I have been using the G7 for almost 2 years now. Initially I had connect lost messages when my phone was not near my body, but it would reconnect once I got back to my phone within 20 min.s. Once Dexcom improved the app/sensor I stopped having those errors, and now I can be 20-30 ft from my phone with no issue.
The past 3 sensors I have used all lost connection in spite of my phone being inches from my sensor. Connections lasted over 6 hrs, and I ended up replacing the sensor (Dexcom shipped replacements). When the current sensor lost connection for 4 hours it gave me pause.
There is no way to re-pair the sensor and the app. However, I thought I could restart my phone and see if it reconnected. It did!
I think it is an issue with the phone (Samsung s21). It’s possible an update, or too many searches, etc., caused the issue.
Yup, that is the drill. The best is not to do a restart, do a power off on the phone. Then restart the phone, and it should come back up. The only issue is that once you do that, if it happens in the first few days of a sensor, the sensor will often totally fail within 7-10 days or limps along with lots of lost connections in those last 3 days
I have the same issue with the Tandem t-Slim, a unit i got this spring. I wear the Tandem on my waistband and the G7 sensor is in my arm, never more than 12 to 36 inches away. And yet, the sensor is reported to be out of range several times a day by Tandem. I have fewer issues with my phone which is usually fairly close to me.
Commercial Bluetooth signals should go at least 30+ feet (technically could be up to 30 metres), so distance should not be an issue for the Tandem. The radio broadcast frequency of Bluetooth is 30 Hz to 300 GHz, and there is a tradeoff between distance and the amount of data that can be sent. I don’t know the radio frequency being used by Dexcom, but surely not that much data is sent!
According to Dexcom, Dexcom G6 transmitters connect, send data, and disconnect every 5 minutes. The pairing in Bluetooth will say “not connected” and so is expected.
According to Dexcom, if using a phone, the Dexcom G6 app should never be closed. Keep any additional running apps to a minimum in the background. High-intensity apps, like mobile games or video sites, draw large amounts of processing power and may cause signal loss.
To lose connection for 5 to 10 minutes may not be unusual. If i lose connectivity multiple times for 30 to 60 minutes and this happens several times during the day, i suspect the sensor is failing. That is on Dexcom, not Bluetooth or the phone or the Tandem.
My insurance only covers enough sensors for a replacement every 10 days. If i lose connectivity for extended periods, i ask for a free replacement. If enough people are having real issues, Dexcom needs to know so they can make improvements, and they won’t know unless we report them and ask for free replacements.
