Your blood pressure readings, all in one place.

Start anywhere

From a monitor in a box to a history worth showing your doctor

Eight steps. Most people get stuck on one of them, so find yours and start there.

1. 1Choose a monitorUpper arm, and a model whose exact number passed an independent accuracy test. The brand on the box is not the thing that was tested.See the four we checked

   Deeper model reviews on BP Monitor Lab

2. 2Measure your armAround the middle of your bare upper arm. Cuff size changes your reading more than the choice of monitor does.Cuff size chart

   Device-side cuff compatibility on BP Monitor Lab

3. 3Fit the cuff and sit properlyBare skin, just above the elbow bend, snug. Back supported, feet flat, arm resting at about heart height.The measurement checklist
4. 4Take a reading you can trustSit still for five minutes first. No coffee, no exercise, empty bladder, and do not talk while it runs.How to take and read one
5. 5Write it downBoth numbers, your pulse, the date and the time, and a word about anything unusual. On paper or on your phone.Printable log sheet
6. 6Work out your averageOne reading says very little. The average across a set of them is the number a doctor can actually use.Average calculator
7. 7Get ready for your appointmentBring a record rather than a memory. The checklist, the log, what to record and how to summarise it, in one place.The tracking starter kit
8. 8Keep goingThe value is in the history, and the history only exists if you keep adding to it. Paper works. An app works. Doing nothing does not.Blood pressure apps, honestly

   Brand companion apps compared on BP Monitor Lab

A notes app holds the numbers. It cannot show you the pattern.

One reading tells you very little. Thirty readings tell you something. BP Central does the part that paper and Notes cannot: it works out your averages, draws the line, and hands you a tidy summary when you need one.

What you get

Six things, and every one of them is in the app today.

Fast entry

Type your top number, bottom number and pulse. Add your arm, your position and a note if you want to. Then save.

Your whole history

Every reading you save stays in one list. Search it, filter it by date, and tap any reading to see everything you recorded with it.

Trends you can tap

A chart of your readings over 7, 30 or 90 days, or all of them. Tap any point to see that exact reading, right down to the time of day.

Averages that update

Your 7, 30 and 90 day averages, plus your average pulse. No maths on your part.

What the numbers mean

Each reading is shown against the American Heart Association range chart. It tells you the range a reading falls in. It does not tell you that you have a condition.

A summary you can send

Pick a date range and BP Central writes a plain summary of your readings and averages. Send it to yourself or take it to an appointment using your phone share button.

What it does not do

Better you find out here than after you pay.

• BP Central does not measure your blood pressure. You need a monitor. You type in what it shows.
• There is no PDF or spreadsheet export. The summary goes out as plain text through your phone share button.
• It does not connect to Apple Health, and it does not pair with a cuff.
• There are no reminders and no notifications.
• Readings are tied to your install, not to an account. If you delete the app or lose the phone, they may not come back.

Do not have a monitor yet? We checked which ones passed an independent accuracy test and wrote up the four we recommend, plus how to get the cuff size right.