I built a free open-source desktop companion for Dexcom users — looking for feedback

Tips, Tech & Gear Apps
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Hi everyone,

I’m Filippo, a software engineer from Italy living with type 1 diabetes.

I spend a large part of my working day in front of a computer, and I got tired of constantly reaching for my phone just to check my glucose. So I started building something for myself, and it eventually became GlucoDesk.

GlucoDesk is a free and open-source desktop companion for Windows and macOS. It currently connects to Dexcom through Dexcom Share and is designed around a simple idea: if I’m already looking at a computer all day, my glucose should be easily glanceable there too.

It currently includes:

  • current glucose and trend
  • recent glucose history
  • macOS menu bar / Windows system tray companion
  • native notifications
  • local glucose history and diary
  • PDF and Excel exports
  • privacy controls
  • a visual carbohydrate guide

GlucoDesk itself has no cloud backend or user database. History and settings stay on the computer, while Dexcom Share credentials are stored locally using the operating system’s secure storage and are only used to connect to Dexcom Share.

The project is still young, but it has already reached 85+ release asset downloads, received 5-star reviews from early users, and users have started opening feature requests on GitHub.

I’m sharing it here because this community seems particularly knowledgeable about CGMs and diabetes technology, and I’d genuinely value feedback from people who actually use these tools every day.

Website:
https://glucodesk.com

GitHub:

I’d be especially interested in hearing what you think is missing from desktop CGM tools today, or what would make something like this genuinely useful in your daily routine.

GlucoDesk is not a medical device and isn’t intended for treatment or dosing decisions.

Thanks for taking a look!

glucodesk-social-preview
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It’s interesting. Just Dexcom share limits its utility but I suspect it would be easy to add support for at least NightScout:

That would give you support for every sane CGM on the planet… I use a Dexcom CGM but I don’t use Dexcom Share.

I believe the core FOSS API here is called “REST”; NightScout apparently uses “REST-API”, I think TidePool may have some compatibility here too. I think there is some possibility here for API standardisation; a common IP protocol to communicate diabetes data to and from a server over the internet. I think your app shows it is time for that.

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Nightscout and Tidepool do use REST API. I use it in a simple script to auto upload Apple Health workouts.

I agree, adding support for Nightscout and possibly next gen Nocturne, would be useful.

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This is such a cool idea! Having glucose right on your computer would be so convenient, especially when you’re working all day. Love that you made it free and open source too!