Abbott pushed an update to its Freestyle Libre 3 app and Libre by Abbott app on October 15 to fix a security vulnerability that could cause incorrect sensor readings, missed alerts, or incorrect alerts. The update has since caused extended signal loss for some users, where the sensor disconnects from the app and does not reconnect. People using Libre sensors with a reader or an insulin pump are not affected, just Libre app users, and Abbott is working on a fix.
Users on Reddit report signal loss starting shortly after updating, with some outages lasting several hours and one lasting 13. Restarting the phone or toggling Bluetooth did not help in several cases, while uninstalling and reinstalling the app did.
User on Reddit sharing their experience with Libre’s update.
Abbott directs affected users to uninstall and reinstall the app. It says do not remove or replace the sensor, since that will not fix the issue and the sensor will provide stored glucose values once it reconnects. If your app version is older than the new affected version, Abbott advises holding off on the update and checking glucose manually before making treatment decisions. If you need to start a new sensor, consider using the reader until a fix is released.
If you want to learn more or think you may be affected, check out Abbott’s Libre app update page for the latest information and the list of affected versions.