Resources
12 Best Diabetes Apps of 2024
Receiving a diagnosis like type 1 diabetes can be overwhelming, thrusting you into a wheel of emotions like grief, anger, and depression. And unlike some diseases, you have time to soak in the information and follow a course of actionable management. However, with diabetes, there is no rest for the weary. You must quickly figure out the best strategy for optimal health. A dynamic balance of eating, exercise and dosing insulin, all while keeping blood sugar levels aligned.
Editor's Note: Our advisors continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles periodically when new information becomes available.
Of course, the first step is immediately addressing your health and well-being treatment with a professional. The next step is to find ways to make your life easier. Your time is valuable, so you want to seek technology that is easy to use with built-in preloaded information and helpful reminders.
The good news is there is a wealth of information and resources at your fingertips if you know where to look. What’s more, you’ll become an expert in no time—a pro at guessing carbs and understanding how your body responds. It’s challenging but manageable, and there are digital diabetes management tools readily available.
Find the Best Diabetes App for You
While hundreds of diabetes management apps are on the market, you have to decide what you’re looking for in an app. Rachel Stahl Salzman, registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, told T1DStrong that she has no favorite diabetes app because there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
"The best app for a person with diabetes depends on their individual needs and preferences. Instead of recommending a specific diabetes app, I focus on educating people with diabetes about the different types of apps available and helping them choose an app that is right for them. I also encourage them to try out different apps to see which ones they like best, especially if they are free."
So, each individual should identify their specific needs. You may want a comprehensive diabetes management app that only tracks blood sugar levels to upload to your healthcare provider. As most pumps and continuous glucose monitors can do this, some continuous glucose monitor - CGM apps have additional information, like providing healthy recipes and reminders. Some apps take meal photos to store in a database, where users can add helpful reminders.
Top Diabetes Apps Available
Here are a few of the best diabetes apps, easy to download and available to try out today; most are free and easy to install.
Gluroo
The diabetes tracker app Gluroo allows users to share real-time data across multiple devices, both Android and iOS. In addition to its food logging, Gluroo offers remote communication, where "GluCrew" app users can connect, whether in the next room or across the globe.
Other app features include meal scanning with pictures, programmable reminders for device monitoring, blood glucose alerts, chat-based logging, and motivational nudges with achievements. The free app can display glucose levels on a smartwatch. Additionally, Gluroo can also track diabetes supplies by using the barcode scanner on the device.
Glucose Buddy Diabetes
The Glucose Buddy app allows users to track blood sugars, log insulin doses, scan foods, and monitor activities and exercise routines. Rated the best diabetes app for over ten years, it allows users to log in data efficiently and take control of their A1c. You can also log your weight and blood pressure and track carb intake through the app’s food database.
Features include a 12-week comprehensive diabetes management education plan and Meal IQ, which explains how certain foods impact your blood sugar. Users can log blood glucose readings, CGM data, medications and meals and track their blood sugar, insulin, weight, blood pressure and A1c trends. The app also tracks your steps, walks, and cardio. It integrates with Apple Health and Dexcom devices and apps. You can export data to share with healthcare providers.
With a 4.8-star iPhone and 4.0 Android rating, the number one ranked app is free with available in-app purchases. The premium version offers an automatic A1c calculator for long-term management, advanced graphs to determine trends and complimentary access to the Fitness Buddy app.
MySugr
As far as diabetes management apps go, this app is excellent for type 1s, as it includes carb counting, glucose tracking and bolus dose calculation estimates. With a 4.7 star rating on iPhone and a 4.3 Android rating, it’s free with in-app purchases. With a built-in bolus calculator, MySugr app provides reports on levels weekly, monthly or yearly and can estimate your A1c based on your results.
MySugr syncs with your glucose monitor and has featured reminders that set it apart, like after-workout prompts. Information is easily uploaded to your doctor to ensure the right action.
BEAT Diabetes
This app is great for the newly diagnosed with easy-to-navigate screens and straightforward information like what foods to avoid, how to track sugars, healthy meal plans and ways to increase your physical activity. Another bonus with BEAT Diabetes is that it delivers text support and motivational tips. Its practical pocket guidebook offers informative articles, trends and treatments. BEAT Diabetes, like some diabetes management apps, was only available on Android until recently, but now you can download the app on both Android and Apple.
Diabetes:M
Another integrative diabetes log app with a 4.6 iPhone rating and a 4.3 Android rating is Diabetes:M. The app features an insulin bolus calculator and test time reminders. It provides a nutritional diabetes logbook and blood sugar trend-tracking system that pairs with fitness apps. You can watch graphs on your Apple Watch and create multiple profiles if you upgrade to the subscription service. Most importantly, you can track your blood sugar numbers and see how certain foods and lifestyle changes affect/elevate your glucose levels.
