Company Receives Backlash After Popular Diabetes App Stops Working

Blood glucose monitoring is important for those who have diabetes. Technology has come a long way to make monitoring easier and more accessible. In fact, there are even smartphone apps that people use to monitor glucose levels.

Abbott manufactures the FreeStyle Libre, one of the top sensor-based glucose monitoring systems used around the world.

Users have a small sensor inserted in their bodies, and that sensor sends data to an app. People with diabetes rely on the app to check their blood sugar. Unfortunately, an update caused the app to stop working on some Apple devices.

According to the BBC, the company has received backlash online from people who rely on the technology to help manage their diabetes.

David Burchell has type 1 diabetes, and he relied on the app. Speaking with the BBC, he said the app’s failure was “very scary.”

He said: “This equipment is supposed to save your life. I woke up yesterday morning, went to check my sensor thing… and basically it broke, just showing a white screen, and I had a panic. I’ve spoken to [Abbott] many times, as this sort of thing has happened before. They told me to delete the app, turn the phone off and on and reinstall…but when trying to redownload it, they’d taken it off the App Store, so I couldn’t download it. I was left without an active test, other than the fingerprint testing. Pricking your finger 100 times a week is a nightmare, so the app and the sensor is really helpful.”

Other users of the app agreed that it’s a critical part of their lives.

The BBC reports that Abbott said the issue is only affecting people in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the company expects the app to be fully functional and available to all users in the near future.