Best Way To Use Anki: 7 Powerful Tricks Most Students Don’t Know (And a Faster Alternative) – Learn how to actually remember your cards instead of drowning in reviews.

So, you’re trying to figure out the best way to use Anki without burning out under a mountain of reviews? Honestly, the best move is to use Anki-style spaced repetition with a cleaner, faster app like Flashrecall because it keeps all the good parts (smart scheduling, active recall) but makes everything way easier. With Flashrecall), you can auto-generate flashcards from images, PDFs, YouTube links, or text, and it reminds you exactly when to review so you don’t have to babysit settings. If you love the idea of Anki but hate the setup and clunky interface, switching or at least pairing it with Flashrecall will save you a ton of time and stress.

Anki vs Flashrecall: Same Idea, Less Pain

Alright, let’s be real for a second:

Anki is powerful, but it can feel like using a 90s program for a very 2025 problem.

• Spaced repetition
• Customizable decks
• Add-ons (if you’re on desktop)

But the best way to use Anki usually ends up being:

• Spend ages formatting cards
• Fight with sync
• Watch reviews pile up and feel guilty

• Built-in spaced repetition with smart reminders
• Fast, modern interface on iPhone and iPad
• Make cards from photos, PDFs, audio, YouTube, or text in seconds
• Works offline
• You can even chat with your flashcards if you’re stuck on something

Here’s the link if you want to try it while you read:

👉 Flashrecall on the App Store)

You can still use Anki if you like it, but if you’re looking for the best way to get Anki-style results with less friction, Flashrecall is honestly the easier choice.

1. Use Active Recall, Not Passive Reading

The whole point of Anki (and Flashrecall) is active recall: you try to remember the answer before seeing it.

• Flip through cards like you’re reading a slideshow
• Hit “Good” or “Easy” without really thinking

• Look at the front of the card
• Pause and say the answer in your head or out loud
• Only then flip the card and rate yourself honestly

Flashrecall is built around this same active recall idea, but the experience is smoother. You tap through your cards, get quick prompts, and the app handles the scheduling with automatic spaced repetition and reminders so you actually review at the right time.

2. Don’t Cram 10 Facts Into One Card

One of the biggest mistakes with Anki: overloaded cards.

Example of a bad card:

> Q: What are the causes, symptoms, and treatments of hypertension?

That’s like 10 cards in one. You’ll keep failing it and feel dumb, even though the card is just badly designed.

Split it up:

• Causes of hypertension
• Symptoms of hypertension
• First-line treatment for hypertension

With Flashrecall, this is super quick because you can:

• Import a screenshot or PDF page
• Let the app auto-generate multiple cards from it
• Then tweak or delete the ones you don’t like

You get clean, simple cards without manually typing for hours.

3. Add Cards Right After You Learn Something

The best way to use Anki (or any SRS) is to capture info while it’s still fresh.

So instead of:

• Reading a chapter
• Telling yourself “I’ll make cards later”
• Never doing it

Try this:

• As you read / watch a lecture, grab the key points
• Turn them into cards immediately

With Flashrecall this is actually doable because you can:

• Snap a photo of your notes or textbook
• Paste a chunk of text
• Drop in a YouTube link or PDF

…and let the app create flashcards for you automatically. You can still edit them, but you’re not starting from scratch. That’s a huge difference vs manually typing every single Anki card.

4. Keep Daily Reviews Manageable (So You Don’t Quit)

A lot of people quit Anki because their review count explodes.

Best practice:

• Keep your new cards per day reasonable (like 10–30)
• Don’t feel forced to hit zero reviews every single day
• Focus on consistency over perfection

On Anki, this means diving into deck options and tweaking settings, which can be confusing.

On Flashrecall, the app just:

• Schedules reviews for you with built-in spaced repetition
• Sends study reminders so you don’t forget
• Lets you do quick sessions on your phone whenever you have a spare moment

You’re still getting the “Anki effect” (long-term retention), but with less configuration and less guilt.

