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!

[Tuttiquanti]

I have experienced very unreliable communication between  my Libre 2 sensors and my S21 Ultra after the upgrade to Android 13. Moreover,  some intermittent disconnect started to appear with my Galaxy Buds2 Pro. 

I waited over a mount for a fix but could not stand any longer having these issues. Both problems disappeared after I reverted to Android 12. 

[SJ10]

Sadly, the same thing has happened to me after upgrading to Android 13, using Samsung S22. Hopefully it gets resolved by someone ASAP as my medical device is no longer providing the functionality nor convenience it was designed for.

[CaperJ]

This came today

Problem / Issue

Abbott has recently discovered that when using smartphones with the Android 13 Operating System (OS), customers may experience extended periods of signal loss in the FreeStyle Libre 2 app. During these extended periods of signal loss, users of glucose alarms will not receive low glucose or high glucose alarms. This does not impact your ability to get glucose readings by scanning your Sensor with the FreeStyle Libre 2 app on your smartphone or with your Reader.

Potential Harms

Missed glucose alarms could lead to undetected low or high glucose, which could result in delayed treatment, such as not taking insulin (for high glucose), or not taking glucose (for low glucose) when required

[BeachBum]

Same issue here.  To make it worse, I had formerly been using the freestyle libre 2 reader to start my sensors and monitor for any overnight alarms, then also use my phone to periodically scan (which uses NFC) my glucose during the day. Then there was an update of the libre 2 app pushed in the December/january timeframe that PREVENTED the use of two devices to scan (obviously only one can be paired via bluetooth to allow alarms).  So, because I do  not want to carry two devices with me during the day (we all have our phones with us all the time these days), I have been starting my sensor with my phone.  Since the Android 13 update on my S22, now I am not able to receive alarms during the night.  I have configured my do not disturb to allow libre2 app alarms during do not disturb and have also configured the app itself to override do not disturb, but I get no alarms at all now overnight.  I have called the Abbott help desk but all they did was send me a new sensor - which has not fixed the problem at all.  Abbott should be ashamed and should have their cheque book ready to compensate me for a number of libre 2 sensors which are not providing the functional capabilities they were purchased for. I would allow for something like this from a toy from dollarama but not a medical device sold by Abbott!!

[djrobinn]

I've used 3 Libre2 sensors as I just started and had quick battery depletion happening on my Z Fold 4 phone. Before the Libre2 sensors were in use, I was able to go a full day without having to recharge, but not since I started using this. Thankfully, I'm not a Type 1 Diabetic and don't really NEED to use the sensor but I did like the convenience of just being able to get a read of what my blood glucose levels are at any given time. Definitely beats pricking fingers multiple times a day to keep track of your sugar levels. So is there any ownership by Samsung or Abbott in the matter?? It is a major inconvenience.

[mltim]

Perhaps a solution.  I have suffered all the same problems, Librelink 2.10.1, Libre 2, Samsung A33 5G, Android 13, loss of Alarms, no continuous blood sugar to screen.  Whilst Abbott try to help, their support is poor and make you feel you are being kept at arms length.  This thread led me to the idea of Samsung security updates and I found this:

https://doc.samsungmobile.com/SM-A336B/EUX/doc.html

I just installed this and for the first time ever I have continuous blood sugar readings to Librelink.  I didn't even have to install a new sensor (sensor had been started by phone).  I hope it keeps working and that alarms works as well.

This patch was released 27/7/23 and was waiting for me when I went to:  Settings / Software update on my A33.

[icedragon05]

Any problems with CGM / alarms since the update? I'm assuming you would have started another sensor by now, is that behaving? I have found the same document for my A53 with same updates applied to my phone but due to earlier issues I have started using Juggluco instead of Librelink, however I have started having some problems with that as well, so may have to move back to Librelink. 

[Adrie55]

Dear mltim.

I bought myself an A33. The alarms did not fuction so I sent it back ..........