Using the app

Does it really work without internet?

Yes. The medical reference is stored on your phone. Search, symptom guidance, your health book and reminders all work in flight mode. A connection is only used to refresh the reference.

Why is a medicine I searched for missing?

The free app ships with the 2,000 most widely marketed medicines so the download stays small. MedSearch Plus adds the full library of more than 8,500. Medicines are also listed under their generic name — try "ibuprofen" rather than a local brand name.

My reminders stopped arriving.

Phones limit how many reminders an app can queue in advance, so MedSearch schedules a couple of weeks at a time and extends them whenever you open the app. If you have not opened it in a while, open it once and they will be topped up. Also check that notifications are allowed for MedSearch in your phone's settings.

Can I move my health book to a new phone?

With MedSearch Plus, turn on encrypted backup before you switch, then sign in on the new phone with your passphrase. Without backup the record stays only on the original device — that is the trade for it never leaving your phone.

I forgot my backup passphrase.

Use the 12-word recovery phrase from setup. If you have lost both, the backup cannot be recovered by anyone, including us. Your data is encrypted with a key only you hold.

About the information

Where does the medical content come from?

National health agencies — the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the National Library of Medicine and the CDC — plus a published medical vocabulary. Every entry names its source. See data sources.

Is the information written by AI?

No. Every clinical statement is retrieved from those published sources. No part of the medical content is generated.

Will MedSearch tell me what is wrong with me?

No, and it is built not to. It can tell you which conditions involve the symptoms you describe, and whether they are the kind that need urgent attention. Diagnosis needs a person who can examine you.

Can it read a photo of my rash?

No. The camera reads printed text on packaging and prescriptions. Identifying skin conditions from photographs is not accurate enough to be safe, so we do not offer it.

I am outside the United States. Is it still useful?

Partly. Generic medicine names are international, and symptom guidance applies anywhere. But labels, brand names, dosing and availability are described as they are in the country edition you installed. Check local packaging and ask a local pharmacist.

Billing

What is free?

Offline search, symptom guidance including all emergency warnings, crisis support, your health book, allergy and interaction checks, and medicine reminders. These stay free permanently.

What does Plus add?

The full medicine library, encrypted backup across devices, travel health packs, and export for a doctor's appointment.

How do I cancel or get a refund?

Subscriptions are handled by Apple. Manage or cancel in Settings → your name → Subscriptions. Refunds are requested through Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Report a problem with the content

If you find an entry that looks wrong or out of date, please tell us which medicine or condition and what looked incorrect. Medicine labels come from manufacturers via the FDA and can lag behind real-world changes; we pass corrections upstream where we can, and we can remove or annotate an entry.

Email us