Congrats on getting your apps hooked up! Sorry I wasn’t around to explain this morning.
For anyone else confused on the issue: You can’t pair the Dexcom through the pump, but you can pair your phone with both the pump and the Dexcom transmitter. Make sure the pump is the primary Dexcom receiver. But the Dexcom transmitter will allow you to add the phone as a receiver after you have everything set up with the pump. (Make sure to always start a new sensor through the pump. Input the sensor code there. And then the phone will follow automatically without you having to enter anything.)
Drat. I have a Galaxy S10e. So it’s a Samsung, but it’s a generation earlier than the cutoff. I really hope they expand that soon. If I’m understanding right, they’re doing a beta test now with a limited number of users before planning a full public rollout sometime in the not too distant future. Maybe they’ll add more phones to the compatibility list then. I hope so. My phone is 3.5 years old (so it’s well past the upgrade date), but it’s holding up really well. I’m not planning to buy a new one anytime soon.
Forgot to say: Thanks so much for sharing these instructions. Unfortunately, when I go to “My Devices,” the webpage shows my pump and its serial number, but doesn’t have a software update button. I’m going to have to call Tandem, I guess. Although there’s no rush since my phone isn’t supported anyway.
ETA: To save their customer support people’s time, the phone support menu directs you to tandemdiabetes.com/mobilebolus for information, which shows that signups for the limited release are currently closed, but that they’re planning for general availability sometime this summer. Pretty much the answer I expected. So I won’t waste their time. I wish that had been more obviously linked on their website. They recently added it in small text at the top of the main webpage (not the customer portal), but it wasn’t there last week and the main software update page still only has that small link at the top, with nothing about it in the larger panels about updating to Control IQ.
Paul-Gabriel @WearsHats, the pump software check and upgrade for this app is where all upgrades are available - Your Tandem Portal. For instance, we went there to add / upgrade software for BIQ and CIQ.
I visit the site periodically to checkout my pump status and operability. For instance, about a year (?) ago when the Personal Profiles menu was changed with the added line for “maximums”.
I’ve updated the t:connect app on my phone. I’ve downloaded the pump update software to my PC. I’m ready to go.
But the pump update software requires me to have an update code before it will update my pump firmware. I don’t have one. “My Devices” in the website portal Linda linked in the instructions above (which I’d already checked last week) does not have any way for me to request an update code. It shows my pump serial number and warranty expiration date (which is years away) and nothing more. Nothing I can click on.
I’m not sure which portal you’re talking about, but I don’t see any place I can get the pump firmware update at this time.
Log on using your Tandem credentials and follow instructions that appear. You will need to install an “updater” program on a computer [windows or mac, only], attach pump to computer with data cable and update your pump.
The site will tell you any “activities” you are required to perform, one or the activities will be named: “Mobile Bolus Update for t-Slim x2”. After completing the training and passing the quiz, Tandem will email you an update code.
I hope this helps. My phone, which I don’t plan on replacing, is a Galaxy S-10, so I’m not bothering yet to do the training until …
Yes, @Dennis. That’s the portal I was talking about. There are no activities to perform. There is no update request button. There’s nothing there. It’s just this:
No. I missed the early rollout invitation, and registration is now closed. I got the email saying to update the t:connect app and get the firmware update program on my PC, but I never got notice that there was an open sign-up period. I have no choice but to wait for the general rollout.
Ok. So I finally got everything updated. Here’s how it works:
update t:connect mobile app to newest version.
go to Tandem Diabetes t:connect portal and click on the Mobile Bolus Update (when it is available to you) and watch the video / take the quiz.
You will get an email with your Update ID.
Make sure you have your Dexcom sensor code handy and some insulin handy.
Open the Tandem Device Updater app on your computer. Go through the checklist. There is no need to disconnect the cartridge, but you should disconnect the pump from your body. – To stop insulin delivery, go to Options and click the red STOP INSULIN button at the top.
Have your Update ID in-hand. Plug your pump into the computer for the software update. Enter the Update ID on your pump and be patient as the pump updates.
Once the pump is updated with the new software, the drop will magically appear in the t:connect app so you can start bolusing with your phone (I cannot because I don’t have a Samsung or iPhone).
Now that your pump is updated, you can resume the sensor with the code and reuse the cartridge by clicking Load, filling tubing (all you need is 10u & you can add more insulin if you won’t have 20u left in the cartridge after filling).
