It would be a game changer if the Apple Watch could read the blood sugar levels themselves, but users can officially experience the next best thing. 1, Dexcom, one of the leading continuous blood glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management, allows data collected from the latest generation of monitoring devices to be synchronized directly with the Apple Watch.

Previously, users needed an iPhone nearby for the apple Watch to display accurate reading information. In other words, glucose levels from the Dexcom G7 are first relayed to the Dexcom iPhone app before syncing with the Apple Watch version of the app. With this new Direct to Apple Watch feature, the same Dexcom monitor sends blood glucose levels more seamlessly to the user's wrist via Bluetooth, allowing you to cut out the middle person.

It means that more than 1.7 million global Dexcom users don't have to worry about their iPhone being with them and just check their glucose levels This additional feature provides an unprecedented level of freedom and flexibility even for users using LTE-enabled watches. 

When we interviewed 2 friends with type 1 diabetes about how they used their apple Watch for glucose monitoring, both said having Dexcom complications on their watch faces was invaluable. The app not only shows the user's current glucose levels and general glucose trends at a glance, but it warns of urgent changes as well. Then, the user can make insulin adjustment accordingly whether it is with insulin pump or manual injection.

Dexcom data is compatible with Apple Health, allowing users to view blood sugar information along with other health metrics such as sleep, cycling tracking, and activity. This provides an integrated health dashboard and gives you the option to share that data with your healthcare provider through an eligible health system. If you are taking care of someone with diabetes, you can assign their health app data and alerts to share with you, too.

Diabetes is a condition that requires fairly frequent monitoring, but with the right information you can manage your symptoms. There are several different instant insulin reading and management technology providers, but the added convenience of doing so via Apple Watch is exclusive to Dexcom. 

That said, there are a few other prerequisites for using Direct to Apple Watch. Users need to download Dexcom G7 app version 2.1, run Watchos6 or later on Apple Watch Series10 or later, and run iOS17 or later on iPhone. The feature will only be available to users in the US, UK and Ireland, and additional markets will be launched later this month.

Given the timing of this announcement, it seems that the Apple Watch Series10 is not expected to have native blood glucose monitoring this fall (we were not necessarily sure that such an upgrade would come to the watch going forward).However, we heard rumors and discovered a patent related to smartwatches that can read blood sugar levels noninvasively. Samsung is one company that is particularly believed to be making progress in this kind of innovative health technology, and Apple may not be too late.1