Taking the right medication dose at the right time is crucial to a patient’s treatment and recovery. However, sometimes life just really gets in the way and we don’t always get to comply with strict dosage schedules. Luckily, there are many pill reminder apps out there that can remedy this issue.
Such apps send you daily reminders and act as an alarm for when it’s time to take your pill. In this guide, we give you a list of the 11 best pill reminder apps you can download on mobile. We also share some tips on what to look for in a medication reminder app.
Also read: 10 Best Sleep Tracker Apps For Android And iOS
Best Pill Reminder Apps
Many of the apps we included in our list are free to download and use. However, some of them also offer premium versions that feature added perks. Some of the apps listed here can also help you track your calories, create healthy habits, and monitor your mood.
1. Medisafe
Key features:
- Pill reminder and alarm
- Refill reminder and medicine tracker
- Caregiver support through Medfriend
- Customizable notifications
- Health measurements tracker
- Drug interaction checker
- Calendar and manager for medical appointments
- Wear OS support
Medisafe is the top pill reminder app on doctors’, pharmacists’, and patients’ lists. It offers you personalized daily reminders, has a sleek interface, and is very user-friendly. With their Just-In-Time-Intervention (JITI) technology, Medisafe gets to learn which interactions and reminders work best for you. That’s how the app ensures that you’re always on track with taking your medication.
One of the great things about this app is that it has support for multiple profiles, which makes managing different patients’ medications so much easier. The app’s Medfriend feature lets you sync your data with a family member or a caregiver. This feature also sends your Medfriend push notifications if you forget to take your medicine and don’t respond to alerts.
Besides being a reliable pill reminder app, Medisafe also helps you track essential health measurements for different medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, HIV, depression, and Crohn’s disease. The health measurements that the app tracks include weight, blood glucose levels, and blood pressure.
Medisafe is a freemium app. With the premium version, you can have an unlimited number of Medfriends, track more than 20+ health measurements, and choose among a dozen alert sounds.
2. Round Health
Key features:
- Pill and refill reminder
- Dosage tracker and viewer
- Medication history tracker
- Support for various complex medication schedules
- watchOS support
Round Health is a free and easy-to-use pill reminder app with a simple and intuitive interface. It lets you set reminder windows for when you have to take your supplements or medications. That way, you won’t have to worry about remembering which meds to take and when — Round Health does all the remembering for you.
This medication reminder app sends you persistent (but subtle) push notifications when it’s time to take a pill. Once you have, you don’t need to open the app to log it; simply swipe left on the notification to mark it as taken. Round Health also keeps a record of your medication history, which makes it easy to monitor the pills you’ve taken and the ones you’ve missed. On top of that, the app backs up and syncs your data between devices so that you never lose your medication records on the app.
3. Mango Health
Key features:
- Pill reminder and refill alerts
- Habit reminder for drinking water, checking your blood glucose levels, etc.
- Rewards system
- Health history
- Drug interaction checker
Mango Health is gamifying how you take your medicine. A handy feature of this free app is the rewards system, which helps ensure that you stay on track with your regimen. This system grants you points for every day that you follow through with your medication. With all the points you earn, you can unlock various rewards like gift cards, the ability to donate to charity organizations, and many more. Plus, the app gives you a real-time count of the medicines and supplements you have on hand and tells you in advance when you’re running low on your current stock.
Besides reminding you to correctly take your medication, this pill reminder app also helps you create healthy habits. It lets you set a schedule for various habits you want to monitor, like drinking water, recording your mood, checking your vital signs, and the like. Mango Health also records your health history, which is essentially a log of all the medications you took and when. On top of that, it lets you know of any possible side effects or harmful drug-to-drug interactions when you log your medication.
Download Mango Health on Android
Download Mango Health on Android
4. Dosecast
Key features:
- Automatic time zone adjustment
- Customizable dosage directions
- Adjustable scheduling
- Smart silencing
- Wear OS support
Dosecast is a freemium medication reminder app that helps you manage your medications. You can rely on the free version to alert you through your phone, tablet, or Android wearable device when it’s time to take your medicine. If you find that you still forget to take your pills, you can configure the app’s settings so that it sends you persistent notifications or sounds a continuous alarm. The app also has a smart silencing feature, which automatically pauses notifications when you’re asleep or when your treatment has ended.