In terms of what I have noticed in the difference in the pump itself: not much. It is the newest update, so for sure there are bug fixes, but it’s pretty much the same functionality. This update was nothing compared to the Control IQ update where there was a lot more to learn & absorb. Once you have updated the pump, the t:connect app automagically changes to have The Drop so you can bolus through the app as long as you have a phone that is supported (see previous posts).
After completing the training and passing the quiz, Tandem will email you an update code.
I admit I got a chuckle out of “passing the quiz.” I understand it’s because it’s related to medical care, and we all know what could go wrong of it’s misused - but a part of me just says “sheesh”! But Tandem has to cover themselves.
The “quiz” I’m getting is an extended course educating me about stuff I already know. And you can’t skip it. You can open a sidebar to read the text, but the text you can read in 15 seconds takes several minutes for the TTS to read, and there’s no way to make it go faster. So I muted the TTS and read the text and called Tandem software support at the same time.
Support guy answered my questions and checked with developer staff and supervisors when he wanted to make sure. My Samsung S10e is not yet compatible with mobile boluses because they have to individually test every phone model just to make absolutely certain there are no mistakes. (Understandable, I suppose. If there’s an error, it could put someone in the hospital or worse.)
That said, he confirmed with his supervisor that they are, in fact, working “as fast as they can” to expand the mobile bolus feature to other phones, including mine. I asked about @Juggernautical’s Pixel, and he confirmed that they are planning to add that, as well. But he can’t give me a timetable of when that might be. When your phone is confirmed to be safe to use with the mobile bolus feature, it should just unlock without another update. In the meantime, if you update the pump and phone software, it won’t break anything and you’ll be ready to go when your phone is added.
As for security: You have to have some kind of security in place so the app is sure that it’s really you authorizing the bolus. But you can use your fingerprint, PIN code, or other unlock options.
It did force me to load a new cartridge, but as @Juggernautical said, I just stuck the old cartridge back in and let it waste 10 units “filling” the tube. As for the sensor, I remembered back to when I first set up the pump, when I already had a Dexcom sensor in. I’d saved the code, but the trainer told me DO NOT REENTER THE DEXCOM SENSOR CODE.
Instead, I hit the “SKIP” button. The pump took a few minutes, but the next time the transmitter did its 5-minute update, it seamlessly brought the pump back up to speed.
So now I’m good to go, as soon as Tandem confirms that the remote bolus function doesn’t break on the S10.
My hubby just did his update this morning since he had run his cartridge down to zero. Tandem recommended waiting until a cartridge change. It was quite seamless to do. I had it hooked up to my iMac Monterey OS12.4 and used a cable to hard-connect the pump to my wired ethernet. It took about 10 minutes. The hubby just had to restart his sensor (SELECT SKIP WHEN ASKED FOR NUMBER!). Everything auto-filled within a short period of time. All in all, quite easy and now the Tandem app has all the info for him to bolus from his iPhone 13. Note to people on the limited launch: you will need your Update ID code from Tandem to do this update, and will need to have completed their video and quiz afterwards. You will need to pass with 100% correct! His code was supposedly sent, but we never received it, so I contacted Tandem via email and they resent it (twice). We are not sure why it never arrived the first time, but that stuff happens, I guess.
Just to clarify, I got the update but like so many others here, my phone does not work with it. I have a Pixel and none of them are approved to bolus from. Oh well, guess I’ll wait till I get a new phone. I wasn’t sure about this new feature anyway. In fact, when surveyed about it, I told them I wasn’t really interested in it. So, I’m not disappointed. I really just did the update in hopes of other improvements. The only thing that changed other than the giving a bolus from a phone is where the “pump settings” are. This change I do not like at all!
I’m in the same boat. My pump and phone are updated, but the update isn’t yet approved for my old phone. Apparently they’re also having issues testing the latest OS version on the currently approved phones. So, while they do say they’re planning to broaden things to include my phone and the Pixel, it might be a while before they get around to it.
Does anyone know when the tandem remote bolus roll out is going to be? Is it delayed or has it already started? haven’t gotten any notifications telling me it’s my turn yet but the tandem website has a webpage about how to update your pump/cell phone so you can bolus from your cell phone so I’m a little confused….
@6yGodsGr it’s released. You need to have a compatible phone, and then you’re all set. I thought I saw a link somewhere, but if you call Tandem, get set up with the training and then it’s a pump update (download and install). I don’t have exact details this is all second hand.
