I’ve been using using a Dexcom for quite a while. I’ve also been using an Android phone from the very beginning. My frustration with Dexcom not integrating with Android the way it has with iPhones had been palpable.
So I had come to start carrying the phone and receiver, and using an app, Glooko, to transfer Dexcom data to for analysis via cable.
Then came G5, and in all of their wisdom Dexcom has not allowed any third parties to commercially and legally access the receiver, so Glooko was a no go.
So I started looking for alternatives. An iPhone was not an alternative. I found xDrip+ and dove in. At first I tested it against the Dexcom receiver and was pleasantly surprised to find it was at least as accurate. Then I took the plunge, got a watch (Sony Smart Watch 3), ditched the receiver, and now get my readings on my watch even without the phone in proximity.
There are occasional glitches, but nothing that makes me want me to go back to the receiver.
I’m curious if there are others in our group who are using this setup, or even just the xDrip+ app, and if you have any tips or tricks to enhance its useability.
My son is 5 and will be starting school soon. Our initial setup was (and is) using Dexcom G5 app on an iPad. Now that he is becoming more mobile, we need to start thinking about smaller and more portable uploading options. I am actually on the fence with what to get. A small iphone or android with xdrip+? I have heard some people who have issues with xdrip+, but is likely due to the vast differences between android devices (which is probably why it isn’t already FDA approved via Dexcom). @docslotnick what android phone do you use? I also use the Nightwatch app on Android as a follower and my wife used the Apple watch. I am leaning toward xdrip+.
I have been wanting to investigate xDrip+ for a long time, but haven’t yet due to other diabetes priorities. So I am really interested in this thread.
My main interest in xDrip+ is because of its ability to merge all diabetes-related data in great graphs. Right now I have to painfully merge the data by hand with Clarity (Dexcom) when I analyze or post a situation.
That I know, btw: - xDrip+ is Android-only at this time.
@Bradford This is the updated phone and watch list for xDrip+.
I use a Samsung Note 4, which due to its Bluetooth stack does not worth as a receiver very well. So I use the Sony Smart Watch 3 as the receiver (collector in x Drip parlance). I typically get a 95-100%
collection rate.
The biggest issue I have with the setup is that it seems to lose the sync capability about 50% of the time at night. Not a big deal for me, but if monitoring a child it might be an issue. EDIT: this may also be due to the specific phone I use, because it doesn’t seem to be a widespread issue among other users… I’m just pretty tied to my Note 4
Yes, it is Android only. But it does have the ready capability to upload to Dexcom Share servers, so the follow app can be used on an iPhone or iPad or Apple watch.
My wife, who is Apple-centric, uses the Dexcom follow app on her iPad. But she also uses my Android tablet loaded with xDrip+ to spy on my treatments and trend predictions while I’m at work😂
Could you post a picture of what the trend predictions look like? Does it incorporate insulin and carbs into the prediction? I am especially curious for the times when others might be watching him. Would be nice to have a good prediction that they could see.
The green boxes are obviously treatments, and the purple dotted line is prediction. Notice the IOB calculation, treatment suggestion, and cumulative data at the top.
Yes, it does take IOB and current Bg , trend, and carb velocity into account when making treatment suggestion.
This is from a weekend when I was doing strenuous yard work, so my Bg was lower despite the small amount of insulin I had taken. XDrip+ also allows for different IC ratios per time of day or day of week, i just haven’t gotten there yet.
Oh, the green solid curved line with the green shaded area is insulin activity on a time scale. You can set this in preferences, and also how quickly carbs are absorbed.
@docslotnick, would you consider writing up a “how to” on starting with xdrip+?
I have had a look several times - it did not look that hard, but intricate enough that I never thought I had enough free time to investigate all issues and set it up in a couple of hours.
@Michel Not sure I’m an expert, but I can give it a shot. The thing that intrigues me the most about it is the watch as the receiver. It is just so damn convenient.
So, do you not need a phone at all? Or does it just capture numbers and re-sync when in proximity to the phone…then does it fill in the gaps? Obviously the watch isn’t uploading anything in the cloud. I am looking for the smallest technology to be able to remotely monitor.
Yes, that’s how it works.
You do need the phone for the uploader. The gaps (and treatment data you entered on the watch) are filled in when the phone is back in proximity of the watch.
As you can see the watch only gives some basic information, like the Dexcom receiver does. If you wanted to track in real time your child would need to carry a phone.
No, I don’t think that it affects the projections at all. It was just recently added as more or less as a doodad I think.
It’s not really that accurate either. I was raking up some leaves last weekend, not very strenuously. But because of the arm swing involved in moving the rake it registered almost 20,000 steps.
"got a watch (Sony Smart Watch 3), ditched the receiver, and now get my readings on my watch even without the phone in proximity."
I didn’t understand that this was possible. I had heard that dexcom was doing something with Apple where Apple watches would be able to receive Dexcom data without a phone, but looking on Dexcom’s website that doesn’t seem to have happened yet.
I would love to get my dexcom data directly on a smartwatch without having to have a phone nearby. What’s needed to do this?
(xdrip? dexcom G5?) Right now I have a G4, but I could upgrade to a G5. (I thought I might just skip to the G6, but I don’t know how long that will be.)
Would it be possible to go swimming with a smartwatch and be able to see my dexcom readings while I’m in the water?
Thanks for any guidance on this.
@TTnyc Dexcom direct to a watch is easiest accomplished with a Sony Smart Watch 3, xDrip+, and a Dexcom G5 transmitter or a Libre with a Blucon transmitter.
As far as getting readings while in the pool, it is feasible but it’s probably not going to be that accurate, and it will likely shorten the life cycle of the watch. There are other watches that are more water resistant than the Sony Smart Watch 3 that can be utilized, but setting then up is a risky process because the watch ROM has to be flashed.
I’m working at the moment, but I’ll try to post more specifics later today. In the meantime if you have time download xDrip+ and have a look at it. Getting it to work on your phone is the first step, but it will require the G5 or G4 Share transmitter.
Aside from the water resistance of the watch itself, the signal does not penetrate water–so in essence–you would only be able to get a reading if the transmitter and watch were not separated by water (like if the transmitter and watch were on the same arm).
@TTnyc like @docslotnick I use an Sony SW3 to get the readings from my G5.
I used to have a G4 and used an xdrip bridge (the Sony SW3 can also talk to the G4 xdrip bridge).
When I play soccer (or football as most of the world calls it ) I leave my phone at home and just wear the watch and it works perfectly and I get the glucose alarms on the watch. I have gone swimming with my SW3 and G5 and it sort of works sometimes…
If you look on the internet most people will say that only the Sony SW3 will work reliably to get readings from the G5 without a phone using xdrip+. Sony SW3 Smartwatches are not longer in production, but you can still find them on Amazon.
Other watches have not worked becasue of a bluetooth problem. Recently, Some folks have had success patching the firmware of some other Android Wear watches do they will not work. That means there are a few more watches to choose from if you are really technically inclined. (Set-up is not easy and you may break the watch warranty).
Watches supported so far, click to download the care pack:
Asus Zenwatch 2 (models WI501Q & WI502Q) care pack
Asus Zenwatch 3 (model WI503Q) care pack
LG G Watch (model W100) care pack
Polar M600 watch care pack
If you are not a technical person, the Sony SW3 works out of the box and is easy enough to set-up. @docslotnick and I can help if you need it.
) I leave my phone at home and just wear the watch and it works perfectly and I get the glucose alarms on the watch. I have gone swimming with my SW3 and G5 and it sort of works sometimes…