This guide walks you through connecting a Dexcom G6 or G7 sensor to Sugar Sense, and what to check if your glucose readings aren’t showing up.
The short version: Sugar Sense doesn’t read your sensor directly. Its servers sign in to Dexcom Share and read the data Dexcom shares there. So setup has two parts: (1) turn Share on in your Dexcom app and add at least one Follower, and (2) give Sugar Sense your Dexcom account and the correct region.
How Sugar Sense reads your Dexcom
When you wear a Dexcom sensor, your readings live in Dexcom’s cloud. Dexcom lets you share those readings with family and caregivers through a feature called Dexcom Share (the people you invite see them in the Dexcom Follow app). Sugar Sense connects to that same Share service on your behalf and reads your glucose securely, every few minutes.
The most important rule: you connect with your own Dexcom login — the account that wears the sensor (the Sharer) — not a Follower login.
| Account | App you use it in | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Sharer account | The Dexcom G6 / G7 app (paired to your sensor) | Wearing your sensor and turning on Share — this is the one you give Sugar Sense |
| Follower account | The Dexcom Follow app | A separate login family/caregivers use to watch shared readings — do not use this in Sugar Sense |
Parents & caregivers: use the child’s (the Sharer’s) Dexcom login in Sugar Sense — not your own Follower account.
Step 1 — Activate your sensor
Apply and activate your Dexcom sensor by following the instructions that came with it, and confirm you can see live readings in the Dexcom G6 or G7 app. If readings don’t appear in Dexcom’s own app yet, fix that first — Sugar Sense can only read data that already exists in your Dexcom account.
Step 2 — Turn on Share and add a Follower
In the Dexcom G6 or G7 app:
- Open Connections › Share.
- Make sure Share is turned on.
- Tap Add Follower and add at least one (Dexcom supports up to 10).
Tip: Adding a Follower is what proves Share is active and sending data to Dexcom’s cloud. Sugar Sense reads through that same Share service, so this step is required even if you’re only monitoring yourself.
Step 3 — Confirm sharing works
Open the Dexcom Follow app on the Follower’s phone and confirm you can see live readings. Also make sure no follower shows “Sharing Paused” under their name — if it does, tap their name and tap Continue Sharing.
If Follow has no data, Sugar Sense can’t get any either — go back to Step 2 and toggle Share off and on if needed.
Step 4 — Connect in Sugar Sense
- On the Sugar Sense connection screen, choose Dexcom.
- Enter your Dexcom account (the Sharer’s username, email, or phone number) and password.
- Choose your Region (see the note below).
- Tap Connect.
Pick the right region. Choose US 🇺🇸 if your Dexcom account is in the United States, APAC for Japan, the Philippines, or Singapore, and Worldwide 🌎 for everywhere else. The wrong region is the #1 cause of “login failed” or “No Data,” because Dexcom keeps accounts on different regional servers.
Your readings start flowing within a few minutes (allow up to ~10), and refresh automatically about every 5 minutes from then on.
Troubleshooting “No Data”
- Check the Dexcom Follow app first. Always confirm you can see up-to-date readings in Follow. If you can, the problem is between Share and Sugar Sense. If you can’t, the problem is between your sensor and Share — go back to Step 2.
- Make sure Share is on and nobody is paused. In the Dexcom app, Connections › Share should be on with at least one follower, and that follower must not say “Sharing Paused.”
- Use the Sharer’s login — not a Follower login. Sugar Sense needs the Dexcom account that wears the sensor. A Follower account will not work.
- Try a different region. If login fails or readings never arrive, log out in Sugar Sense and reconnect with a different region (US ↔ Worldwide ↔ APAC). This fixes most connection problems.
- Phone-number logins need a country code. If your Dexcom User ID is a mobile number, enter it with the country code at the beginning.
- Double-check your credentials. If you’re unsure, reset your password in the Dexcom app (Profile › Account). You can sanity-check the same login at Dexcom Clarity — if Clarity lets you in, the account is correct.
- Re-enter your credentials in Sugar Sense. Go to Settings → Log out, then connect again. This refreshes a stale connection.
- Keep background refresh on (iOS). Leave Background App Refresh on for the Dexcom apps and avoid force-quitting them. Low Power Mode can delay sharing.
Still stuck?
Email us at [email protected] and tell us:
- the Dexcom account (username or email) and the region you’re trying to use, and
- what you see in the Dexcom Follow app itself (readings, or an error).
Never send us your password — we’ll never ask for it by email.
Safety reminder: Sugar Sense is for monitoring and awareness. Never make treatment or dosing decisions based solely on data from this app — always rely on your Dexcom G6/G7 app and follow your healthcare provider’s guidance.
