Reminders or reminder calls not arriving? Fix it

Almost every missed reminder comes down to a phone setting — usually a battery saver that stops MedKin in the background. Start with the two-minute checklist, then follow the steps for your phone’s brand.

Jump to your phone

Quick checklist

Go through these first — together they fix most problems.

  1. Notifications are on

    Settings → Apps → MedKin → Notifications must be allowed. In MedKin, Profile → Notifications shows if they’re off.

  2. Reminder sound and categories are on

    Both “Dose reminders” and “Medicine reminder calls” should be on with sound, not Silent — and the phone itself shouldn’t be on silent or vibrate.

  3. Full-screen calls are allowed (Android 14+)

    Settings → Apps → Special app access → Full screen notifications → MedKin. Without it a call rings as a pop-up instead of filling the screen.

  4. Alarms & reminders is allowed

    Settings → Apps → Special app access → Alarms & reminders → MedKin, so reminders fire on the exact minute.

  5. Background usage isn’t “Restricted”

    Settings → Apps → MedKin → Battery: Unrestricted (or Optimised). On realme, OPPO, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Vivo, also allow Auto launch / Autostart.

  6. Do Not Disturb and Focus

    On Android, reminder calls ring like an alarm and get through Do Not Disturb unless alarms are blocked; regular reminders follow your DND rules. On iPhone, allow MedKin (or Time Sensitive notifications) in each Focus.

  7. Internet for calls

    Reminder calls come from our server, so the phone needs mobile data or Wi-Fi at dose time. Regular reminders don’t.

  8. MedKin is up to date

    Update MedKin from Google Play — fixes for specific phones ship regularly.

  9. Signed in to the right account

    Reminders and calls follow the account your medicines are saved in. Signed in with a different Google or Apple account? You won’t see — or be called about — those medicines.

  10. Calls: Pro, and switched on per medicine

    Reminder calls need MedKin Pro, Profile → Call reminders → “Call me at dose times” on, and “Call me for this medicine” on for each medicine (Medications → the medicine).

  11. The medicine isn’t paused or finished

    Paused medicines, courses past their end date and “As needed” medicines don’t send reminders or calls.

Why reminders and reminder calls behave differently

RemindersEveryone

  • Scheduled on your phone itself when you add or change a medicine.
  • Ring without internet, in flight mode and after a restart.
  • Follow your phone’s sound, silent and Do Not Disturb settings.

Reminder callsPro

  • Sent by our server at dose time, through Google’s push service (Apple’s on iPhone).
  • Need internet on the phone at that minute.
  • Android must let MedKin wake up in the background — exactly what battery savers, “Clear all” on some phones and Force stop prevent.
  • Only for doses you haven’t already marked taken or skipped.

Calls are an extra layer on top of reminders, never a replacement: if a call can’t reach you, the regular reminder still rings.

Don’t use “Force stop”

Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop, on any Android phone, blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again. Swiping MedKin away from Recent apps is normally fine, but realme, OPPO, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo and some other phones treat it like a force stop unless you allow auto launch and lock MedKin in Recent apps.

Step-by-step fix for your phone

Pick your phone’s brand. Menu names change a little between software versions — if one doesn’t match, use the search bar at the top of Settings.

realme / OPPO / OnePlus

realme UI · ColorOS · OxygenOS · 6 steps

  1. Allow auto launch and background activity

    Settings , Apps , App management , MedKin , Battery usage

    Turn ON all three: Allow auto launch (the most important one), Allow background activity and Allow foreground activity. Without auto launch the phone won’t let MedKin wake up for a reminder call once it has been closed.

  2. Lock MedKin in Recent apps

    Recent apps , pull the MedKin card down (or tap ⋮ on the card) , Lock

    A small lock appears on the card. Swiping MedKin away or tapping Clear all then no longer shuts it down completely.

  3. Don’t optimise MedKin’s battery

    Settings , Battery , More settings , Optimize battery use , MedKin , Don’t optimize

    If the same screen has Sleep standby optimization, turn it off (or keep MedKin out of it) so calls still come at night. Avoid Super power saving mode while you rely on reminders.

  4. Turn on notifications, sound and pop-ups

    Settings , Apps , App management , MedKin , Notifications

    Turn on Allow notifications. Then open Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls and turn on Sound, Banners (pop-up) and Lock screen. Also reachable from Settings → Notifications & status bar → Manage notifications.

  5. Allow full-screen calls and exact alarms

    Settings , Apps , Special app access , Full screen notifications / Alarms & reminders , MedKin , Allow

    Full-screen calls exist on Android 14 and later. With Pro, Profile → Call reminders → Phone settings opens each of these pages for you.

