Guides
A text reminder service that doesn't need an app
What a text reminder service does (and who it's for)
A text reminder service sends you a plain SMS at the moment you asked to be reminded — no app in the middle, no notification buried in a pile of forty others. It suits two kinds of people unusually well: anyone who lives by their texts more than their apps, and anyone setting up reminders for someone else — a parent, a spouse, a person who will never, ever install anything.
Ours is run by one person (Jon — here's how families use it), and it does exactly one job: the right text, at the right time, until someone says it's handled.
How it works: set it once, get a text at the right time
Set reminders on the website or just text them to us in plain English. Times are read in your timezone; repeats (“every weekday”) re-arm themselves after each send. Delivery runs on scheduled infrastructure with a per-minute safety sweep behind it — the reminder fires because it's due, not because an app happened to be open.
Run everything by text — no dashboard required
The full manual fits in one text: reply DONE when something's handled, SNOOZE to push it back, LIST to see what's coming, STOP to end everything. Changes work in plain English too:
Real formats, word for word — corrections included. You never have to learn commands.
For yourself, or for someone you love
For your own reminders, verify your number and start texting. For someone else, consent comes first, always: they get one invitation text and nothing sends until they reply YES. After that, their reminders arrive as ordinary texts, they reply DONE, and you can see what's confirmed — without becoming the person who calls every morning.
What it costs
Plans start at $6.99/month for unlimited one-time reminders; repeats, ‘til-done nudges, and reminding someone you love are on Plus at $14.99. Every plan is month-to-month with a 30-day money-back guarantee — currently US mobile numbers only.
Text reminders vs. reminder apps — the honest comparison
If you live comfortably in your phone, a reminder app you'll actually open — Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, any of them — is free and good. Use one; you don't need us.
A text reminder service earns its keep when the app approach quietly fails: the person being reminded won't install or maintain an app, notifications get swiped away by reflex, or you need to know whether the thing actually happened — not just that a phone buzzed. A text arrives through the one channel everyone already reads, and a reply of DONE closes the loop in a way a dismissed notification never does. For medication specifically, read our medication guide — it also covers when a text genuinely isn't enough.
Where we're honest about the limits
Every tool on this problem has limits, ours included — and you should hear them from us, not discover them later:
What Jon's Reminders is not
- Not for emergencies. Nothing here replaces 911 or a medical alert device.
- Not a medical device. It doesn't dispense medication, monitor anyone, or give medical advice — a DONE reply means they tapped a response, not proof a pill was actually taken.
- Nudges ask, they never re-instruct. A repeated reminder always reads “did you already do this?” — designed so nobody acts twice. Even so, if your parent has severe memory loss or cognitive impairment, a text may not be enough: a locked pill dispenser or in-person care is the right tool there.
If that's your situation, we'd rather point you elsewhere than take your money.
Common questions
Do I need to download an app?
No — that's the whole point. Everything happens over ordinary text messages: creating reminders, snoozing, checking your list, marking things done. There is nothing to install, update, or forget the password to.
Does it work on a flip phone?
Yes. If a phone can receive a text message, it can receive these reminders — flip phones, landline-replacement cell phones, and smartphones alike.
Can I set recurring reminders by text?
Yes — say it like a person: "feed the dogs every morning at 8" or "gym every weekday at 6am." Daily, weekly, weekdays, and specific days all work. Repeats are part of the Plus plan.
What happens if my mom doesn't reply?
Reminders can nudge gently until someone replies DONE — and for a person you look after, you can get a heads-up if nothing comes back. The nudges ask whether it's handled; they never re-instruct.
How does she stop the texts?
She replies STOP — once, to any message — and everything stops instantly. That works for anyone we text, always, no exceptions. START turns things back on if she changes her mind.
Try it on your own to-dos first.
Two minutes: verify your number, text us your first reminder, see it come back on time. Add someone you love whenever you're ready — and the first 30 days are money-back, no questions.