Health2Sync
With Health2Sync, users can easily enter blood glucose values into the app and add notes about their mood, meals, physical activity, and any additional medications they might be taking. The app also allows users to record a photo of the meal for quick reference. Users can monitor trends before and after the data is entered and share information with family members and healthcare professionals.
The app also has health and lifestyle tracking features, like blood pressure, weight management and A1C results. The basic membership is free, but a premium upgrade costs $2.99 a month for even more personalized data entry and report options. With over 1.3 million users worldwide, Health2Sync has a 4.8 rating on Apple and a 4.7 rating with Android users.
OneTouch Reveal®
The OneTouch Reveal app complements the OneTouch meters by offering automatic guidance in response to your blood sugar readings. The app instinctively searches for and highlights blood sugar trends, noting when and where your blood glucose is out of range. The app also uses alerts and push notifications to make adjustments proactively. Your doctor and healthcare team can log in to review your history and make adjustments. You can click in at any time to see where your sugars are, whether they are in range or need modifying. This app has a 4.7 rating on Apple.
UndermyFork
The clinically validated app Undermyfork offers personal nutritional information for better ‘time in range’ by combining meal tracking with continuous glucose data. Best of all—it’s a free tool for Android and iPhone users to monitor meal intake, insulin, and CGM, FGM or BGM data. Undermyfork can access Dexcom’s retrospective API, which allows users to stream data directly from their Dexcom CGM cloud to the Undermyfork app.
After downloading the app, users are asked which type of diabetes they have and how they track their blood glucose levels, with a list of CGMs and blood glucose meters for possible pairing options. Next, it asks for the user’s target blood sugar unit range, followed by the request to auto-sync your blood glucose data from your Android or iPhone Apple Health app.
Users then log meals by snapping a quick reminder photo and assigning tags (breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack), adding them to the diabetes logbook. They can also add a description of the carbohydrate count and their blood glucose levels. Undermyfork, with a 4.6 Apple rating, allows users to monitor the correlation between their food and blood glucose data.
If you’re wondering how that slice of pepperoni pizza affected your blood sugar or what happened after your last late-night snack, simply pull up the data. Photo-based food logging might appeal to Snapchat and TikTok millennials, who already snap pics of their dishes for Instagram.
Other Helpful Apps for T1Ds
BlueStar by Welldoc
BlueStar Diabetes is one of the best diabetes management health apps for organizing medications, recording blood glucose and food intake, and syncing health data with Apple Health. BlueStar also offers real-time coaching. The comprehensive diabetes app is FDA-approved and has a Class II medical device clearance. You can view lab results, too and easily connect with your healthcare team. The free app is available on iPhones and Android.
Fooducate
The best diabetes app to track nutrition information has to go to Fooducate. The app tracks food intake and physical activity, scans barcodes for the best food choices and includes tailored education based on your health condition. Some individuals with diabetes may have Celiac disease or Hashimoto Disease, and Fooducate helps you to customize a personalized health plan. The app also provides diet tips for your needs and weight loss goals. The app is free, with premium upgrades starting at $1.99.
My Diabetes Diet & Meal Plan
Through the Apple app store, you can find My Diabetes Diet & Meal Plan. This diabetic food carb calorie counter app offers over 1,000 diabetic recipes. It’s a simple, user-friendly way to create and personalize your daily meal plans to fit your lifestyle. With the app, you can set reminders and monitor your progress to make adjustments.
The app offers nutrition information as you need to bolus or dose for most food and beverages. You can track your carbs, calories, and nutrient intake and compare them to the recommended daily requirements. You’ll also receive motivational tips on how to stay healthy and pair with fitness apps. You can create a personalized plan based on your preferences, fitness, and health goals. The app offers a way to build grocery store lists to fit your nutritional goals and meal plans.
Glooko – Diabetes Connectivity & Mobile App
Glooko, the diabetes connectivity allows diabetes data downloading and sharing to a single platform with wireless uploading. There was a time when your glucose meter and insulin pump didn’t communicate with other software platforms. Fortunately, continuous glucose monitoring has become widely practiced, with approximately 2.4 million CGM users in the United States.
The free mobile app, Glooko, is compatible with over 100 meters, Eversense CMG, and other devices. It also pairs with Android and iPhones. The free access incentivizes patients to upload their Glooko data reports to clinics and other providers.
Find the Top Best App for You
So there you have it! The best diabetes management apps on the market. Whether you're searching for carb counting apps, CGM data apps or food logging apps to boost your continuous glucose monitoring, you have some tough decisions to make!
It may take some try-and-fail efforts to find the best app and medical device for you. Just know healthcare professionals are here to help, and the diabetes online community imparts tried-and-true health information for you to consider as well.