While the free version is undoubtedly already good enough, Dosecast Pro, which you can purchase within the app, lets you do so much more. It’s great for caregivers since it can sync with multiple devices and has support for multiple users. Plus, it allows users to track multiple drug types such as sprays, patches, injections, ointments, and more. The pro version also offers a compliance tracker, refill alerts, doctor and pharmacy tracking, and a comprehensive drug database.
5. Sprout Care
Key features:
- Pill reminder and medication manager
- Personalized healthcare plan
- Support for multiple users
- Symptom tracker
- Medical appointment tracker and history
- Progress monitoring
- Exportable health data report
- Siri Shortcuts
Sprout Care stands out from the pack for being login-free. That’s right — you don’t need an account to be able to use this pill reminder app and all of your data is backed up in iCloud. Since you don’t need to log in to use Sprout Care, you can guarantee that the app collects as little of your data as possible.
Along with reliable medication reminders, this app also organizes a personalized healthcare plan for you. Through this plan, you’ll easily see which pills you’ve already taken and which one you still have to take, as well as when your next doctor’s appointments and other scheduled activities are. The app also lets you track your symptoms, vital signs, and your adherence to your regimen. Sprout Care is also great for caregivers since it syncs data between devices, lets you create multiple profiles, and sends you notifications when someone you’re caring for has already taken their dosage or completed a scheduled activity.
Upgrading to Sprout Care Premium lets you create an unlimited number of profiles, share to an unlimited number of caregivers or family members, and set unlimited schedules and reminders.
6. Bedsider Reminders
Key features:
- Birth control reminder
- Refill reminder
- Appointment scheduler and reminder
Bedside Reminders is a great app for those on birth control. The handy thing about this app is that it adjusts its reminders to the type of birth control you’re taking — be it a pill, patch, ring, or shot. It also serves up all sorts of fun facts with every notification, so you’ll look forward to getting reminded to take your birth control.
Bedtime Reminders lets you set when exactly you want to receive alerts. If you get a reminder that you want to receive again at a later time, just hit the snooze button. Apart from that, the app also lets you set reminders for when you need to visit your doctor or your birth control provider.
Download Bedsider Reminders on Android
Download Bedsider Reminders on iOS
Also read: Best Pregnancy Tracker Apps
7. MyTherapy Pill Reminder
Key features:
- Pill reminder for multiple medications
- Printable health journal
- Injection site monitoring
- Health measurements tracker
- Family sharing
MyTherapy is one of the most comprehensive pill reminder apps out there. It has support for all medication types and dosage forms, a complete database of over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and a refill reminder. Besides being a pill alarm, the app also tracks your medication intake through the pill diary. This diary lets you see which doses you’ve already taken and which ones you haven’t yet.
MyTherapy is also a great app for tracking your mood, symptoms, and important health measurements. Plus, it has the MyTherapy Team feature, which allows your friends, family members, and/or caregivers to more easily get involved in your treatment.
8. Pill Reminder – All in One
Key features:
- Pill and refill reminders
- PRN medication monitoring
- Medication rescheduler
- Calendar
- Shareable reports
- Support for multiple users
Pill Reminder – All in One is a simple and user-friendly pill reminder app that also tracks your medication, lets you schedule reminders for check-ups, and alerts you when you’re running low on your meds. It also helps you track your intake of PRN or as-needed medications and gives you access to a calendar that shows all of the reminders you’ve set.
Besides those features, Pill Reminder has support for multiple users as well, which is a handy feature for caregivers handling several patients. The app also lets you add notes for every dosage taken for future reference. And if you live in the US, you can access the FDA Drug Database so that you know where to buy the meds you need.
While the app does have a free version, you’ll only be able to set two reminders if you don’t have a premium subscription. To add an unlimited number of reminders, you’ll have to upgrade to premium.
9. Express Scripts
Key features:
- Daily medication reminder
- Pharmacy locator
- Order refills directly from the app
If you have an Express Scripts prescription benefit plan (which you can get through your health insurance), then you’ll definitely want to try out the free Express Scripts app. It functions both as a pill reminder and an online pharmacy. With this app, you can set reminders for when you need to take your medication and find a trusted pharmacy when you need to refill your prescription.
