The basics
Does it cost anything?
No. The program is free.
Does it work on a Mac, an iPhone or an Android phone?
No. It is a Windows program only.
Why isn't it on the Mac, iPhone or iPad?
To put programs on the App Store, Apple charges developers about $100 a year to join its developer program. That isn't something Jarrod can afford right now, so unless someone is willing to pay for it, a version for Apple devices won't be happening any time soon. Jarrod would love to offer one, and is sorry it isn't possible yet.
Do I have to install it?
No. Unzip the download somewhere you can find it, such as your Documents folder, and start "Accessible Diabetes Tracker.exe" in the folder. Everything it saves stays in that folder, so you can copy the whole folder to another computer, such as a laptop for a trip.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC". Is something wrong?
No. Windows shows that the first time for programs that are not signed yet, and this one isn't. If you trust where you got it, choose More info, then Run anyway.
What is the difference between a stable release and a beta?
Stable releases, such as 1.0 and 1.1, are tested and ready for everyday use. Betas, such as 1.1 beta 1, come out between stable releases with newer features sooner, but something may not work quite right. Everyone gets stable releases unless they choose "Stable releases and betas" under Which updates in Settings. "Change log.txt" in the program's folder says what changed in every version.
How do I get new versions?
The program can check this website for a newer version and install it for you. In Settings, you choose whether it updates automatically, asks you first, or only checks when you press Check for updates, and whether you get stable releases only or betas too. It tells you what's new in every version you missed. If you were using a beta before 1.0, it moves you to 1.0 like any other update.
Will an update lose my readings or food log?
No. An update replaces only the program itself. Your readings, food log and settings are kept exactly as they are.
Your readings
Which glucose sensors does it work with?
FreeStyle Libre and Dexcom. For a Libre, the program reads the glucose file you download from the LibreView website. For a Dexcom, it reads the export file from the Dexcom Clarity website.
Does it work with Dexcom?
Yes. Sign in to the Dexcom Clarity website on a computer, open a report, and use its Export button to download a file ending in .csv. In Import data, choose "Dexcom Clarity file" under File type, then Browse to the file. Files in mg/dL and mmol/L both work. Your name, date of birth, device details and alert settings in the file are skipped and never kept. When your sugar was above what the sensor can measure, Dexcom writes "High" instead of a number; the program keeps it as 400 and shows "High (above 400)", so highs are never lost. "Low" is kept as 40 and shown as "Low (below 40)". Readings from a blood sugar meter in the file are kept as finger-stick readings.
Why do insulin doses from Dexcom go into my food log?
Because the food log is where the program keeps what you ate and the medicine you took, next to your sugar. Doses you logged in the Dexcom app are added to it with their own date and time, such as "Fast-acting insulin: 3.5 units (from Dexcom)", so they show up in Meals and responses and the doctor report. Importing the same file again never adds a dose twice.
Why can't the program get my readings file from LibreView automatically?
We looked into it, and it isn't possible in a way that is safe and works. LibreView's download page has a "not a robot" check, which is there to stop programs from downloading the file. Abbott, the company that makes Libre, has no public way for a program like this to get your readings; it only shares them with companies that sign an agreement with it. There are unofficial ways, but they give only between about 12 hours and 2 weeks of readings, they break often because Abbott keeps changing things, and they would need your LibreView password stored in this program, which we don't want to do. So for now, download the file from the LibreView website and bring it in with Import data.
What if I import the same file twice, or a new file that overlaps an old one?
Nothing is counted twice. The program never adds the same reading twice, and before anything is saved it tells you exactly what it found and what it will add. It also makes a backup first.
My sensor broke, or only shows HI or LO. Can I put in a finger-stick reading?
Yes. Press Add finger-stick reading and type the number from your meter. It also works for a reading your doctor or nurse took at their office. Finger sticks count with your sensor's readings and are marked "(finger stick)". If you make a mistake, Finger-stick readings, in the Add menu, lets you edit or remove one.
I live outside the United States. Can it show mmol/L?
Yes. Choose mmol/L under Glucose units in Settings, and every number is shown in mmol/L, including in the doctor report, with A1C also in mmol/mol. Dexcom files in mmol/L import fine. LibreView files in mmol/L are coming in a later release. A layout report from someone outside the United States is what's needed to add them (see the next question).
The program says it can't read my file. How can I help, without sending my readings?
Use the layout report. It was added so that you can help the program support your kind of file without your health information ever leaving your computer.
Here is how it came about. To add a new kind of file, the program's AI helper needs to see how that file is laid out. At first, that meant asking people to send their real file. The developer had a stern talking-to with the AI about that, and the layout report is the result: the program makes the report on your own computer, the numbers and names are taken out before anyone sees it, and you can read it yourself before deciding to send it. Nobody, neither the developer nor the AI, ever sees your readings.
Step by step:
- Download the newest version from this website and unzip it. Any version from 1.0 on has it.
- Sign in to the LibreView website (not the phone app) and use the "Download glucose data" button. It saves a .csv file. For Dexcom, use the Export button on a report in the Dexcom Clarity website.
- Open Accessible Diabetes Tracker and press Alt+I for Import data.
