Android 13 update - Issues with Freestyle Libre 2 sensor & Bluetooth Low Energy

[AJKohl]

Merry Christmas!

My Samsung Galaxy A53 5G updated from Android 12 to Android 13 sometime in November 2022/early December 2022.

I have a piece of medical software on my A53 called Freestyle LibreLink. 

Freestyle Librelink is supposed to receive Bluetooth Low Energy signals from a Freestyle Libre 2 sensor attached to my arm and trigger an alarm on my A53 when my blood glucose has gone too low, or too high.

Both the Freestyle LibreLink app and Freestyle Libre 2 sensors are made by Abbott Laboratories.

Since the update on my A53 from Android 12 to Android 13 I no longer receive low or high glucose alarms. 

The update of my A53 from OS 12 to OS 13 also coincided with the manufacturer of the Freestyle LibreLink app updating the LibreLink app twice: the first time on or around 15 November 2022 and the second time around 1 December 2022.

This failure to receive low and high glucose alarms can be very dangerous.

The Internet suggests the issue of Android phones with OS 13 having the Freestyle LibreLink app on such phones not being able to receive low and high glucose alarms was known about and reported on Google's Issue Tracker as early as August 2022. 

Clearly the issue has still not been fixed yet.

Abbott Laboratories's customer services have suggested every possible permutation to try to resolve the failure of low and high glucose alarms on my A53 (checking all app permissions are granted, including overriding "do not disturb"; clearing cache of Freestyle LibreLink; force stopping and restarting Freestyle LibreLink; uninstalling and reinstalling Freestyle LibreLink; switching Bluetooth off and on; switching A53 off and on).

No solution suggested by Abbott Laboratories has resolved the issue of no low/high glucose alarms permanently, only temporarily and only for a few hours at best.

The Internet also suggests that this problem may be unique to Samsung mobiles (although I have read that it has affected dome Google Pixel mobiles as well as iPhones).

Does anyone know when the issues with Android 13 disrupting Bluetooth Low Energy signals stopping high and low glucose alarms being received and given off via Abbott Laboratories's Freestyle LibreLink app on Android phones, (and my Samsung Galaxy A53 5G specifically) will be resolved permanently?

Thank you!

[Robot-]

Have you checked that the libre software is android 13 compatible? It may just be that, but you will need the libre software Devs to fix that or they may have a version out already

It may not be something Samsung can fix

I am just throwing this out there as that is a possibility. Don't quote me as I don't have these devices or used any of them.

[AJKohl]

Thank you. I think you are correct and it may indeed be something as simple as the Freestyle LibreLink software being incompatible with Android 13.

It is very strange however, because on some diabetes forums some people have reported that their mobile phone is using Android 13 and they haven't seen any disruption to the functionality of the Freestyle LibreLink app on their phones.

Some people on diabetes forums have also suggested that the problem of the Freestyle LibreLink app not working using Android 13 is unique to Samsung phones.

Abbott Laboratories are aware of the problem. I understand that Samsung are aware too.

All I need is for the problem to be fixed quickly and permanently. It's almost two months now since I haven't been able to receive low or high glucose alarms via Freestyle LibreLink app on my A53.

[Robot-]

I hear you and understand how important it is to keep a close eye on glucose levels as my father is Diabetic too

I hope this get sorted soon

All the best

[absolved]

I have exactly this issue on my Samsung z flip 3 - Bluetooth from sensor not being picked up and scan not detecting sensor either

[Members_IeGOZ0w]

Hello,

The exact same thing happens to me, I changed my phone to the Galaxy A53 5G and there is no way to get the alarms to work! I thought it was due to the incompatibility of the mobile, but it is on the compatible list. Now I see, thanks to your experience, that it is because of the operating system. At the moment from ABBOT no solution, and I have also been without alarms for two months... I will not change my new mobile!!! and for which one is sure that it works!!!! I hope the app or SAMSUNG will fix it soon.

All the best

[AJKohl]

Hello @Members_leGOZ0w

I, too, bought the A53 precisely because I needed a phone with a bigger battery because Abbott's Freestyle Libre 2 system was draining the battery on my old phone.

I'm not sure the issue has been caused solely by the Android OS on the A53 being upgraded from OS 12 to OS 13. Abbott also made two updates to its Freestyle Librelink app in mid November 2022 ( one of their customer services people told me that update was supposed to fix a bug with alarms😂🤣😂). The second Librelink update, at the beginning of December 2022, was supposed to allow Novo Nordisk smart insulin pens to be able to communicate with and transfer insulin doses from the insulin pens to the Freestyle Librelink app.

Anyway, the alarms still don't work on My A53.

I've gone online and reported the lack of alarms as a Yellow Card incident with the UK medical devices regulator, the MHRA.

Abbott need to fix the problem quickly because their Librelink app is now unusable and unfit for purpose.

I read elsewhere of diabetics, who are hypo unaware and rely on the alarms, going to sleep and waking up with severe hypoglycaemia. One person said they woke up to paramedics treating them for severe hypoglycaemia!😳

[jboman1980]

It could be also purely an Android 13 issue: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/242755161

And yes I'm also following closely due to diabetes care.

[AJKohl]

Thanks @jboman1980. Yes, I am aware of that Google Issue Tracker alert.

However, on various diabetes forums the owners of some iPhones have also reported similar issues with Freestyle Librelink and alarms and scanning.

My understanding is that it is the software developer's responsibility to ensure that it's app is fully compatible with all Android OS updates or security patches.

[Members_onp22dw]

Same  issue here, started the minute after I got the android 13 upgrade, using a Galaxy A32 5G

Very annoying