Complete Guide To Anki How To: The Ultimate Guide
Anki's spaced repetition helps you remember info effectively. Flashrecall simplifies card creation, so you can focus on studying and crush your goals.
How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free
Trying to figure out the complete guide to Anki How To? Let’s be real, we all want to learn faster and remember stuff without having our brains explode. You know how flashcards can break down info into bite-sized pieces, right? Well, the trick is knowing how to use them properly with some active recall and spaced repetition. And honestly, who has time to schedule all that manually? That’s where Flashrecall comes in handy—it’s like your personal flashcard assistant. It automatically handles all that scheduling jazz, so you can focus on actually learning. If you want to dive into the nitty-gritty about Anki and pick up some smart study habits, plus see how Flashrecall makes it even easier, check out our complete guide. Trust me, it’s a lifesaver!
1. What Anki Is (In Simple Words)
Anki is a flashcard program that uses spaced repetition — a method that shows you cards at the right time so you don’t forget them. It’s great for school, university, languages, medicine, and exams.
The problem?
Anki feels like you’re learning software before learning your actual subject.
Flashrecall gives you the same memory science, but without the setup headache.
2. How To Create Your First Anki Deck
In Anki, you need to:
1. Create a deck
2. Add cards manually
3. Type your question
4. Type your answer
5. Set card types
6. Choose templates
7. Import images
8. Repeat over and over
It works, but it’s slow.
How Flashrecall simplifies this:
- Upload a photo, paste text, import a PDF, add a YouTube link, record audio, or type a prompt
→ Flashrecall automatically creates clean, ready-to-review flashcards.
No templates. No card types. No formatting. Just instant cards.
3. Understanding Spaced Repetition
Anki uses a scheduling algorithm to decide when you see each card. You choose buttons like “Again,” “Good,” or “Easy,” and Anki calculates your next review.
With Flashrecall:
You still get real spaced repetition, but the app handles everything automatically — including:
- review timing
- study reminders
- active recall prompts
Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :
No need to adjust settings every time.
4. How To Make Better Flashcards (Tips That Work Everywhere)
Whether you use Anki or Flashrecall, good cards share these traits:
✓ One concept per card
Instead of:
“Define osmosis, diffusion, filtration, and active transport”
Do:
1 card for osmosis
1 card for diffusion
1 card for filtration
1 card for active transport
✓ Use examples
Your brain remembers examples easier than definitions.
✓ Make cards simple
Short, clear, easy.
✓ Use images
Visual memory is powerful — especially for biology, languages, and medicine.
✓ Use audio for languages
Hearing pronunciation helps way more than reading it.
Flashrecall makes all of this effortless because you can upload images, record audio, and pull examples straight from PDFs or YouTube.
5. How To Study Effectively With Anki
A simple method:
1. Open your deck
2. Review due cards
3. Don’t create too many new cards at once
4. Be consistent every day
5. Use active recall — don’t just flip the card immediately
Anki will show you cards based on their difficulty.
Flashrecall enhances this with:
- built-in reminders
- cleaner card layout
- offline mode
- easier navigation
- instant card creation
- the ability to chat with a card if you’re confused
6. Example Flashcards You Can Make
Science Example
Language Example
Medicine Example
Math Example
Flashrecall lets you generate these instantly from text, images, PDFs, audio, or prompts.
7. Why Many Students Choose Flashrecall Instead
Anki is powerful — but it takes time to learn. Flashrecall gives you the same study advantages with none of the setup.
You get:
- instant flashcards
- spaced repetition built in
- active recall built in
- study reminders
- offline support
- chat-with-your-flashcards
- modern iPhone/iPad experience
- free to start
Perfect for school, university, medicine, languages, business, and exam prep.
Final Thought
If you want the power of Anki but want something easier, cleaner, and faster, Flashrecall is hands-down the better option. You’ll spend less time building cards and more time actually studying — which is how you crush your study goals.
Try Flashrecall here (free to start):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
Related Articles
- Anki How To Use – The Easiest Way To Use Anki So You Can Crush Your Study Goals
- Anki How To – A Simple Guide (And an Easier Alternative With Flashrecall)
- Master Active Recall with Anki and FlashRecall: Study Smarter
- Master Anatomy with 100 Key Concepts: Study Tips Using Anki
- Ali Abdaal Anki – How Anki Is Used and How Flashrecall Helps You Learn Faster With Anki Flashcards and Spaced Repetition- Anki Guides Hub
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Anki good for studying?
Anki is powerful but requires manual card creation and has a steep learning curve. Flashrecall offers AI-powered card generation from your notes, images, PDFs, and videos, making it faster and easier to create effective flashcards.
What's the fastest way to create flashcards?
Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.
How do I start spaced repetition?
You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.
Research References
The information in this article is based on peer-reviewed research and established studies in cognitive psychology and learning science.
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380
Meta-analysis showing spaced repetition significantly improves long-term retention compared to massed practice
Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 369-378
Review showing spacing effects work across different types of learning materials and contexts
Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19
Policy review advocating for spaced repetition in educational settings based on extensive research evidence
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966-968
Research demonstrating that active recall (retrieval practice) is more effective than re-reading for long-term learning
Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20-27
Review of research showing retrieval practice (active recall) as one of the most effective learning strategies
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58
Comprehensive review ranking learning techniques, with practice testing and distributed practice rated as highly effective

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FlashRecall Development Team
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