The simplest way to get CGM glucose on a Garmin watch

Side by side

Every row below is a countable fact you can verify against each project's own documentation, not an opinion about which is nicer.

Read down the columns: GGlance is the only one of the four that reads both sensor families, needs no server, and works from an iPhone. That is a checkable claim, not a slogan.

For FreeStyle Libre there is no official Garmin app

This is the part most people do not realise. Abbott does not publish a Garmin app. There is no official route from a Libre sensor to a Garmin watch at all.

GGlance reads your values through LibreLinkUp, the service Abbott does provide, and puts them on your wrist. For Libre users it is the short path, and setup is one screen: choose Libre, enter your follower login.

Dexcom's own app covers Dexcom only

Dexcom publishes a Connect IQ app, and it reads Dexcom sensors. That is the limit of it: no FreeStyle Libre.

GGlance covers both families in a single install. If you ever switch brands, or your household uses both, nothing about your watch setup changes.

Nightscout means running a server

Nightscout is powerful, and the price is infrastructure. You provision a server, configure it, keep it online and maintain it over time. People who want full history and alarms often think that is worth it.

If what you want is your glucose on your wrist, GGlance gets you there in a couple of minutes with nothing to host, nothing to renew and nothing to keep patched.

xDrip+ needs Android and a bridge

xDrip+ is Android only, and reaching a Garmin from it means extra bridging steps on top of the app itself. GGlance works from either phone platform, because the work happens between the sensor cloud and your watch rather than on your phone.

Why GGlance is the simplest option

• One app, both sensor brands. Libre and Dexcom in the same install.
• No server, no bridge, no second device. Nothing to host and nothing to maintain.
• No account with us. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to cancel, nothing to delete.
• Free, with no subscription and no paid tier.
• Setup is one screen. Pick your sensor, enter your login, open the glance.
• Nothing stored. Readings pass through to your watch and are discarded. See how GGlance works.
• Actively maintained, and shaped by its users. Feedback reaches the developer directly and drives what ships next.
• Working in the open. Real usage, updated hourly, on the live stats page: hundreds of watches across dozens of countries, running reliably every day.

Good to know

Two things to know, because they are about staying safe rather than about features.

• No alarms. GGlance does not push high or low alerts. Keep your sensor app's alarms switched on for that.
• Not a medical device. It must not be used to make treatment decisions. Confirm values with your reader or meter.

Sources

Every claim on this page can be checked against the manufacturers' own documentation.

• Garmin's own write-up of Dexcom on Garmin watches, which covers Dexcom and no other sensor.
• Nightscout's documentation, including the server setup it requires.
• xDrip+ on GitHub, an Android project.
• Abbott's LibreLinkUp page: no Garmin app is listed, because none exists.

Common questions

What is the easiest way to see glucose on a Garmin watch?

GGlance. Install it from the Connect IQ Store, choose FreeStyle Libre or Dexcom, enter that account, and open the glance. There is no server to run, no bridge to install and no account to create with us.

Is there an official FreeStyle Libre app for Garmin?

No. Abbott does not publish a Garmin app, so a third-party app such as GGlance is the way to get Libre readings onto a Garmin watch.

Does GGlance cost anything?

No. It is free on the Connect IQ Store, with no subscription and no paid tier.