Hello everyone,
It’s definitely been a minute since I posted. I was wondering if any of you have a good recommendation for an Apple Watch that connects to Dexcom? My little sister is involved in physical activities and it’s hard for her to be check her phone to see her sugars. Since she is always running around and doing activities. We were specifically looking at the Apple Watch SE, I’m curious if anyone owns that one? We would also need it to connect to Dexcom Follow so my mom can see her sugars.
I have the Apple Watch SE and use the G6 app to view my numbers on my watch The other models were larger than I like, which was my main reason for my choice. I also did not want to set up an additional device on my account to pay for data so I use Wi-Fi only
I don’ share (not even with my husband) so I don’t know if Wi-Fi only would be an issue with that.
Nice feature - diabetes or not - are the fall detection and emergency sos features. They’re available on all Apple watches as far as I know.
Hi @arodric5002 a couple thoughts and I hope this is all very obvious and not new. The G6 doesn’t connect to Apple Watch. It connects to iPhone. Whoever is wearing the g6 needs the phone on their person. That phone is the one sharing G6 data. So I’m assuming your little sister can keep the phone on a pocket or backpack and for that phone to be literally on her.
The watch reads the CGM data from the phone. Any and all apple watches will simply reflect the g6 data and you can put it right on the watch face as a widget or you can display G6 full watch screen. Hope this helps.
Hi - I use the Apple SE (non-wifi) and had it for about 2 years. As Joe mentioned, you need to keep your phone close in order for the CGM to feed to your phone then your Watch. I get a message when my phone is out of range from the watch (usually about 30 minutes.) I like using it on my watch because it is more subtle than pulling out my phone and I don’t have to have my phone directly on me (e.g. I can keep it in my bag.) The only thing that I noticed is that it my BS reading doesn’t always show on the widget, sometimes I have to open the widget up to read it. Either way, using it on my watch (and I was always a watch wearer) has been great.
@joe which watch face area you using? I have the G6 app on my watch but have to select it to see my readings. I have the Activity face but can’t attach it as a complication. Thanks.
You mentioned that you use your apple watch only with Wi-Fi. What happens if you aren’t connected to the wi-fi? For example if you are at a store and your phone isn’t connected to Wi-Fi? Would you still be able to see your glucose from your apple watch?
Also thanks for information you stated earlier! Really helped!
The “chain” of readings is Transmitter Receiver (Dexcom’s handheld, or pump, whichever the case may be) Watch
The phone connection is via Bluetooth, so unless that is turned off for some reason the numbers will still show on the watch. Absence of both network and wifi would mean her numbers cannot be shared, but hopefully that would only be brief.
Here’s some info that may be helpful to you, including the faces that let you see your readings - not all of them do. If she doesn’t like any of these she would just have to click on the Dexcom app when she wants to see them - that’s what I do.
She’ll need to keep her receiver nearby to get the readings, but her watch will make viewing her numbers much more discrete.
Your parents may need to include the watch in her 504 plan so her teachers don’t think she’s playing with it when in fact she is checking her numbers.
The Apple Watch connects to apple iPhone via Bluetooth when available. If not available the watch (depending on the version) can talk to the iPhone over WiFi, or over cellular data.
The important thing is that Dexcom ONLY connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth. So no matter what your technology, if you leave your phone at home and go to the store, your watch loses the ability to display blood sugar. If your phone is on your person and your watch can talk to your phone, your watch will display blood sugar. Example, you are on a rowboat at sea, no cellular, no WiFi, Dexcom will talk to your phone over Bluetooth and your watch will talk to your phone over Bluetooth and you get your blood sugar on your watch. Cheers!
First of all, thank you both for your information!! Very, very, helpful. If all goes well she would be getting the Apple Watch SE. We are waiting to speak with the nurse and see if (hopefully) they will allow her to wear one at school. Apple Watches are not allowed at her school. Because of her diabetes hopefully they will allow it as helpful tool to manage her glucose.
You’re very welcome. Although it’s not a medical device itself, since it’s used to view her numbers hopefully it can be written into her 504 plan. Let us know how things work out!
@arodric5002@wadawabbit Sorry for the delay in responding - I hadn’t been checking this Board as frequently. My watch face is Infograph Modular - it has the phases of the moon on the top, activity in the middle and my 3 compilations on the bottom of which my CGM is one of them. Once you get your watch, you will play around with which face works best for you. I think this one was my 3rd choice when testing and I love it best.
My comment about WiFi was just as Joe mentioned - I can make calls on my Watch only if my phone is close so I can use the phone’s cellular (via Bluetooth.) I didn’t pay extra for the WiFi watch - it didn’t seem like a necessity for me at the time.
Having my G6 CGM on my watch is great! I highly recommend.
I use a photo for my watch background, and I don’t think this was always the case but I just discovered I can add my CGM reading to it as a complication! Previously I had to select the Dexcom option to read my number - this saves me a step.
Receiver (Dexcom’s handheld, or pump, whichever the case may be) 