My way would be to place product complaints with Abbott to at least get the sensors back. Maybe also talk to your health insurance, as they pay for this and maybe your prescribing physician can talk to Abotts MSLs to report issues, maybe other patients complaint as well.

Such behaviour of a pharmaceutical company makes me angry. The App is important and no nice gadget and a malfunction can be lifethreatening I guess.

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Screenshot_20241205-222901_1
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Hope upload of screenshot works.

The sensor came back, but there is a short break in the graph. Never had such a break.

I guess the problem is in communication app an sensor, but why?

Will send it to Abbott too!

12

I had a single sensor sent from Abbott as a trial.
It was great for about 3 days, started losing sensitivity on days 4 and 5, and effectively lost all response by day 6. I guess I nudged the device too much because the Libre app showed the device was still BT linked to my FP4, it was just not making any meaningful reading. I took it off at day 7 but it never lost the link with the phone while it was stuck on.

I do wonder if there is something specific in your case which causes your devices to lose their link after 4 days. I find it peculiar that you have 3 devices in a row where it happens.
I would be getting onto your provider to complain about a bad batch. Don’t accept their “it’s an unsupported device”. They release the app to Android and as long as NFC and BT are working, it should all operate normally. You said that each device connects and reports for 4 days, then loses it’s connection. Considering each device is like £50 I would be kicking up a fuss about it.

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