5. Use It For Everything, Not Just Exams

People often think SRS = only for med school or language learning. Nope.

You can use Anki-style flashcards for:

• Languages (vocab, grammar patterns, example sentences)
• Medicine, nursing, dentistry
• Law concepts, cases, definitions
• Programming syntax, command-line stuff, APIs
• Business frameworks, interview prep, sales scripts
• Even hobbies (music theory, geography, trivia)

Flashrecall is great here because it’s not locked into one subject. You can make decks for:

• Languages – vocab + example sentences
• University courses – lecture screenshots → instant cards
• Certifications – PDFs and notes turned into questions
• Work stuff – processes, acronyms, important details

And since it works offline, you can review on the train, in a boring meeting, wherever.

6. Don’t Just Memorize — Actually Understand

Another trap with Anki: memorizing words with zero understanding.

Example:

> Q: What is photosynthesis?

> A: Process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

You can memorize that sentence and still not really get it.

Better way:

• Use cards to test understanding, not just definitions
• Ask yourself to explain in your own words
• Use follow-up cards like “Why is this important?” or “Give an example”

Flashrecall has a cool extra trick here:

You can chat with your flashcards.

So if you’re not sure about a concept, you can literally ask questions like:

• “Explain this like I’m 12”
• “Give me another example of this”
• “Compare this to X concept”

That makes it way easier to actually learn, not just memorize.

7. Make Reviewing a Habit, Not a Chore

The best way to use Anki isn’t about some secret setting; it’s about showing up regularly.

Some tips:

• Tie reviews to something you already do (morning coffee, commute, lunch break)
• Do short sessions (5–15 minutes), not 2-hour marathons
• Don’t add 100 new cards in a single day and then hate your future self

Flashrecall helps a lot with this because:

• It sends gentle study reminders so you don’t forget
• Sessions are fast and mobile-friendly
• The interface feels modern and clean, so it’s less mentally heavy to open the app

You’re more likely to stick with something that feels smooth and lightweight.

How Flashrecall Makes “Anki, But Better” For iOS

If you like Anki’s idea but want something that actually fits into your life, here’s what Flashrecall brings to the table:

1. Super Fast Card Creation

You can create cards from:

• Photos (textbook pages, handwritten notes, whiteboards)
• PDFs (lecture slides, study guides, ebooks)
• YouTube links (talks, lectures, tutorials)
• Audio
• Plain text or typed prompts

Flashrecall then auto-generates flashcards for you. You can still tweak them, but you’re not starting from a blank card every time.

2. Built-In Spaced Repetition (No Setup Headache)

You don’t have to touch any confusing settings:

• The app automatically schedules reviews
• Uses spaced repetition to show cards right before you’d forget
• Sends notifications so you actually remember to open the app

You just open it, review, and go back to life.

3. Works Great On iPhone and iPad

Everything is built for mobile from the start:

• Fast, modern UI
• Works offline
• Syncs across your Apple devices

Perfect if you want Anki-style learning without depending on a desktop.

4. Free To Start, Easy To Stick With

You can try Flashrecall for free, see if it fits your study style, and then decide how deep you want to go.

Here’s the link again:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

So… What’s Actually the Best Way To Use Anki?

If we boil everything down:

1. Use active recall – always try to answer before flipping

2. Keep cards simple – one idea per card

3. Add cards right after learning – don’t delay

4. Control your daily load – avoid huge review backlogs

5. Use it across subjects – languages, exams, work, everything

6. Aim for understanding, not parroting

7. Stay consistent – small daily sessions beat big cramming sessions

You can absolutely do all of this in Anki…

But if you want the same brain benefits with way less friction, Flashrecall is just easier to live with: automatic card creation, built-in spaced repetition, reminders, offline support, and a modern interface that doesn’t feel like homework.

If you’re serious about actually remembering what you study — not just collecting decks — try Flashrecall and see how it feels compared to your current Anki setup:

👉 Download Flashrecall on iOS)

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.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

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