"x-day difficult stop on G6 sensors." – love, Dexcom

Did that i thing solitary stop you lot from considering the G6?  Well, skillful news…you lot can really restart the sensors (and the transmitter).

In that location are several ways to restart a G6 sensor, listed below from easiest to hardest. (Technically, Options 1 and 2 are so much easier than other options…that it's well-nigh not worth doing the others)

  1. Use the G6 receiver to restart
  2. Use the phone to restart (without receiver)
  3. Use the resetTransmitter app
  4. Remove the transmitter from the sensor

UPDATE:  It used to be that I thought that you could not restart a sensor if information technology had expired, without using Option iii or 4…turns out this is not true!  If you lot accidentally did not recollect to start and stop Options 1 or two before your sensor session expired, don't fret.  I have used Option 1 to restart an ended sensor (basically but start on Step 4 of Option 1, but you don't demand to look for a new BG to come in…considering the session has expired).  I haven't personally tested how Option 2 would work in that situation, but information technology should work but the same.

However, do not end up in limbo…don't start a restart process an hour before a session ends.  Either kickoff/terminate Option 1 or 2 far enough in advance that y'all tin can complete the restart entirely…or wait until the session has ended and and so begin a restart.  The in-between process doesn't piece of work well, so pick a version and follow-through.

Option 1: Employ G6 receiver

This is the easiest and preferred method considering you don't accept to lose BG data during the restart procedure.  You tin can only keep looping (if yous are a looper) and watching BG data on your telephone, Nightscout, and Follow apps the whole fourth dimension.

To use this process, you lot exercise NOT have to exist using a receiver on a regular basis.  We only pull the receiver out in order to do the restarts.  Commonly, information technology sits in the cupboard, turned off, between session restarts.  I recall of the receiver as a magic restart wand that we pull out of the closet every so oftentimes.

We outset and finish this whole procedure before the session is due to expire…and then most iii hours before the end of session, or sooner, we starting time the receiver going on the steps beneath.

  1. In your Alerts settings for the receiver, it's a practiced idea to turn off the "signal loss" alert during this procedure.  Your receiver is going to have signal loss for 2 hours and it would be annoying to hear that alert for the whole time.  Just a good idea before you get started.
  2. If yous don't normally use the receiver, go alee and turn it on.  Get the receiver continued with the transmitter.  Presently after (about 5 minutes) the receiver connects, the receiver will first reading BGs from the existing session already going on the telephone.
  3. Watch the receiver become a fresh BG value.  Ordinarily this happens just seconds later the phone app gets a new BG.  During this procedure, the transmitter and receiver briefly talk and and then disconnect from each other for the next five minutes.  We are going to utilise that disconnected country to our advantage to restart the sensor.
  4. Wait about xv seconds or so later on the new BG value came in and and then printing the "Terminate Sensor" option ON THE RECEIVER (not on the phone).  You lot'll be told "Are you sure yous want to stop your sensor?  It cannot be restarted, a new sensor is required."  Answer Yeah.  Y'all'll see a niggling progress bar go past for stopping sensor.
  5. On the screen that appears afterwards the progress bar, press New Sensor.  You'll exist promoted to choose between "No Code" or "Enter Code".  You can choose either.  If you choose to "Enter Code", go find your code from when you originally inserted the sensor (the one printed on the agglutinative cover of the sensor).  Contrary to early rumors, not all the sensors in a box take the same code. That code is the calibration code for the particular sensor wire that sensor is using.  If you don't have that code saved, become ahead and choose "No Lawmaking" (don't only randomly utilize the code from a unlike sensor in your supplies).
  6. After you cease with the Lawmaking entry decisions, you'll need to press the "Outset Sensor" button that volition appear on the receiver.  You'll run across a "starting sensor" progress bar for a few seconds and then the 2-hour sensor warmup countdown circumvolve will be displayed on the receiver.
  7. From this point forward for at to the lowest degree two hours…you need the receiver to NOT Come INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE TRANSMITTER.  There are several means to do this, some ideas:
    • Put the receiver in the microwave.  The microwave blocks the communications between the receiver and the transmitter very effectively, just make sure you don't turn on the microwave during the 2+ hours y'all're waiting, or
    • Put the receiver in a faraday purse (costs less than $10 and it can act just like the microwave, but a lot more portable and easy to manage), or
    • Put the receiver "far plenty abroad" that it stays out of range of the transmitter.  Neighbor'south house, the corner of your backyard, etc.  Just and so long every bit it is far plenty away that the transmitter and receiver won't accidentally talk to each other during the 2+ hours of waiting.  This is the second most mutual failure indicate for people trying to restart…they practise not adequately keep the receiver from communicating with the transmitter during this 2 hr expect.I highly recommend using a microwave or a faraday bag for this option to forbid accidental communication.
  8. During this ii+ hours of waiting, the receiver volition take "signal loss" and "no information" message.  That's a adept affair.  Don't worry about that. You lot want that.
    • As well during this 2+ hours of waiting, you'll have BGs on the telephone app uninterrupted.  Your Nightscout site, dexcom follow app, dexcom G6 app, and Loop app (if yous use it) will all continue to piece of work every bit usual.
  9. After waiting two+ hours at to the lowest degree (I usually get at least 2 hours and 10 minutes only in case), bring the receiver back into communications with the transmitter.  Within five minutes, the "no data" message will exist replaced with a warmup bulletin when the receiver will connect with the transmitter again.  The warmup circle looks like a three/4 completed warmup circle, only don't worry, it only has 5 minutes until yous're session is set up to start again.
  10. v minutes later on the warmup circle appears, the receiver and phone will start showing BGs again for the newly restarted session (or the "enter 2 calibrations" request if you chose a "no code" session or used a reset transmitter).
  11. If required, enter the calibrations in both the telephone and receiver at the aforementioned time.  If your session did not require immediate calibrations to start the session, it is yet not a bad idea to cheque and brand sure you've restarted BGs at a reasonable value.
  12. Congrats, yous've simply restarted your G6 sensor session.  Your newly started session volition expire 10 days from the fourth dimension that yous did Step 5, so plan ahead if you are going to exercise any subsequent restarts.

