One of the most useful additions to iOS 16 and watchOS 9 is the ability to log medications in the Apple Health app.
The update allows users to manage medications, vitamins and supplements under one roof, with regularly scheduled reminders that track when you take or skip your meds, along with what is essentially a 10-minute snooze button in case you’re busy when you get the alert.
If you’re in the US, you can even scan medications with your iPhone camera, search for meds in Apple’s database and get some insight into how your drugs could be interacting.
Hopefully, these features will arrive in the UK in the future, but, for now, we’re limited to the basic logging features over here, which include reminders and medication history to monitor how often you take or skip your meds over a 28-day period.
Scroll down to learn how to set medication reminders on your iPhone with iOS 16.
What you’ll need:
- An iPhone running iOS 16
The Short Version
- Open the Health app
- Tap Browse
- Select Medications
- Tap Add Medication
- Enter the name of your medication
- Choose your medication’s type and strength
- Set the frequency
- Customise the shape, colour and background of the icon
- Tap Done
How to set medication reminders on your iPhone
Step
1Open the Health app
Make sure your phone is running iOS 16 first to access the new medication tracking feature.
Step
2Tap Browse
This is in the bottom right corner.
Step
3Select Medications
You should find this option midway down the list of Health Categories.
Step
4Tap Add A Medication
If you’ve added a medication in the past, your screen might look different to ours.
Step
5Enter the name of your medication
Then, tap Next.
Step
6Choose your medication type
This can be a capsule, tablet, liquid or more.
Step
7Add your medication’s strength
You can skip this step if you’re unsure.
Step
8Pick a shape for your medication icon
You can also skip this step.
Step
9Choose how frequently you’ll be taking this medication
You can tap Add A Time to choose a specific time for your reminders.
Step
10Customise the colours of your medication and background
Tap Next when you’re done.
Step
11Hit Done to save
You can also review your reminder and add any optional details at this stage.
Troubleshooting
The Health app allows users to search Apple’s database for their medication and even use their iPhone’s camera to scan the label on the back. However, this feature is only available in the US.
This is another US-only feature.
If you’re in the United States, you can tap Drug Interactions in the Your Medications section of the Health app to view any Moderate, Serious or Critical interactions between the drugs you’re taking. However, only drugs in Apple’s database are included here, meaning you won’t be able to view possible interactions regarding unlisted drugs.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