  6. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, auto launch is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Menu names differ between realme UI, ColorOS and OxygenOS versions. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Older OnePlus phones (OxygenOS 11–12): Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → MedKin → Don’t optimize.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO

HyperOS · MIUI · 6 steps

  1. Turn on Autostart (most important)

    Settings , Apps , Manage apps , MedKin , Autostart

    Without Autostart, HyperOS/MIUI won’t let MedKin start in the background for a reminder call. Also reachable from the Security app → Permissions → Autostart.

  2. Remove battery restrictions

    Settings , Apps , Manage apps , MedKin , Battery saver , No restrictions

    The default setting can hold calls back while the screen is off. Turn off Ultra battery saver while you rely on reminders.

  3. Allow pop-ups and lock-screen display

    Settings , Apps , Manage apps , MedKin , Other permissions

    Allow Show on Lock screen and Display pop-up windows while running in the background. Xiaomi phones need these for the full-screen call screen.

  4. Turn on floating notifications and sound

    Settings , Apps , Manage apps , MedKin , Notifications

    Turn on Show notifications. Then open Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls and turn on Floating notifications, Lock screen notifications and Sound — Xiaomi often turns floating notifications off by default.

  5. Lock MedKin in Recent apps

    Recent apps , press and hold the MedKin card (or pull it down) , Lock

    A lock icon appears on the card, so Clear all won’t close MedKin.

  6. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, Autostart is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Menu names differ between MIUI 12–14 and HyperOS. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Vivo / iQOO

Funtouch OS · OriginOS · 6 steps

  1. Allow background power use

    Settings , Battery , Background power consumption management , MedKin , Allow

    Depending on the version the option reads Allow high background power consumption or Don’t restrict background power usage. This is what lets a reminder call reach a closed app.

  2. Turn on Autostart

    Settings , Apps , Autostart , MedKin

    On older phones: i Manager → App manager → Autostart manager → MedKin.

  3. Allow lock-screen display and pop-ups

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Permissions

    Allow Display on lock screen and Display pop-up windows (sometimes under Other permissions, or i Manager → App manager → Permission management on older phones).

  4. Turn on notifications, banners and sound

    Settings , Notifications & status bar , App notifications , MedKin

    Turn on Allow notifications, then Lock screen, Banners/Floating and Sound for Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls.

  5. Lock MedKin in Recent apps

    Recent apps , pull the MedKin card down , Lock

    A lock icon appears on the card, so clearing recent apps won’t close MedKin.

  6. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, background power use or Autostart is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Funtouch OS and OriginOS move these options between versions. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Samsung

One UI · 7 steps

  1. Set battery to Unrestricted

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Battery , Unrestricted

    Optimised works on most phones, but Unrestricted is the safest choice. Never pick Restricted — it blocks reminder calls.

  2. Keep MedKin off the sleeping-apps lists

    Settings , Battery , Background usage limits , Never sleeping apps , + , MedKin

    Make sure MedKin isn’t under Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps. On older One UI: Settings → Battery and device care → Battery → Background usage limits.

  3. Turn on notifications with sound and pop-up

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Notifications

    Turn on Allow notifications. Under Notification categories, set Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls to Alert, with sound and Pop-up.

  4. Allow full-screen calls and exact alarms

    Settings , Apps , ⋮ , Special access , Full screen notifications / Alarms and reminders , MedKin

    Full-screen calls exist on Android 14 (One UI 6) and later; some versions call it Full screen intents. With Pro, Profile → Call reminders → Phone settings opens these pages for you.

  5. Keep MedKin open in Recent apps

    Recent apps , tap the MedKin icon above the card , Keep open

    A lock icon appears on the card, so Close all won’t close MedKin.

  6. Let reminders through Do Not Disturb

    Settings , Notifications , Do not disturb , App notifications , Add apps , MedKin

    Reminder calls ring like an alarm, so they already come through unless alarms are blocked there. Adding MedKin lets regular dose reminders through too.

  7. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, background usage is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Menu names differ slightly between One UI 5, 6 and 7. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Huawei / Honor

EMUI · HarmonyOS · Magic UI · MagicOS · 5 steps

  1. Let MedKin launch and run in the background

    Settings , Battery , App launch , MedKin

    Turn off Manage automatically. In the pop-up, turn ON Auto-launch, Secondary launch and Run in background, then tap OK.

