Tracking Migraine: A Symptom Diary App That Shows You What Aura Looks Like
A migraine diary app is only useful if it's honest about being a diary and not a diagnosis — the point is pattern-spotting, not a substitute for a GP or neurologist. Migraine Cam is my attempt at that: education, a private symptom log, and a way to actually show someone what the visual aura looks like, since that part is notoriously hard to describe in words.
I've paired it here with two small Chrome extensions that cover adjacent ground — one for the stress-management side of migraine, one for a genuinely mundane but occasionally useful conversion tool if you're logging symptoms alongside temperature readings.
A Migraine Diary App That Also Shows You the Aura
Migraine aura is one of the hardest symptoms to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it — words like shimmering and zigzag only get you so far.
Migraine Cam is a free app about migraine, built around plain-English education drawn from sources like the NHS, Mayo Clinic and the American Migraine Foundation. It includes a private symptom diary for logging triggers over time, and an Aura Lens camera mode that overlays what visual migraine aura can look like, so you can actually show a partner, colleague or doctor rather than trying to describe it. It's free with ads, and a one-time $4.99 Pro purchase unlocks the full diary and removes them.
Managing Stress and Logging Temperature on the Side
Migraine tracking often overlaps with two unglamorous habits: managing the stress that can trigger an episode, and occasionally converting a temperature reading into units you actually understand.
Aura - Daily Mindfulness is a Chrome extension that gives you a personal space for daily intentions, affirmations and mindful reflection — a small, low-effort habit that fits next to symptom tracking for anyone whose migraines are stress-linked. It's not a treatment, just a five-minute pause built into your browser, and it costs nothing to try if stress is a trigger worth watching.
Healthcare Temperature Converter is a small Chrome extension for converting between Celsius and Fahrenheit in real time — handy if you're logging a fever alongside a migraine episode, or reading medical notes that use a different scale than you're used to. It's a genuinely minor tool, but it saves a search-engine detour mid-symptom when a diary entry needs an accurate number.
I build Migraine Cam myself; the two Chrome extensions are separate small tools that happen to sit well alongside it. None of these replace medical advice — they're for pattern-spotting and communication, which is often half the battle with a condition as hard to describe as migraine.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free migraine diary app for iPhone?
Migraine Cam is free with ads and includes plain-English migraine education plus a private symptom diary; a one-time $4.99 Pro purchase unlocks the full diary and removes ads.
Can an app show someone what migraine aura actually looks like?
Migraine Cam's Aura Lens camera mode overlays a visual simulation of migraine aura onto your surroundings, a more direct way to show someone than describing zigzagging lines or blind spots in words.