Medtronic, soon-to-be MiniMed, has officially launched its newest continuous glucose monitor (CGM), the Instinct sensor. Instinct is now available in the U.S. and introduces a 15-day wear time, one-hour warmup, no calibrations, and the smallest form factor of any CGM currently offered by Medtronic.

The sensor is produced through a new long-term partnership with Abbott, whose Libre platform is the most widely used CGM globally. We recently reviewed the Libre 3 Plus which sports the same form factor. The new sensor is manufactured exclusively for Medtronic and is designed to work with the company’s 780G automated insulin delivery system.

Instinct will sit alongside Medtronic’s existing CGMs, including Simplera and Guardian 4, as the company focuses on offering users more choice. Early customer feedback, according to Medtronic, suggests some users prefer Simpla’s 6-day wear with a 24-hour grace period, while others favor Instinct’s longer wear and faster warm-up. Medtronic confirmed that Guardian 4 will remain available for the foreseeable future, particularly in countries where newer sensors have not yet launched.

Beyond pumps, Medtronic is preparing for its next major release: MiniMed Go, a redesigned smart pen platform now under FDA review. The system will pair with the Instinct sensor and bring together InPen dosing data, CGM readings, and actionable insights in a single, unified mobile app.

On this week’s podcast, I spoke with Laura Endres, Medtronic’s SVP and Head of the Americas, about the Instinct and Simplera CGMs, its Abbott partnership, upcoming MiniMed Go platform, global rollout plans, and what’s next for MiniMed pumps and algorithms. You can listen to the episode above or watch the video and Instinct application demo below.

Disclaimer: Diabetech content is not medical advice—it’s for educational purposes only. Always consult with a physician before making changes to your healthcare.