- Choose your file type, then press Browse and pick your file.
- Press Read file. The program will say it can't read this kind of file yet, and ask whether you'd like to save a layout report. Choose Yes.
- The program tells you exactly where it saved "layout report.txt". Press OK, and the report opens in Notepad. Read it, and remove anything you would rather not send.
- Email "layout report.txt" as an attachment to the address shown in About.
In the report, every number is changed to 9, and words that appear only once or twice, such as your name, are changed to x's. What's left are things like the column titles and how dates are written. That is all that's needed to add support for your file. The program never sends the report itself: only you can.
Is the estimated A1C the same as my A1C from the lab?
No. It is an estimate, called GMI, worked out from the average of your sensor readings. For many people it is close to a lab A1C, but for some it is half a point or more different, for example because of anemia or kidney problems. The real test is still the one your doctor does. The program shows a warning about this every time, before the estimate.
Can I change the target range from 70 to 180?
Yes. If your doctor or nurse gave you a different range, change it in Settings. It is used in Today's readings and Week highs and lows. The doctor report always uses the standard ranges that doctors expect.
The program keeps reminding me to import. Can I stop it?
The reminder comes when your newest reading is 3 days old or more, and at most once a day. It stops as soon as you import a new file. Tip for Libre users: open the Libre app and check your sugar first, then download the file from LibreView right away. LibreView only gets your newest readings after you check in the app.
What counts as a low?
The program uses the international standard for sensor readings: under 70 (3.9 mmol/L) for at least 15 minutes. A single low reading that comes back up straight away isn't counted as a low. The same rule is used everywhere in the program, including Compare, Patterns by time of day, the summary after an import, and the doctor report.
Compare says the comparison may not be fair. Why?
One of the two stretches has far fewer days with readings than the other, for example because you haven't imported your newest readings yet, or your sensor wasn't working for some days. The numbers are still right for the readings there are, but they may not show the whole picture.
Why do I have to tell the program when I put on a new sensor?
The file from LibreView doesn't say when you changed sensors. It has a serial number, but that number belongs to the Libre app on your phone, not to the sensor, so it stays the same when you change sensors. So the program needs you to tell it, with Sensor days left in the Tools menu.
Which sensor length should I choose in Settings?
The FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus and 3 Plus last 15 days, and the plain Libre 2 and 3 last 14 days. The Dexcom G7 lasts 10 days, and the Dexcom G7 15 Day lasts 15 days. The program starts on the Libre 15 days. If you aren't sure which sensor you have, look at the box it came in, or in your sensor's app.
Which time do I enter when I put on a new sensor?
The time you put it on and started it in the app, not when the warm-up ended. A sensor's days count from the end of its warm-up, so the program adds the warm-up itself: an hour for the Libres and the Dexcom G7 15 Day, and 30 minutes for the Dexcom G7. After your next import, it finds the new sensor's first reading and counts from then if the warm-up took noticeably longer or shorter.
What is the grace period on a Dexcom sensor?
Dexcom sensors keep working for 12 more hours after their official end, to give you time to change them. Sensor days left gives the official end and tells you when the grace period ends. The warnings count to the official end, and the program only asks whether you put on a new sensor once the grace period is over.
The days left don't match the app. Which is right?
The app for your sensor, the Libre app or the Dexcom app. It hears from the sensor itself, while the program only knows the date and time you entered. Check that you entered the right date and time, and the right sensor in Settings. If a sensor stops early, the app knows straight away, but the program doesn't until you tell it about your new one.
Why does the program ask me whether I put on a new sensor?
It never assumes you changed your sensor, because you may have run out, or not been able to change it yet. So when your sensor's time is up, it asks once. If you say No, it doesn't ask again about that sensor, unless readings later come in after a gap, which is a sign of a new sensor. It may also ask once about a gap in your readings that could be a sensor change.
Can I make a report to take to my doctor?
Yes. The Doctor report makes a web page for the dates you choose, which reads well with a screen reader and prints neatly, and a spreadsheet file of every reading. You choose what goes in it.
Food and the food log
Do I have to keep a food log?
No. Everything about your readings works without one. The food log is what lets the program show your sugar before and after what you ate, in Meals and responses and the doctor report.
How do I write in the food log?
Press Add log entry in the program, where the date and time are filled in for you. Or, if you prefer, write in the log with Notepad; the program reads both the same way. README.txt in the program's folder explains how.
Why does Meals and responses look at 3 hours after I eat?
It shows your sugar before an entry and about 1, 2 and 3 hours after, because that is when most meals have their effect. The doctor report uses the same 3 hours, so they always match.
Why does Food lookup need my email address?
Open Food Facts, the free food database it searches, asks every program to send a contact email with each search, so it knows who is searching. The program sends your own email, the one you type in Settings, and only after you say yes.
What is the USDA key, and why do I need my own?
If you choose in Settings to also search the USDA's FoodData Central, the USDA needs a key, which is a free code it gives each person. If one key were built into the program, everyone would share its limit and it would soon be used up, and the USDA turns off keys it finds shared in public. So each person gets their own. In Settings, the Get a free USDA key button takes you to the USDA's page to get one.
