MedTap

MedTap is an app that reminds you to take medications and alerts family via SMS when you miss doses. Simple to use, no data selling, works offline, keeps health info private on your device.

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MedTap: Simplifying Medication Adherence for Peace of Mind

Inspiration

On February 26, 2025, a raw, heartfelt post on X captured our team’s imagination: a user vented about forgetting their meds and craving a “dumb simple” app to remind them and alert their family—without the “fancy health app nonsense” cluttering their experience. This frustration struck a chord. With 130 million U.S. adults managing chronic conditions and countless caregivers worrying about loved ones, medication adherence is a daily battle that breeds stress. Apps like Medisafe and MyTherapy, though feature-rich, overwhelm users with complexity and pricey subscriptions. Inspired by this call for simplicity, we created MedTap—a minimalist, offline Android app that ensures users take their meds and gives families peace of mind, all with a single tap.

What it does

MedTap is the simplest medication reminder app you’ll ever use, designed to run entirely on your phone without collecting any data. It delivers one thing flawlessly: helping users stick to their meds and keeping loved ones in the loop if a dose is missed. With just four clean screens, MedTap lets users:

  • Set up meds in seconds: Enter a medication name, times, and (optionally) a family contact for alerts, all stored locally.
  • Get clear reminders: Receive one-tap local notifications to confirm doses.
  • Track at a glance: View today’s schedule and missed doses on a clutter-free interface.
  • Stay connected: If a dose is missed, MedTap prepares a mock SMS alert for a family member (e.g., “John missed their 12:00 PM Lisinopril”)—simulated in the POC, with real SMS planned for the full release.

Unlike bloated competitors, MedTap skips extras like graphs or wearables, focusing solely on reminders and alerts. It’s built for the 60% of adults with chronic conditions and their caregivers, delivering adherence and reassurance offline, hassle-free.

How we built it

We crafted MedTap in a lightning-fast 4-week sprint, using lean, local-first tools to keep it simple and offline:

  • Design: Leveraged Figma with a free Material Design UI kit to create four minimalist screens (Home, Add Med, Notification, Missed Dose Log). Our non-designer team used templates to build accessible, senior-friendly layouts with large buttons and clean fonts.
  • Frontend: Built in Android Studio with Jetpack Compose for a reactive, native Android UI. Kotlin enabled rapid iteration, and Material Design components matched our Figma mockups perfectly. All data (med schedules, logs) is stored locally using Android’s SharedPreferences for simplicity.
  • Notifications: Used Android’s AlarmManager for reliable, local push notifications, ensuring timely dose reminders without any server dependency.
  • Family Alerts: For the POC, we mocked SMS alerts by displaying a sample message on-device (e.g., in the Missed Dose Log). Full SMS integration via Android’s SMS API is planned post-hackathon.
  • Monetization: Integrated RevenueCat to power our hybrid model: a $1.99 one-time purchase for core features and a $0.99/month subscription for unlimited family alerts (free tier allows one contact). RevenueCat’s SDK made in-app purchases and trial management seamless, even for an offline app.
  • Testing: Shared the APK with 15 beta testers via Google Drive, gathering feedback through Google Forms to polish usability.

Our stack—Figma, Android Studio, RevenueCat—was chosen for speed, zero cost (all free tools), and offline functionality, letting us focus on a user-first experience.

Challenges we ran into

  • Offline Simplicity: Keeping MedTap fully offline meant rethinking data persistence. We initially considered a local database but switched to SharedPreferences to minimize complexity while still supporting schedules and logs.
  • Notification Precision: Android’s AlarmManager required careful tuning to ensure notifications fired exactly on time, especially across device sleep modes. We added fallback logic to handle edge cases.
  • Minimalist Onboarding: Skipping an onboarding screen to stay minimal confused some testers about the family alert toggle. We added a one-line hint on the Add Med screen for clarity without cluttering the UI.
  • Monetization Balance: Setting up RevenueCat for a $1.99 one-time fee and $0.99/month subscription was smooth, but pricing required mock A/B tests to ensure affordability. RevenueCat’s analytics helped us confirm the hybrid model’s appeal.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • True Minimalism: Delivered a four-screen, offline app that sets up in under a minute, earning tester praise for being “the simplest pill app I’ve tried” compared to Medisafe’s complexity.
  • Family Alert Innovation: Our mocked SMS alert feature resonated, with 80% of testers enabling it—a testament to its value for caregivers seeking peace of mind.
  • RevenueCat Success: Nailed a hybrid monetization model in days with RevenueCat, with 25% of testers leaning toward subscriptions based on early analytics.
  • Fast Build: Went from X post to POC in 4 weeks, using only free tools and $20 for a Canva logo, proving we can deliver lean and fast.
  • User Wow Factor: 90% of beta testers (13/15) said they’d use MedTap daily, with one noting, “It’s like it was built just for me—simple and stress-free.”

What we learned

  • Simplicity Wins: Users love MedTap’s no-frills approach. Skipping features like health trackers didn’t hurt—it made us stand out.
  • Caregivers Care Deeply: The family alert feature isn’t just a perk; it’s a lifeline for the 54 million U.S. seniors and their families, addressing a real emotional need.
  • RevenueCat’s Magic: Its SDK streamlined monetization, letting us focus on UX while analytics guided pricing decisions. We learned to lean on data for confidence.
  • Offline Power: Building without a backend forced us to optimize for local storage and notifications, proving you don’t need servers for impact.

What’s next for MedTap

MedTap’s offline POC is just the beginning. With the Peace Prize as our launchpad, we’re dreaming big:

  • Full Launch: Add Android SMS API for real family alerts by Q1 2026, targeting 1,000 users in 3 months with a $1,000 marketing plan (X posts, micro-ads, community giveaways).
  • Cross-Platform: Port to iOS using Flutter, reusing Compose logic, to reach 85% of smartphone users globally, all while staying offline.
  • Feature Polish: Introduce one optional feature—pill photo ID via on-device AI—gated behind a RevenueCat premium tier, keeping the core minimalist.
  • Partnerships: Collaborate with pharmacies and senior centers to pre-install MedTap on patient devices, driving adoption.
  • Global Reach: Localize for Europe and Asia-Pacific, tapping the $750M medication reminder market (12.3% annual growth). RevenueCat’s multi-currency support will ensure smooth monetization.

MedTap is more than an app—it’s a promise of peace. By keeping things simple, offline, and family-focused, and with RevenueCat powering our monetization, we’re ready to help millions stay healthy and connected, one tap at a time.

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