Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) eliminates the need for daily finger pricks: the sensor automatically transmits blood sugar levels to your smartphone every minute, and a special app displays graphs, trends, and alerts for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. But there’s a catch that almost every user in Ukraine faces: the app you need isn’t available in “your” App Store, so you won’t be able to install it directly. This guide provides a step-by-step solution.
In short:
This is the most important point, which is often misunderstood: Abbott has released different apps for different sensors, and they are not interchangeable.
| Sensor | App |
|---|---|
| Libre 2 Plus | FreeStyle LibreLink |
| Libre 3 Plus | FreeStyle Libre 3 |
Before installing, check the packaging or the sensor itself to see which model you have, and install the corresponding app.
A sensor without the app is just a plastic piece on your shoulder. It’s the app that converts its signal into meaningful numbers: your current glucose level, a trend arrow, a 24-hour history, and alerts for critical values. For people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, this means fewer finger pricks, faster responses to blood sugar fluctuations, and data that can be shared with a doctor via LibreLinkUp.
Both apps—LibreLink and Libre 3—are available as a set of regional versions, separately for the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, the UAE, and other countries. There is currently no official Ukrainian version in the App Store, so a search using a Ukrainian Apple ID yields no results.
The solution is to temporarily change your Apple ID to a region where the app is available. On an iPhone, this can be done without changing your primary account: simply switch your Apple ID in the “Media & Purchases” section, download the app, and then switch back to your original account. This is a common, albeit unofficial, method for regionally restricted medical apps.
1. Change the region of your own Apple ID to Germany or the UK.
Drawback: if you have active subscriptions, you’ll first need to cancel them and wait for them to expire.
2. Create a separate new Apple ID for a foreign region, temporarily switch to it, download the app, then switch back to your main account.
✅ The safest method—only you have access to the account.
3. Use an Apple ID from GoodSugar. If you’re unable to create your own foreign Apple ID, we can provide temporary access to our Apple ID. This access is used exclusively in the “Media & Purchases” section—a separate section of settings that does not grant access to email, iCloud, photos, or any personal data. Your own iCloud password is not entered anywhere here. After installing the app, simply sign out of the provided Apple ID in this section and sign back in with your primary account.
The app will remain installed and will work regardless of your App Store account.
Can I use LibreLink without a UK Apple ID after installation?
Yes, the app continues to work with your primary account after the initial installation.
Is it safe to provide my Apple ID for the “Media & Purchases” section?
This section is isolated from iCloud, email, and personal data, so there is no risk of personal information being leaked.
Do these instructions apply to Android?
No, for Android, apps are available directly through Google Play without regional restrictions of this kind. See the separate guide for Android.
Ready to switch to an Abbott sensor? Check out the selection of Abbott FreeStyle Libre sensors on GoodSugar.