Is the food information always right?
Not always. Open Food Facts is filled in by volunteers, so how complete an entry is varies, and a search may find the same food more than once with different amounts. Always check the package when you can. Food lookup shows what the databases say; it does not tell you what or how much to eat.
Does Food lookup work without internet?
Foods you have looked up before do. Every search is saved, so the same search still works later without internet, and the program tells you when the saved matches are from.
Privacy and safety
Is my health information sent anywhere?
No. Your readings, food log and settings stay in the data folder, inside the program's folder, on your computer. Only two things ever leave your computer: a food lookup, which sends the food name and your email address to Open Food Facts (and, if you chose it, the food name and your USDA key to the USDA), and checking for updates, which asks this website whether a newer version is out. No readings, food log, name or health information is ever sent.
Where is my USDA key kept?
Not in the program's files. Windows keeps it, in Credential Manager, the same place other programs keep saved passwords, for your Windows account on that computer only. So if you copy the program's folder to another computer, type your key in Settings again there.
Something went wrong. How do I send the details?
In Settings, under Problem log, choose Everything and press Save. Do whatever caused the problem again, then go back to Settings and press View the problem log in Notepad. Press Control+A to select it all, Control+C to copy it, and paste it into an email to Jarrod with Control+V. Afterwards, set Problem log back to Errors only. The log never includes your email address or USDA key, but Everything can include readings and food log words shown on the screen, so only use it when you need to.
Can the program change or delete my readings or food log?
It never changes your data without asking. It only adds new readings, or new entries to your food log, when you say yes, and it never changes or removes anything already there. The one exception is finger-stick readings you added yourself, which you can edit or remove when you choose to. Backups are made before every change, unless you turn them off in Settings.
I made a mistake, such as deleting entries from my food log. Can I undo it?
Often, yes. Before the program changes your readings, food log or saved food lookups, it makes a backup, if backups are on in Settings. In Settings, press Restore from a backup, choose the backup from before the mistake, and press Restore. Changes you made yourself in Notepad aren't backed up by the program, but the program also backs up your food log each time you add an entry with Add log entry.
Will putting back a backup lose what I have now?
No. Before putting a backup back, the program saves what you have now as a new backup. If you change your mind, put that one back the same way.
I use a desktop and a laptop. What if I copy one computer's folder over the other by mistake?
The program keeps a safety copy of your food log and readings. If something goes missing because one folder was copied over the other, it notices the next time it opens, and offers to put it back. To bring in what you added on the other computer, use Import data and choose "Another copy of this program".
Does the program give medical advice?
No. It shows facts: numbers, times, highs and lows. It never tells you what to eat or how to take your medicine. Always check with your doctor or nurse before changing how you eat, exercise, or take your medicine.
Was the program written using AI?
Yes. Jarrod Jicha designed it and tested it, along with beta testers, but the program was written using AI (artificial intelligence). Because of that, something could be missing or not work quite right. If you would rather not use a program written using AI, you may prefer not to download it.
Does the program send my information to AI?
No. There is no AI inside the program. AI was used to write it, but the finished program doesn't use AI and never contacts an AI service. Your readings, food log and settings stay on your computer, as explained in "Is my health information sent anywhere?" above. Nothing you do in the program is sent to an AI or used to train one.
Sometimes the developer asks for a sample file to make sure the program reads it correctly, for example a LibreView file from another country. Sending one is always your choice. If you do, the AI that helped write the program checks only its layout, such as the column titles and how dates are written. Nobody looks at your readings, name or anything else in it, nothing from it goes into the program or onto this website, and the file is deleted completely afterwards.
Screen readers and the keyboard
Where did all the buttons go?
It is tested with NVDA and JAWS. Every window uses standard Windows buttons, checkboxes, lists and text boxes, so screen readers can read everything.
Can I use it with only the keyboard?
Yes. Every control has a keyboard shortcut, the main window's menus open with Alt, the most-used things have Ctrl quick keys, Tab moves between controls, and Escape closes a window. If you changed something and didn't save it, Escape asks first, so nothing is lost by accident. README.txt in the program's folder lists every shortcut in every window.
JAWS doesn't say the Alt shortcuts on buttons. Is that a bug?
No. JAWS doesn't read Alt shortcuts on buttons in other programs either, such as Notepad's Save As window. NVDA does. That's why README.txt lists every shortcut.
My screen reader says "collapsed" on the date boxes. Is that normal?
Yes. Dates are picked from three boxes, month, day and year, so nothing is typed. You don't need to open them: Up and Down arrow change the choice, and Tab goes to the next box.
Something else
How do I report a problem or suggest an idea?
Please email Jarrod at jamminjerry2011@gmail.com. If something went wrong, say what happened, what you expected, and, if you use a screen reader, what it said. Many of the program's features came from testers' ideas.
Why does it say the program is already running?
Only one copy of the program can run at a time on your computer, so two copies can never write the same files at once. If you start it again while it's open, it says so, and OK takes you to the open copy.
My question isn't here.
Email it to Jarrod at the address above. Questions that come up often will be added to this page.