Hither'due south the video for the G6 Option 1

Pick two: No-receiver restart

For non-US residents, sometimes y'all can buy the G6 organization without the receiver.  So while you can even so restart the sensor session without it, the disadvantage (vs. using Option one) is that you will not meet BGs for two hours during the restart process.

This process can be a little more prone to errors if using an android phone…some android phones reconnect with BT devices pretty aggressively I've heard.

Think to start this procedure far enough in advance that y'all volition finish it before the "Sensor Expires" fourth dimension.

SIDE Note:  I have heard from several t-slim users that this method does indeed work to restart the G6 for those users.

  1. In phone'south bluetooth listing (in iPhone Settings), "forget" the Dexcom transmitter ID.  In fact, "forget" all your one-time Dexcom transmitters if you don't regularly delete them.  Former ones don't demand to exist saved.  By forgetting the Dexcom transmitter, we are preventing the transmitter and app communications during the restart procedure…and that's a proficient thing.  We don't desire them paired during the 2 hours.
  2. Go to G6 app on the phone and "stop sensor" from the Settings menu. You lot'll be told "Are you sure you want to stop your sensor?  It cannot be restarted, a new sensor is required."  Respond Yes.
  3. On the screen that appears after, printing "New Sensor".  Y'all'll be promoted to choose between "No Code" or "Enter Code".  You can cull either.  If you lot cull to "Enter Code", become find your lawmaking from when you originally inserted the sensor (the one printed on the adhesive cover of the sensor).  That lawmaking is the calibration lawmaking for the particular sensor wire that sensor is using.  If y'all don't take that lawmaking saved, become ahead and choose "No Code" (don't just randomly use the code from a different sensor in your supplies).
  4. Afterwards you end with the Lawmaking entry decisions, you'll need to press the "Start Sensor" button that will waiting on the app'southward main screen.  You'll see a "starting sensor" progress bar for a few seconds and so the 2-hour sensor warmup countdown circumvolve volition be displayed on the telephone.
  5. Wait at least 2 hours, but not so long that the old sensor session will expire during your await.  If the former session expires before you stop the remaining steps…you'll accept to move onto Option 3 or iv (or supersede the sensor).
  6. Your G6 app will too display "bespeak loss" during this time.  That'southward good, also.  You want the transmitter to stay unpaired and "lost" during the warmup await.
  7. After the 2 60 minutes expect, restart the telephone (hold down the power push button and slide to plough off the phone).  Open G6 app. This will trigger the phone to try to re-pair with transmitter.  Accept the pairing request at present that you've waited at to the lowest degree 2 hours.  If you don't become a pairing request inside v minutes of the restart, you may demand to restart the phone ane more time.
  8. Nearly 5 minutes after accepting the pairing request, you'll be greeted with BGs again for the newly restarted session (or the "enter two calibrations" request if yous chose a "no code" session or use a reset transmitter).  If prompted, enter the calibrations and yous're good to go.

