For some, taking medications is a daily occurrence. It might be prescribed medications, natural supplements, vitamins, or other things that you need or want to take on a consistent basis. Balancing everything and making sure you’re taking what you need on the right day and at the right time, even with the right circumstances (like with food, water, or on an empty stomach), can be challenging. That’s especially for those dealing with multiple medications that have to be taken at the same time every day or week. You can keep track of all this information using one of the best iPhones, then receive reminders on both the iPhone and, if you have one, an Apple Watch, too.

How to log medications on iPhone

Before you can log medications on your iPhone, you first need to add them to your schedule.

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone and select Browse, then Medications.
  2. When accessing this feature for the first time, you’ll see the initial set-up menu. Select Add a Medication to get started.
  3. Enter the Medication Name and tap Next.
  4. Choose the Medication Type. The most common four (Capsule, Tablet, Liquid, or Topical) are listed at the top, or you can scroll through the comprehensive list of More Forms to find the right one.
  5. Add Strength if applicable. Once you add the number, Unit options will appear below it, like mg, mL, and %. Choose the appropriate one and tap Next. You can also skip this step if it doesn’t apply.
  6. Add the Frequency with which you need or want to take this medication. This is defaulted to every day, but you can adjust to every other day, every 4 days, and so on. You can also change it to a specific day of the week or only as needed. Select the start date as well and tap Done in the top right corner when you’re finished. You can always go back and edit if you need to increase or decrease your dosage.
  7. Add the Time you want or need to take this medication as well as the amount. If you select tablets, for example, you can note that you need more than one. Tap Next.
  8. Choose the Shape of the tablet (or bottle or topical ointment) for easy identification in the icon and tap Next. You can skip this step if desired.
  9. Choose the Color of the tablet and tap Next.
  10. If desired, you can add Optional Details as well as relevant Notes, like that the medication needs to be taken with a full glass of water or with food. Tap Done.
  11. The medication has now been added. Repeat these steps for all the medications you want to add.
  12. Scroll down on the main Medications page to Options and verify that Dose Reminders is activated, so you’ll get notifications when it’s time to take each medication.
  13. You can also turn on Time Zone Change so your schedule stays on track even when you’re traveling.
  14. Once this is set up, you can log the medications as you take them or, conversely, if one was skipped, so you can keep track of missed dosages.
  15. Now, onto logging a medication. Open the specific medication icon in the Health app.
  16. Tap Log.
  17. Select Taken once you have taken it (or Skipped if you missed a dose) and Done.

How to log medications on Apple Watch

To make things even easier, you can log medications right from the Apple Watch.

  1. Open the Medications app on the Apple Watch. You’ll see your schedule as well as the medications you have already logged.
  2. Scroll down and tap on the medication you want to log.
  3. Adjust the amount and time taken if needed. Scroll down and tap Log.
  4. That’s it! That medication will now show up under the log, both on Apple Watch and in the Health app on iPhone.

If you live in the U.S., you can also scan the medication label on an iPhone XR or later, including the new iPhone 14, to find the medication in a database for more easily adding each one. For those who reside outside the U.S., you will have to input the name of each medication manually. But once you add the medication and all its data, you won’t have to do it again. And you can return any time to edit the details if you have increased or decreased a dosage, for example, or adjusted the frequency with which you take it.

Note that all your medication information is encrypted, so no one else, including Apple, can read it without your permission. You can also use the Health app to log your medication records by connecting to a provider. If you want to show the data to your doctor or other medical or naturopathic professional at the next visit, you can easily export a PDF right from the Medications tab in the Health app.

This is just one of the many ways that Apple helps users focus on their health, including both with the iPhone and the Apple Watch. Combine these two for managing and logging medication, and you can keep on track so you never miss an important pill, supplement, vitamin, or other medication.

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