Yes, Samsung Health has medication reminders. You add each medicine, set a schedule, and pick a gentle pop-up or a "strong" full-screen alert with a long tone. When reminders stop, the cause is usually a notification setting an update switched off, a Galaxy Watch sync problem, or a region lock.
Samsung announced the Medications feature in December 2023 and launched it in the U.S. first. In October 2024 it expanded to South Korea and India, and Samsung said about two-thirds of U.S. users of the feature come back to manage their medications at least three times a week. That's a lot of people counting on a reminder that can quietly stop.
This article provides general information about medication management and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before making changes to your medication schedule.
How to Set Medication Reminders on Samsung Health
Samsung's own description of the feature is short: you can set alerts for when to take a medicine and when to refill it. The exact menu names shift between app versions, so treat these steps as a map, not a script.
- Open Samsung Health and find Medications. If you don't see it on the home screen, the tile may just be hidden. A member on Samsung's community forum suggests using the app's edit-home option and adding the Medications tile back.
- Add each medicine. For select medicines, Samsung Health shows a description, possible side effects, and interaction warnings. That content is licensed from Elsevier.
- Set the schedule and turn on reminders for each one. A refill alert is available too.
- Pick the alert strength. Samsung describes reminders "ranging from 'gentle' to 'strong.'" A strong reminder shows a full-screen alert with a long tone. Supplements get a simple pop-up. Strong is something you choose, so check it's on for the medicines that matter most.
- Check your watch. Galaxy Watch users get reminders on the wrist too.
Samsung lists Android 10 or later and Samsung Health 6.28 or later for the October 2024 features, and notes that availability "may vary by market or device."
Samsung Health Medication Reminder Not Working? Check These First
Several threads on Samsung's forums follow the same pattern: reminders worked, then an update landed, then they went quiet. Here's what to check, starting with the quickest fixes.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No reminders at all after an update | Medication reminder notifications switched off | Turn the medication reminder category back on in your phone's notification settings for Samsung Health |
| Some medicines remind you, others don't | Reminder toggle off for those medicines | Open each medicine and turn its reminder on |
| Medications tile is gone | Tile removed from the home screen | Add the tile back from the app's edit-home option |
| Phone rings, watch stays silent | Watch notification or sync problem | Check watch notifications in Samsung Health, then remove and re-add the medicine |
| "Your phone's country or region doesn't support it" | Region lock | Check which country your phone was originally sold in |
1. The notification category got switched off. In a solved thread titled "No longer getting medication alarm after update", the accepted answer was to go into the phone's notification settings, open the categories for Samsung Health, and turn medication reminders back on. As that member put it, "Sometimes updates turn off the notification categories." Samsung confirms you can control Samsung Health notifications feature by feature, separately for your phone and your watch.
2. The reminder is off for that medicine. The same answer says to open each medicine in your list and make sure its reminder option is on. If it doesn't carry over to all of them, go through them one by one.
3. The Medications tile disappeared. A missing tile looks a lot like a missing feature, so re-add it from edit home before you assume your list is gone.
4. Nothing else worked. In one thread, a user fixed reminders by deleting a medicine and adding it back. It's a small hassle, and it's worth trying before a full reset.
If you missed a dose while this was going on, see what to do when you take medication 2 hours late, and ask your pharmacist if you're not sure how to handle it for your medicine.
Samsung Health Medication Reminder on Watch Not Showing
Watch reminders have their own set of threads. In an October 2025 one, a Galaxy Watch7 owner said medication reminders stopped reaching the watch after the One UI 8 update, even though almost every other notification still arrived. Clearing the watch cache didn't help, and they filed error reports.
What's worth trying:
- Check the watch notification settings inside Samsung Health as well as the phone's.
- Remove and re-add one medicine, then see if its next reminder reaches the watch.
- Send an error report through Samsung Members so Samsung sees it.
Until it's fixed, don't rely on the watch alone. Keep the strong alert on your phone switched on as a backup.
Samsung Health Medication Not Available? The Region Error
Some users see this message: "Can't use Medications because your phone's country or region doesn't support it." In one thread, a U.S. user got that error, and the person who started the thread later found the cause of their own missing list: their refurbished phone had originally been sold in another country, and an in-app notice said the country was based on where the phone was first sold, not where it was being used. If you bought a phone secondhand or abroad, that's worth checking. Samsung itself notes that availability of Samsung Health features "may vary by market or device".
How to Set Medicine Reminders on Android Without Samsung Health
If Samsung Health isn't available to you, or you've been burned by a silent update, a separate reminder app is the simplest fix. (Using a Pixel? Google's app works differently. Here's what Google Health does with medications.)
Your phone's clock alarm works in a pinch, but it doesn't know which medicine is due or when you'll run out. A dedicated app does. A 2025 meta-analysis in JMIR found that mobile apps improved adherence by 18.85 points on a percentage-based measure, though not on every scale the studies used.
Whatever app you choose, one Samsung setting matters. Galaxy phones can put apps to sleep to save battery, and "Deep sleeping apps" never run in the background at all. Go to Settings, Battery and device care, Battery, Background usage limits, and add your reminder app to Never sleeping apps.
Pillo is one option. It's a separate app on Google Play, so it doesn't depend on Samsung Health's region setting. Its persistent alarm keeps going until you act on it, with snooze options and funny character voices (a nagging mom, a drill instructor) if a plain ringtone is too easy to ignore. It also tracks your pill count and warns you before you run out. And if you manage medicines for a parent or child, Dependents lets you run their schedules from your own phone, which helps when you're managing a parent's medications from another state.
For a wider comparison, see our best free medication reminder apps for Android, and if you're coming from Medisafe, what changed with its free plan.
FAQ
Does Samsung Health have medication reminders?
Yes. Samsung Health's Medications feature lets you set reminders for when to take each medicine and when to refill it. You can choose a gentle pop-up or a strong full-screen alert with a long tone, and Galaxy Watch users get reminders on the wrist.
Why did my medications disappear from Samsung Health after an update?
Sometimes the Medications tile has just dropped off the home screen, and adding it back brings your list back. It doesn't work for everyone. If you see a "country or region doesn't support it" message instead, the feature is region-locked on that phone.
Why aren't Samsung Health medication reminders showing on my Galaxy Watch?
Updates sometimes switch off Samsung Health's medication notification category or break watch delivery. Check the notification settings on both the phone and the watch, and try removing and re-adding one medicine. Keep the phone alert on as a backup.
How do I stop my Galaxy phone from silencing a reminder app?
Galaxy phones can put apps to sleep to save battery, and apps on the Deep sleeping list never run in the background. Go to Settings, Battery and device care, Battery, Background usage limits, and add your reminder app to Never sleeping apps.
Does Samsung Health check drug interactions?
For select medicines, it shows general information, possible side effects, and drug and food interaction warnings, licensed from Elsevier in the U.S. Treat it as a starting point. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice specific to your medications.