  2. Turn on notifications with sound

    Settings , Notifications , MedKin

    Turn on Allow notifications, Banners, Lock screen notifications and Sound (or Ringtone) for Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls. On Honor the menu is Notifications & status bar.

  3. Turn off power saving

    Settings , Battery , Power saving mode / Ultra power saving , Off

    Power saving modes stop apps in the background, including MedKin.

  4. Lock MedKin in Recent apps

    Recent apps , pull the MedKin card down , Lock

    A lock icon appears on the card, so clearing recent apps won’t close MedKin.

  5. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, App launch is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Huawei phones without Google Play services can’t receive reminder calls, because calls travel through Google’s push service. Regular reminders still work.
  • Older EMUI versions keep App launch inside the Phone Manager app. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Motorola

Hello UI · My UX · 6 steps

  1. Allow unrestricted background use

    Settings , Apps , See all apps , MedKin , App battery usage , Unrestricted

    Optimized usually works too; Restricted (or background usage turned off) blocks reminder calls.

  2. Turn on notifications

    Settings , Apps , See all apps , MedKin , Notifications

    Turn on All MedKin notifications, and make sure Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls are set to Default (with sound) and Pop on screen.

  3. Allow full-screen calls and exact alarms

    Settings , Apps , Special app access , Full screen notifications / Alarms & reminders , MedKin , Allow

    Full-screen calls exist on Android 14 and later. With Pro, Profile → Call reminders → Phone settings opens these pages for you.

  4. Stop Android pausing MedKin

    Settings , Apps , See all apps , MedKin , Pause app activity if unused , Off

    If you rarely open MedKin, Android may otherwise pause it and remove its permissions after a few months.

  5. Let reminders through Do Not Disturb

    Settings , Sound & vibration , Do Not Disturb , Apps , Add apps , MedKin

    Reminder calls ring like an alarm and already come through unless alarms are blocked; this lets regular reminders through too.

  6. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, background usage or auto-start is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Motorola stays close to stock Android, so these paths also work on most Nokia, Nothing and Lava phones. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Google Pixel / stock Android

Android · 7 steps

  1. Allow background usage

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , App battery usage , Allow background usage , Unrestricted

    Optimized also works. If background usage is turned off (Restricted), reminder calls can’t reach a closed app.

  2. Turn on notifications

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Notifications

    Turn on All MedKin notifications. Open Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls and choose Default (sound) with Pop on screen.

  3. Allow full-screen calls

    Settings , Apps , Special app access , Full screen notifications , MedKin , Allow

    Android 14 and later. Without it, calls ring as a pop-up with Answer and Decline instead of filling the screen.

  4. Allow alarms & reminders

    Settings , Apps , Special app access , Alarms & reminders , MedKin , Allow

    Keeps regular reminders on the exact minute.

  5. Stop Android pausing MedKin

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Pause app activity if unused , Off

    Called Manage app if unused on newer versions. If you rarely open MedKin, Android may otherwise pause it after a few months.

  6. Let reminders through Do Not Disturb

    Settings , Modes , Do Not Disturb , Apps , Add apps , MedKin

    On Android 14 and older: Settings → Notifications → Do Not Disturb → Apps. Reminder calls ring like an alarm and already come through unless alarms are blocked.

  7. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, background usage or auto-start is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • These paths match Pixel phones on Android 14–16 and most phones with near-stock Android. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

Other Android phones

Android · 6 steps

  1. Don’t restrict MedKin’s battery

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Battery (or App battery usage) , Unrestricted

    Some phones call it Don’t optimise or No restrictions. Restricted blocks reminder calls.

  2. Allow auto-start, if your phone has it

    Settings , search “auto start” (or “auto launch”) , MedKin , On

    Many phones (Infinix, Tecno, itel, Lava, Asus …) keep it in a Phone Manager, Phone Master or Security app. It is the setting most often behind missing reminder calls.

  3. Turn on notifications with sound and pop-up

    Settings , Apps , MedKin , Notifications

    Turn on notifications, then open Dose reminders and Medicine reminder calls and turn on sound, pop-up and lock screen.

  4. Allow full-screen calls and exact alarms

    Settings , Apps , Special app access , Full screen notifications / Alarms & reminders , MedKin , Allow

    Full-screen calls exist on Android 14 and later. With Pro, Profile → Call reminders → Phone settings opens these pages for you.

  5. Lock MedKin in Recent apps

    Recent apps , pull the MedKin card down or long-press it , Lock

    Not every phone has this. Where it exists, it stops Clear all from closing MedKin.

