Some people open Medication Timer because a child has a fever and two caregivers need the same picture. Others open it because they take as-needed pain relief and just want a calm countdown—no calendar, no illness workspace, no extra taps between them and Log dose.
Those are different jobs. Family and Simple are two app layouts for the same product: same dose-spacing rules, same household profiles if you need them, different default tabs and setup paths so the first screen matches how you actually care for people.
Simple is available on iOS and Android only. The web app uses the Family layout (Today and Care); there is no Simple preset on web.
Illustration comparing Family and Simple Medication Timer layouts
Two layouts, one app: household overview on the left, classic timers on the right.
Family layout and Simple layout are not the Family Care plan
Before the comparison: Family mode (the layout) is not the same thing as Family Care (the subscription).
| What it is | |
|---|---|
| Family / Simple | App style presets under Settings → Layout on mobile. They turn tabs on or off and change how busy timer cards look. Free to switch any time on iOS and Android. Simple is not on web. |
| Family Care | Paid plan for shared caregiver coordination, full Today history, short medication courses in Care, reports, quick timers, and related household features. Price is shown in your app store for your region. |
You can use the Family layout on the free tier. You can use Simple on mobile and still upgrade later if you need coordination or courses. Layout only changes what you see first—not whether a dose is allowed.
Side by side
| Need | Family layout | Simple layout |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android, and web | iOS and Android only (not available on web) |
| Default tabs | Today and Care on; classic Timers and Temps off | Timers and Temps on; Today and Care off |
| Best starting point | Household day overview and illness episodes | As-needed dose list and temperature log |
| Timer cards | Full countdown detail | Cleaner cards—less min/ideal and dose-pip clutter |
| Setup | Walks through Care, scheduled meds, and health readings when relevant | Skips Care and scheduled-routine steps so you reach timers sooner |
| Sharing & courses | Layout does not grant them; Family Care plan does when you need them | Same—plan features are separate from the preset |
Both presets still include Family (household members) and Medications as part of the broader app. You can turn individual tabs on or off if neither preset is a perfect fit.
Who Family mode is best for
Choose Family when you care for others, or when you want one daily picture even if you mostly track yourself.
Family fits you if:
- You track medicines for a child, partner, parent, or more than one person
- You want Today: routines, as-needed doses, temperatures, and readings on one day strip
- You want Care ready before the next fever night—one session for doses, temps, symptoms, and notes
- Another caregiver might need the same household view (with Family Care for invites and shared coordination)
- You use scheduled dose routines or health readings (INR, blood pressure, glucose, and similar) alongside PRN timers
Family is the layout that says: the household day and the illness episode matter as much as the countdown.
During setup, Family keeps the fuller path: Care introduction, optional scheduled medicines, and health readings when those apply to your household. You can still skip pieces you do not need; the point is that those tools stay visible once you are in the app.
Who Simple mode is best for
Choose Simple on iPhone or Android when you mainly need classic as-needed timers and a temperature log, with minimal setup. Simple is not available on the web app—on web you stay in the Family layout with Today and Care.
Simple fits you if:
- You mostly track your own as-needed medicines (paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines, and similar)
- You want the classic Timers tab as the home for logging and countdowns
- You want a Temps tab when you need a fever log, without an illness Care workspace in the way
- You prefer quieter timer cards focused on the next action
- You do not need a Today calendar or Care session for how you use the app right now
Simple is the layout that says: get me to a safe dose log quickly.
If you chose Simple during onboarding, Care and scheduled-routine steps are skipped so you land on timers sooner. You are not locked out forever—turn Today or Care on later under Settings → Layout → Tabs if a household sick week changes what you need.
What stays the same in both modes
Layout preferences only change what you see—not when a dose is allowed.
- Minimum intervals and maximum doses per day still apply
- Logging a dose still starts the same kind of countdown
- Member profiles, medications, and history remain yours if you switch presets
- On mobile, you can change App style any time without starting a new account
In Simple on mobile, timer cards stay focused on the action you need, with less visual noise around countdown phases and dose pips. Safety rules stay the same.
A quick “which one?” guide
Ask yourself what you open the app to do most often.
Pick Family if your typical question is: “What does this person need today?” or “Who is under care right now?”
Pick Simple if (on iOS or Android) your typical question is: “When can I take this again?” or “What was the last temperature?”
Stay on Family on web—or pick Family on mobile—if you want Today and Care as your everyday home.
Mix tabs on mobile if you want both worlds—for example Family plus a visible Timers tab, or Simple with Today turned back on for a shared week of illness. Under Settings → Layout you can:
- Pick the Family or Simple preset under App style
- Or toggle Today, Care, Timers, and Temps individually
A custom mix shows as a custom layout until you pick a preset again.
How to choose or switch
During setup (mobile): Early in onboarding on iOS or Android you pick how you want the app laid out—Family or Simple—with a short blurb for each. You can change this any time in Settings. Web setup stays on the Family layout; there is no Simple choice there.
Later (mobile): Open Profile → Settings → Layout.
- App style: Family (Today and Care on; Timers and Temps off) or Simple (Timers and Temps on; simplified timer cards)
- Tabs: fine-tune each tab if you need a hybrid
No data wipe. No reinstall. Switch on mobile when a new baby, a co-parent invite, or a quieter personal routine changes what “home” should look like. If you use both mobile and web, expect Family-style Today and Care on web even if your phone is set to Simple.
Free core, Family Care when you need more
Neither layout is a paywall. The free tier includes family members, as-needed timers, temperature and symptom logging, and Care sessions within usual household limits when that tab is on. Today shows recent days in full detail on free; older history and several coordination tools sit on Family Care.
Reach for the subscription when you need shared caregiver access, short antibiotic or antiviral courses inside Care, full calendar history, reports, or other Family Care features—not merely because you picked the Family layout.
Start with the layout that matches your night
Fever nights and quiet PRN routines both deserve a clear first screen. Family puts Today and Care forward for households and illness episodes—on mobile and on web. Simple keeps classic Timers and Temps for as-needed doses with less ceremony on iOS and Android only. Same product, same safety model—choose the shape that matches how you actually care on your phone, then adjust when life changes.
Open Medication Timer on iOS or Android to pick Family or Simple, and change it later in Settings → Layout. On the web app, you work in the Family layout.
