Getting started with DoseAlert
This guide walks you through your first 10 minutes with DoseAlert — installing the app, turning on reminders, and adding your first medication.
Install the app
DoseAlert is available free to try for iPhone and Android. No account is required.
- iPhone or iPad: open the App Store and search for DoseAlert.
- Android phone or tablet: open Google Play and search for DoseAlert.
Open the app for the first time
The first time you open DoseAlert, you'll see:
- A short welcome. This explains how reminders work and that your data stays on your device.
- A notification permission prompt. Tap Allow. DoseAlert needs this to send you medication reminders.
- An accessibility tip (one time only). If you use VoiceOver, TalkBack, or larger text, DoseAlert supports all of them.
If you tapped Don't allow by accident, open your phone's Settings > Notifications > DoseAlert and turn on Allow notifications. See the permissions guide for the exact steps on each type of phone.
The main screens
At the bottom of the app you'll see five tabs:
| Today | What to take right now and later today. Scroll down to see tomorrow's doses and beyond. |
|---|---|
| Pill tracker | A month-by-month calendar. Tap any day to see what you took, skipped, or missed. |
| Meds | Every medication you've added, with quick access to edit or add more. |
| Family | Switch profiles if you track medications for a parent, child, or partner. Also where you pair with a caregiver. |
| Settings | Theme, quiet hours, app lock, backup, exports, and more. |
In the bottom-right corner there's a round + button. Tap it from any screen to add a new medication.
Add your first medication
Tap the + button and follow the form:
- Name the medication (for example, "Blood pressure pill" or "Lipitor").
- Pick the form — tablet, capsule, liquid, injection, inhaler, patch, cream, drops, and more.
- Set the dose — for example, 1 tablet or 10 mg.
- Choose a schedule. The most common choice is Fixed times, where you add specific times of day like 8:00 AM.
- Pick reminder style. You can have up to four reminders per medication, escalating if you don't respond — from quiet to a loud alarm.
- Tap Save. The medication appears on your Today view straight away.
For a longer walkthrough, see Add your first medication. To pre-fill the form from a pharmacy label, see Prescription scanning.
Test a reminder
Before you trust DoseAlert for a real medication, send yourself a test reminder so you know exactly what it looks and sounds like.
- Open Settings > Sounds.
- Tap any of the four styles (Quiet, Vibrate only, Reminder with sound, Dose alarm).
- Lock your phone and wait 5 seconds. The notification will fire so you can see how it behaves on your lock screen.
The free trial and one-time purchase
When you first install DoseAlert you get 7 days of full access. No credit card, no sign-up. After 7 days you can unlock the app for life with a one-time $9.99 CAD purchase. There is no subscription.
See Trial, purchase and refunds for the full details.
Next steps
- How reminders work — escalating follow-ups, sound styles, and quiet hours.
- Schedule types — fixed times, every few hours, specific days, cycles, and tapers.
- Groups — combine the pills you take at the same time into one reminder.
- If reminders stop working — the single most common problem, and exactly how to fix it.