  6. Test it with the app closed

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    The test call should ring within a few seconds. Then do a real check: give a medicine with “Call me for this medicine” turned on a dose time 3–4 minutes from now, swipe MedKin away from Recent apps and lock the phone. If the call only comes while MedKin is open, background usage or auto-start is still blocked. (Without Pro, do the same with a regular reminder.)

Good to know
  • Every brand names these menus a little differently. Can’t find a menu? Type its name (for example “auto launch” or “battery”) into the search bar at the top of Settings.
  • Never use Settings → Apps → MedKin → Force stop. On any Android phone it blocks reminder calls — and can cancel scheduled reminders — until you open MedKin again.

iPhone

iOS · 6 steps

  1. Allow notifications

    Settings , Notifications , MedKin

    Turn on Allow Notifications, plus Lock Screen, Notification Centre, Banners and Sounds.

  2. Turn on Time Sensitive notifications

    Settings , Notifications , MedKin , Time Sensitive Notifications , On

    Reminder calls arrive as Time Sensitive alerts, which can break through a Focus.

  3. Let MedKin through Focus

    Settings , Focus , (each Focus, e.g. Do Not Disturb, Sleep) , Apps , Add MedKin

    Or turn on Time Sensitive Notifications in that Focus. Check every Focus you use, especially Sleep.

  4. Deliver reminders immediately

    Settings , Notifications , MedKin , Notification Delivery , Immediate Delivery

    If MedKin is part of a Scheduled Summary, reminders wait until the summary time.

  5. Keep MedKin allowed in Screen Time

    Settings , Screen Time , Always Allowed , MedKin

    Downtime can hide MedKin unless it is Always Allowed. Also check the Ring/Silent switch (or Action button): in Silent mode reminders only vibrate.

  6. Test it

    MedKin , Profile , Call reminders , Test call

    Lock the iPhone right after tapping — the test call should ring within a few seconds.

Good to know
  • Swiping MedKin away on an iPhone doesn’t stop reminders or calls — iOS delivers them itself.
  • Menu names here match iOS 17 and later.

When you won’t get a reminder or a call

Straight answers: in these cases nothing will ring, whatever the settings.

No reminder when…

  • the medicine is paused, archived, past its end date or set to “As needed”;
  • notifications for MedKin, or the “Dose reminders” category, are turned off;
  • the phone is switched off at dose time;
  • MedKin was force-stopped — until you open it again;
  • you’ve just reinstalled MedKin or moved to a new phone — until you sign in and open it once;
  • a medicine with an end date hasn’t been opened in the app for over 30 days (MedKin schedules those up to 30 days ahead, and tops them up whenever you open it).

On silent or Do Not Disturb, a reminder still arrives — just without sound.

No call when…

  • you don’t have MedKin Pro (or it has ended);
  • “Call me at dose times” or “Call me for this medicine” is off;
  • the dose is already marked taken or skipped;
  • the phone has no internet or is switched off at dose time — the call may come late or not at all;
  • MedKin was force-stopped, or the phone’s battery manager blocks it (auto launch off, background Restricted);
  • you’re signed out of MedKin on that phone — calls ring every phone signed in to your account;
  • the phone has no Google Play services (some Huawei models);
  • we’ve paused calls for maintenance — the app then says “Call reminders are paused for now”, and regular reminders keep working.

Common questions

Why do reminders stop after I clear recent apps?

realme, OPPO, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Vivo phones treat “Clear all” like a force stop. Allow auto launch (Autostart) for MedKin and lock it in Recent apps — the steps for your brand are above.

Why does the reminder arrive but not the call?

Reminders are scheduled on the phone, while calls come from our server. So a call also needs internet, MedKin Pro, the call switched on for that medicine, and permission for MedKin to wake up in the background.

Will allowing background activity drain my battery?

Hardly. MedKin only wakes up for a few seconds around dose times; the rest of the time it does nothing in the background.

The call rings as a small pop-up, not full screen. Why?

On Android 14 and later, apps need the “Full screen notifications” permission to show a call screen. Allow it in Settings → Apps → Special app access, or with Pro from Profile → Call reminders → Phone settings.

Do reminder calls ring when Do Not Disturb is on?

On Android, yes — they ring like an alarm unless your Do Not Disturb settings block alarms. On iPhone they’re Time Sensitive alerts, which come through a Focus if you allow Time Sensitive notifications.

Still not working? Contact support

Tell us what’s happening and we’ll help you fix it.

In the app

Profile → Help & support

Describe what happened and turn on “Include debug info” — it shows us your phone’s reminder settings.

By email

Include your phone model, Android version and the time a reminder or call didn’t arrive.

rajrock7254@gmail.com