How to Set a Daily Reminder on Your iPhone to Take Your Medication

Remember the little pillbox with seven compartments, one for each day of the week? It worked beautifully — as long as you remembered to look at it. If you've ever finished supper and suddenly thought, "Did I take my pill this morning?", your iPhone can help. It can tap you on the shoulder at the same time every day, like a friendly nudge from a thoughtful neighbor.

Here's how to set one up in about two minutes.

Find the Reminders App

Your iPhone comes with an app called Reminders. The icon is white with three little colored dots stacked on top of each other, like a tiny to-do list. It's already on your phone — you don't need to buy or download a thing.

If you can't spot it, swipe down from the middle of your home screen. A search bar will appear at the top. Type reminders and tap the app when it shows up.

Create the Reminder

Once the app is open, tap New Reminder at the bottom-left of the screen. A blank line will appear with a blinking cursor, waiting for you to type.

Type something simple, like Take morning pills. Then look just below what you typed — you'll see a small row of buttons. Tap the one that looks like a little calendar with a clock on it (it may say "Date & Time" or show a small alarm clock).

Now you can pick:

• The date you want it to start (today is fine)
• The time you want to be reminded (say, 8:00 in the morning)
• Whether it should repeat — tap this and choose Daily

When you're done, tap Done in the top-right corner. That's it. Your phone will now chime every morning at 8:00 and show a little message: Take morning pills.

Make Sure You'll Actually Hear It

A reminder doesn't help if your phone is silent in the next room. Two quick things to check:

First, look at the left edge of your iPhone, up near the top. There's a small switch there. If you can see a thin orange or red stripe, your phone is on silent — flip the switch the other way so the orange disappears. Now your phone will make a sound when the reminder goes off.

Second, keep your phone somewhere you'll notice it in the morning — on the kitchen counter, the breakfast table, or your nightstand. Think of it like the egg timer you used to set on the stove: it only works if you can hear the ding.

When the Reminder Pops Up

At 8:00 sharp, your screen will light up with your message. You'll see two choices.

If you've already taken your pill, tap the little circle next to the reminder to mark it complete. If you haven't yet, you can simply leave it — the reminder will stay on your screen until you check it off, like a sticky note on the refrigerator.

Tomorrow morning at 8:00, it'll come back again, all on its own. You don't have to set it up a second time. It will keep coming back every day until you tell it to stop.

One Thing to Do Today

Open the Reminders app right now and set up just one reminder — for whichever medication is most important to take on time. Pick a time you're usually home and near your phone. Tomorrow morning, when that gentle chime sounds, you'll know it was worth the two minutes.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.