Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) frees you from daily finger pricks: the sensor sends your sugar level to your smartphone every minute, and a dedicated app shows graphs, trends, and hypo/hyperglycemia alerts. But there’s a catch almost every user in Ukraine runs into: the app you need isn’t available in your local Google Play, so you can’t install it directly. This guide walks you through how to do it correctly and safely.
This is the most important point people often mix up: Abbott released different apps for different sensors, and they are not interchangeable.
Before installing anything, check the packaging or the sensor itself to see which model you have — Libre 2 Plus or Libre 3 Plus — and install the matching app. This gives you fewer finger pricks, a faster response to sugar swings, and data you can share with your doctor or family via LibreLinkUp.
Both LibreLink and Libre 3 don’t exist as a single global app — they exist as a set of regional versions, separate for the UK, Poland, Germany, the UAE, and more. Each version is tied to a specific market, and there’s no official Ukrainian version on Google Play yet. That’s why Google Play on a Ukrainian account simply doesn’t show the app in search.
The solution is to temporarily “move” your phone to a region where the app is available (for example, the UK) using a VPN and a new Google account. This is a normal, widely used approach for region-locked medical apps, not a way around security — the app itself and your data remain official, straight from Abbott.
An Android 5.0+ smartphone (Android 8.0+ recommended for Libre 3 Plus) with NFC support.
Planet VPN works well, for example, but any reliable free VPN with UK servers will do. You only need the VPN to make Google Play show you the UK version of the app store — without it, the system keeps using your real location.
Tap “Install,” allow or decline notifications as you prefer, open the app, and connect to a server in the United Kingdom. The status will change to “Protected” — that’s your signal the connection is active and you can move on.
With the VPN still active, start creating a new Google account: enter your first and last name, date of birth and gender, and set a strong password. It’s important to create a brand-new account rather than sign in to an existing one — otherwise Google Play will “remember” your real region and show the Ukrainian store again. This is a separate account used only for installing regional apps.
Search for the app name: “librelink” if you have a Libre 2 Plus sensor, or “libre 3” if you have a Libre 3 Plus sensor. In the results, look for the name with a region tag — for example, “FreeStyle LibreLink — GB” or “FreeStyle Libre 3 — GB.” That region tag (GB, PL, DE, etc.) is what shows you it’s the version available through the VPN. Tap “Install” next to the app you need — just make sure not to confuse LibreLink and Libre 3, since each only works with its own sensor model.
Once installed, open the app. It will ask you to agree to Abbott’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use — a required step, since the app handles medical data about your health. Read through the documents and tap “Confirm” / “Get Started Now.” The app will then download its configuration and prompt you to create a LibreView account (or sign in to an existing one) — this is where your glucose data is stored, and the same account works with LibreLinkUp to share your readings with family or your doctor.
Installing the app is just the setup step. To start seeing your glucose level, activate your sensor and wait for the successful-read signal. Wait about an hour — that’s how long the sensor needs to “warm up” before it starts sending stable data. After that, your current glucose level and trend arrow will appear on the app’s home screen.
For Libre 3 Plus (via the Libre 3 app), further readings arrive automatically over Bluetooth, with no need to scan again. For Libre 2 Plus (via LibreLink), you’ll need to periodically hold your phone up to the sensor for an NFC scan, unless continuous reading mode is enabled.
No. The VPN and UK account are only needed while downloading the app from Google Play. After installation, LibreLink works over a regular internet connection and doesn’t need a VPN for everyday use.
Check that NFC is enabled in your settings, remove any thick or metal phone case, and make sure you’re holding the right part of the phone against the sensor — usually the upper part of the back panel, where the NFC antenna sits.
Yes, LibreLink updates will come through the same UK Google Play account you used to install it. For everyday use of your other apps, you can switch back to your main account and turn off the VPN.
Yes — you’re installing the official Abbott app from the official Google Play store, just through the regional version available in the UK, since there’s no local Ukrainian version yet.
You can browse FreeStyle Libre 3 sensors and continuous glucose monitoring accessories in our catalog at goodsugar.com.ua.
