Track water without an NFC sticker: manual logging in HydraTag
Every drink in HydraTag can be logged by hand. The free app is designed for that first; the NFC sticker is a shortcut you may add later. Here is how to make manual logging quick enough to keep up.
Quick add in two taps
On Today, the Quick add row shows three amounts. Tap the one that matches what you drank, then tap Add. The confirmation shows the saved amount with Undo, so a wrong tap costs nothing.
Set presets that match your containers
The three buttons start at 250, 500 and 750 ml. Change them in Settings under Quick log amounts so each button is a real container you use, then tap Save preferences. Amounts can be 1 to 10,000 ml each.
| Example setup | Button 1 | Button 2 | Button 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk mug, gym bottle, big bottle | 300 ml | 500 ml | 1,000 ml |
| Imperial-style sizes shown in US fl oz | 8 fl oz | 16 fl oz | 24 fl oz |
| Small sips through the day | 150 ml | 250 ml | 400 ml |
Log any amount
Tap Choose another amount under the quick buttons. The Log water screen opens with your default amount; type any whole number of millilitres from 1 to 10,000, or the ounce equivalent if your units are set to US fl oz, then tap Save drink. The screen confirms "Saved to today's history on this device" and offers Undo this drink.
Partial bottles
Log what you actually drank, not the bottle size. Half of a 750 ml bottle is 375 ml. If you top up a bottle before it is empty, log the amount you drank before the refill. The app records whatever you enter; it has no way to know what was in the bottle, and a sticker would not know either.
Fix a mistake
Use Undo right after a drink, or open History, select the day and remove the entry with the cross beside it. Both are covered in reviewing and correcting your history.
A manual routine that holds up
- Log at the moment you finish a container, not at the end of the day from memory.
- Keep one container per place (desk, bag, bedside) so a quick button always fits.
- Use reminders with Pause after my first drink so the app stops nudging once you have started; see water reminders.
When a sticker helps
A sticker saves the two taps for the one bottle you carry most, which matters if you log that bottle many times a day. It does not change what the app can record. In the current app version (0.1.10), NFC sticker setup and tap logging are free. In the forthcoming release, NFC tap logging and sticker setup, reading and writing will require an active HydraTag Pro upgrade; manual logging, quick add, reminders, history and unit choice stay free. If you later want one, a free sticker is included with the planned HydraTag Pro upgrade; see how sticker logging works and free vs Pro.
HydraTag guide ยท Updated October 2, 2026