Through the Express Scripts app, you can order refills right from the app, easily track your order status, and have your medication delivered directly to your home. You can also set up automatic refills to ensure that you never run out of the medications you need.
Download Express Scripts on Android
Download Express Scripts on iOS
10. Groove Health
Key features:
- Pill scheduler and reminder
- Virtual medication list
- Medication history
- Drug interaction alerts
- Virtual medical assistant
- Customizable notifications
- Progress tracking and sharing
Groove Health has everything you need in a pill reminder app. Besides letting you schedule reminders for your medications and supplements, it also has configurable options for adding as-needed meds. Plus, you get to choose how frequently you want to receive notifications per dosage. With Quick Actions, you can also respond to alerts without having to open the app.
With Groove Health, you can stay on top of your medication regimen, no matter how complex it gets. This app gives you a virtual medication list where you can view your medication history and mark pills as taken, skipped, or snoozed. You can also share this virtual list with your caregiver and/or family for easier management. Plus, the app gives you all the information you need on every pill you’re on. That way, you know if a pill doesn’t mix well with another drug you’re taking and if you should be avoiding any food or drink while you’re taking a specific medication.
Another great feature that the app has is Maxwell — its virtual, AI-powered medical assistant. If you have a question about any of the meds you’re on, then Maxwell is your guy. He gives you reliable answers to medication-related questions and directs you to trusted resources.
Download Groove Health on Android
11. CareClinic
Key features:
- Medication scheduler and reminder
- Refill and appointment reminders
- Symptom tracker
- Drug interaction alerts
- Daily treatment and medication diary
- Habit and goal tracker
- Apple Health and Google Fit integration
Last but definitely not least is CareClinic, a freemium health management app that goes beyond reminding you to take your pills. This app lets you create a care plan where you can keep track of not only your meds and vitamins but also your therapies, workouts, and diet. It comes with a drugs and supplements library, as well as a database for food and drinks so that you can easily monitor your caloric and nutrient intake.
CareClinic has a daily check-in diary where you can view all of your reminders and your treatment progress. In this diary, you can also log your health measurements, goals, and habits. Plus, the app has a handy symptom diary where you can record your symptoms and track how severe they are with the value scale.
On top of that, the app also makes it easy for your care team to get involved in your medication regimen. It can record your caregiver’s information, send them alerts if you miss a dosage, and send them your progress, adherence, and symptom reports.
Download CareClinic on Android
What to Look For in a Pill Reminder App
While there are hundreds of pill reminder apps in app stores, not all of them are created equal. That’s why we’re here to tell you what factors you should consider before downloading a pill reminder app.
Firstly, the app should have the basics down — meaning simply opening it shouldn’t cause you much trouble. You should be able to launch the app without it crashing, and there shouldn’t be a lot of intrusive ads. Also, the interface should be easy to navigate, with no hard-to-read texts or counterintuitive components.
Since many patients don’t just take one medication a day, you’d want an app that lets you set up multiple reminders and dosage schedules for multiple medications. The app should make it easy to record the doses you’ve taken. Plus, it should be able to show you your medication history or a record of all of the doses you’ve missed or taken. That way, your doctor or caregiver can easily adjust your dosage schedule.
A good pill reminder app should also be able to give you an exportable medication list that you can share with your doctor. Also, the reminders themselves should be clear and easily noticeable. They should work even for the visually or hearing impaired.
Ideally, the app is also HIPAA-compliant. According to HIPAA (or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), companies that deal with sensitive patient data (like treatment, medication, and prescription records) should have ample security measures in place. So, if a pill reminder app states HIPAA compliance, you can be sure that any piece of information you enter on the app is kept private and secure.
Final Thoughts
If you or someone in your family has a treatment plan that involves following a strict dosage schedule, then consider downloading a pill reminder app. These apps help you and your caregiver keep track of your medication. Plus, they help you avoid the risk of overdosing or of adverse effects from missed dosages.
Which of these apps have you tried out? Let us know in the comments!
