I’ve been testing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices and their companion apps for years, and getting notifications right is one of those small-but-crucial tasks that can make life dramatically easier. The Dexcom G7 is a great sensor, but alerts are only useful if your phone and watch actually deliver them reliably. In this guide I’ll walk you, step-by-step, through setting up Dexcom G7 notifications on both Android and Apple devices, plus the common pitfalls I’ve seen and practical fixes that actually work in real-world use.
What I aim to solve
Most people want three things from Dexcom alerts: timely notifications for highs and lows, repeat/urgent alerts when needed, and the ability to see those alerts on a smartwatch. Too often I see missed alarms because of notification silencing, aggressive battery optimizations, or misconfigured app permissions. I’ll cover the settings in the Dexcom app itself and the key OS and watch settings that ensure alerts come through reliably.
Before you start: prerequisites
Make sure you have:
A Dexcom G7 sensor properly applied and transmitting—paired in the Dexcom app.The latest Dexcom G7 app installed from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).Your phone’s OS reasonably up to date (I recommend at least iOS 16+ or Android 12+ for best compatibility).Bluetooth enabled and working between sensor and phone, and between phone and watch if you use one.Core Dexcom app settings (both platforms)
Open the Dexcom app and check these essentials first:
Alert settings: Tap Settings → Alerts. Enable High and Low alerts and set thresholds that match your care plan.Alert sound and vibration: Choose distinct tones and ensure vibration is enabled for wearable notifications.Urgent Low Soon: Enable “Urgent Low Soon” if you want a dedicated, high-priority alert for rapidly approaching low values.Repeat/Reminder behavior: Decide how often the app should repeat an alert. I prefer a reminder every 5 minutes for lows until I acknowledge it.Follow and Share: If you use Followers (family or caregivers), confirm sharing permissions are enabled so others get notifications too.Apple devices — step-by-step
iPhones and Apple Watches usually handle Dexcom notifications smoothly, provided a few key settings are correct.
Allow Notifications: Settings → Notifications → Dexcom. Enable Allow Notifications, choose Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners, and set alert style to persistent if you want the banner to stay on screen until dismissed.Sounds and Badges: Turn on Sounds and Badges so the app can play tones and show unread alert counts.Critical Alerts: The Dexcom app supports Critical Alerts on iOS. When prompted by the app, allow Critical Alerts — this bypasses Do Not Disturb and Focus modes so urgent CGM alerts still sound. If you skipped the prompt, toggle it in Settings → Notifications → Dexcom → Critical Alerts.Background App Refresh: Settings → General → Background App Refresh. Ensure Dexcom is allowed to refresh in the background so it can maintain a connection to the sensor when the app isn’t open.Bluetooth & Location: Make sure Bluetooth is on. Some Dexcom features may request location permission — grant it if prompted (set to “While Using the App” or “Always” depending on your needs).Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone → Notifications → Dexcom → Mirror my iPhone. Additionally, on the Apple Watch itself, ensure Focus modes aren’t blocking app notifications (Control Center → Focus).Android devices — step-by-step
Android phones vary by manufacturer, and this is where I see the most variability. Follow these steps and also check brand-specific battery settings (Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, etc.).
Allow Notifications: Settings → Apps → Dexcom → Notifications. Ensure notifications are enabled and all relevant channels (High, Low, Urgent) are switched on.Priority / Importance: For each Dexcom notification channel, set Importance to High or Urgent. This allows the alert to pop up and override Do Not Disturb in many cases.Do Not Disturb exceptions: Settings → Sound & vibration → Do Not Disturb → Allow exceptions. Add Dexcom notifications as exceptions, or allow alarms and critical app notifications to bypass DND.Battery optimizations: This is the most common cause of missed alerts on Android. Settings → Battery → Battery optimization (or Apps → Special access → Optimize battery usage). Find Dexcom and select “Don’t optimize” or “Unrestricted” depending on the UI. For Samsung, also disable “Put app to sleep”.Background data & Auto-start: Ensure Dexcom can run in the background and has permission to auto-start. Settings → Apps → Dexcom → Data usage → Allow background data. Then check Auto-start or Manage auto-start for phone brands that offer that setting.Wear OS / Wearables: If you use a Wear OS watch, ensure the Dexcom app (or follow notifications) is allowed to forward notifications. On Wear OS: Settings → Apps & notifications → Notifications → Allow app notifications for Dexcom.Troubleshooting common issues
I keep a short checklist I run through whenever someone reports missed Dexcom alerts. It fixes 9 times out of 10:
Is Bluetooth on and connected to the phone/watch?Are notifications enabled for Dexcom in the phone’s system settings?Is the phone in Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode that blocks notifications? If yes, allow Dexcom as a priority or enable Critical Alerts (iOS).Is battery optimization preventing background operation? Disable optimization for Dexcom.Is the Dexcom app allowed to run in the background and auto-start?Are notification channels set to high/urgent importance (Android) or persistent (iOS)?Has the sensor lost signal or paused? Check the app for “No Sensor” or “Weak Signal” warnings.Troubleshooting table — quick fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Quick fix |
|---|
| No alerts on iPhone | Critical Alerts blocked or Focus mode | Settings → Notifications → Dexcom → Enable Critical Alerts; check Focus exceptions |
| Missed alerts on Android | Battery optimization | Settings → Battery → Disable optimization for Dexcom; allow background activity |
| No alerts on watch | Phone not forwarding notifications or Watch in DND | Check phone → watch notification mirroring; disable DND on watch |
| Delayed alerts | Bluetooth interference or weak signal | Reboot phone, re-pair sensor if needed, keep phone and sensor within range |
Advanced tips and real-world adjustments
Here are a few advanced tips I use to make alerts even more reliable in daily life:
Use a secondary device as a fallback: If you’re a frequent traveler or battery saver, consider setting up a spare old phone as a dedicated receiver with Dexcom Follow for caregivers. It removes the complication of daily phone usage interfering with alerts.Set distinct tones: Pick sounds that are loud and unmistakable. For night use, choose a tone that increases in intensity or use vibration patterns on your watch.Test alert flow: After configuring settings, test by temporarily setting a low alert threshold that’s slightly below your current reading—this triggers an alert without changing your therapy.Keep app and OS updated: Dexcom rolls out important notification and connectivity fixes in app updates. I install updates promptly but read the release notes for anything affecting alerts.What I watch for in updates and new sensors
When Dexcom releases app updates, or when Apple/Google change notification APIs, things can break. I scan update notes for keywords like “notifications,” “critical alerts,” “background,” or “watch” and re-run the checklist above after major updates. With new sensor hardware, also verify firmware compatibility and pairing steps because a re-pair or app reinstallation sometimes fixes stubborn notification bugs.
If you want, tell me your phone model and whether you use an Apple Watch or Wear OS watch; I can give a quick checklist tailored to that exact device. I’ve helped readers fix everything from a Samsung aggressively killing the G7 app to an iPhone Focus mode silently blocking critical alarms—small settings changes usually do the trick.
