Abbott’s new Libre Assist feature in the Libre app helps people with diabetes make smarter meal decisions by predicting glucose impact, offering guidance, and pairing insights with real-time CGM data, along with important safety information.
Written By: Pharmacally Medical News Desk
Abbott has introduced a new app feature called Libre Assist within its Libre app to give people living with diabetes clearer guidance on how their food choices may affect glucose levels. The feature was announced on January 5, 2026, during CES 2026 and is designed to help users make better meal decisions before they eat, using predictive technology and real-time glucose data.
Marc Taub, Vice President of Technical Operations for Abbott’s Diabetes Care business says people with diabetes need more than basic food-logging apps. He explains that Abbott created Libre Assist as a free, AI-driven feature that predicts how meals may affect glucose and connects with Libre sensors for real-time insights, giving users practical guidance in the moment so they can feel more confident about what they eat.
What Libre Assist Does
Libre Assist is built into the existing Libre app at no extra cost. It uses generative artificial intelligence to predict how a specific meal might impact a person’s glucose levels before they eat. Users can take a photo of their meal or type in a description, and the feature identifies the ingredients. It then gives a predicted glucose impact using a simple color-coded system: green for minor impact, yellow for moderate, and orange for major impact. Alongside this, the feature offers practical suggestions for lowering the potential glucose response, such as changing food choices or meal order.
After eating, Libre Assist integrates with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems to show actual glucose data from the user’s sensor. This combination of prediction and real data helps individuals understand how their body responded to a meal and refine future decisions.
How It Works
The workflow inside the Libre app is straightforward:
- Snap or type. Users input the meal via photo or text.
- Predict impact. The AI estimates potential glucose responses and shows it with the color feedback.
- Personalized guidance. Based on predicted impact and user preferences, the feature suggests meal modifications or tips.
- Confirm results. Once the user’s CGM sensor captures real glucose data after eating, Libre Assist shows the actual response, closing the loop between prediction and lived experience.
This process aims to reduce guesswork at mealtime and support more confident food choices for people managing diabetes.
Integration With FreeStyle Libre CGM
Libre Assist is designed to work with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring technology, including the Libre 2 Plus and Libre 3 Plus sensors. These sensors provide real-time glucose updates that enhance the personalized feedback users get after meals. By combining predictive technology with sensor data, Abbott’s system helps users see not just what might happen, but what actually happens to their glucose levels.
User Experience
Abbott reported that one of its first users, Shirley Bovshow, who lives with Type 2 diabetes, described Libre Assist as a tool that finally helps her make sense of meals in real time. She shared that traditional food-logging apps often left her unsure about what to choose, but Libre Assist shows how a meal may affect her glucose before she eats. She finds it especially useful when eating out or trying unfamiliar foods. The guidance on how to reduce potential glucose impact, followed by confirmation from her Libre 3 Plus sensor, has made the Libre app a regular part of her routine.
Safety and Limitations
While Libre Assist provides helpful predictions, it comes with important cautions. The generative artificial intelligence that underpins the feature may not always be completely accurate and should not be used as a sole basis for medical treatment decisions. Users are advised not to rely on the predictions for critical treatment actions. The predictions are based on user-provided information and other factors such as activity, stress, medications, and alcohol can influence actual glucose responses. For these reasons, individualized advice from healthcare professionals remains important.
Because the Libre Assist feature works within the Libre app, it also inherits the technical and compatibility limitations of the app itself. Some smartwatch versions may not support the full features, and registration with Abbott’s LibreView service may be required to use certain functions.
Access and Availability
Libre Assist is available now within the Libre by Abbott app, with no subscription, prescription, or additional purchase required. Users can get started by updating or downloading the Libre app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and accessing the feature through the Insights tab in the navigation menu.
References
Abbott’s new Libre Assist app feature tackles a top need for people living with diabetes: in-the-moment food decisions, 05 January 2026, Abbott’s new Libre Assist app feature tackles a top need for people living with diabetes: in-the-moment food decisions – Jan 5, 2026