Option 3: Reset Transmitter

This selection resets the solar day-counter that the transmitter holds internally.  You know how the dexcom transmitter stops working at 112 days?  Well, this process resets that counter to zero and in the process will allow you lot to starting time a new session.  HOWEVER, it is a process to unpair-pair-unpair-pair the transmitter several times so, I'd recommend however using Option 1 or two above for regular sensor restarts.  Come dorsum to these directions when yous simply demand to extend that 112 days.  Since it does work to allow a sensor restart…I'll leave it here for the purposes of complete discussion of alternatives.

  1. Build the ResetTransmitter app as described in my weblog post hither.
  2. Make sure your G6 session has ended.  Y'all cannot exist in an active session for a transmitter reset.
  3. Go to your iPhone'due south Bluetooth area (in Settings) and "forget" the Dexcom transmitter.
  4. Delete the Dexcom G6 app.
  5. Shutdown and restart your iPhone.
  6. Open up the ResetTransmitter app and enter your dexcom transmitter ID and printing the Reset button.  Within five minutes you should get a pairing request to have.  The reset success message will appear within a very short fourth dimension subsequently the pairing is accepted.
  7. IF you lot don't get a pairing request within five minutes in Step six, restart the phone once again.  Double cheque all the dexcom transmitters accept been deleted from the bluetooth list on the phone.  Open the ResetTransmitter app again and run into if you get a pairing asking within 5 minutes.  (The toughest role of this process is getting the transmitter to successfully unpair and re-pair between apps.  Sometimes it takes a few restarts and patience…only it does work eventually.)
  8. After the transmitter has been reset, y'all tin can reverse the process.  Forget the Dexcom transmitter again from Bluetooth list, restart the telephone.  Reinstall the G6 app and go through the setup screens as if you were starting a new sensor. One time you get a successful pairing established, you tin press the start session on your app.

Option iv: Remove the transmitter

The G6 transmitter is surrounded past plastic entirely.  The locking wings for the transmitter are located under and within the plastic ring surrounding the transmitter, making them very inaccessible past fingers.  Therefore, popping out the G6 transmitter is a flake cumbersome, requires some small pointy tool, and bluntly would be a little hard to do if your sensor is in an awkward spot to reach.  I managed to do information technology with a simple tool past myself with the sensor on my arm (encounter video beneath), so information technology's not impossible.

Technically, if y'all remove the transmitter, you tin can supersede information technology back onto the same sensor (and tape information technology back down and then information technology stays locked in identify, if you've busted the hinge betoken in the process of removing the transmitter).  This would allow you to restart a sensor session on the same sensor.  I've heard from others that leaving information technology out for 15 minutes helps restarts…but I take not experienced the aforementioned.

I'm but mentioning this option for full disclosure of ALL the options…but really this shouldn't exist used.  It'southward and so much easier to use i of the kickoff two options.

Video of how to remove the transmitter:

Restarting G6 Transmitter (avert the ninety-112 days Dexcom shut down)

The Dexcom G6 transmitter is just like the G5 transmitter in that Dexcom artificially kills the transmitter by 112 days of use after first activation.  If you'd like to use the transmitter beyond the 112 days, and instead utilise the transmitter until the end of its battery life, you can employ the aforementioned process described in my G5-reset-transmitter post.  The G6 transmitter tin can be reset at any time just like the G5 transmitters.