Anki Cards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Upgrade Your Flashcards (And A Smarter Alternative Most Students Don’t Know)

Anki Cards Are Great… But Also Kind Of A Hassle

Anki cards are legendary in the study world. Med students, language learners, programmers—everyone talks about them.

But here’s the problem nobody really says out loud:

Anki is powerful, but it’s also kind of a pain.

• The interface feels old
• Syncing between devices can be annoying
• Making cards takes forever
• If you miss a few days, your reviews explode

That’s where a more modern approach comes in.

If you like the idea of Anki cards but want something faster, easier, and more “2025”, you should seriously try Flashrecall:

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

Flashrecall gives you the same core power as Anki (spaced repetition, active recall), but with:

• Automatic flashcard creation from images, PDFs, text, audio, YouTube, or typed prompts
• Built-in spaced repetition with auto reminders
• A clean, modern app that works on iPhone and iPad, even offline
• The ability to chat with your flashcards if you’re confused

Let’s break down how to get the best out of Anki-style cards—and when it makes sense to switch to something like Flashrecall.

What Makes Anki Cards So Effective?

Anki cards work because they combine two science-backed ideas:

1. Active Recall

Instead of rereading notes, you force your brain to retrieve the answer from memory.

That “ugh, what was that again?” moment is where learning happens.

2. Spaced Repetition

You don’t review everything every day.

You review hard stuff more often and easy stuff less often, just before you’re about to forget.

Flashrecall is built around these same principles, but makes them way easier to use in real life:

• You don’t have to set intervals manually
• You get smart reminders so you don’t forget to review
• The app handles the scheduling while you just… study

7 Powerful Tips To Make Better Anki-Style Cards

Whether you’re using Anki or Flashrecall, these tips will make your cards way more effective.

1. Make Cards Stupidly Simple

One card = one idea.

> Q: Explain photosynthesis.

> A: Huge paragraph of text

• Q: What is the main purpose of photosynthesis?

A: To convert light energy into chemical energy (glucose).

• Q: Where does photosynthesis occur in plant cells?

A: In the chloroplasts.

In Flashrecall, you can quickly break content into multiple bite-sized cards, especially if you import from a PDF, image, or YouTube explanation. The app will auto-generate several cards from one source, which saves a ton of time.

2. Use “Fill-In-The-Blank” Style Cards

Cloze deletions (fill-in-the-blank) are amazing for understanding context.

> The capital of {{c1::Japan}} is {{c2::Tokyo}}.

In Flashrecall, you can:

• Paste a paragraph of text
• Turn key parts into flashcards automatically
• Or let the app suggest important points for you

This is especially good for:

• Law and definitions
• Anatomy
• Language sentences
• Formulas

3. Add Images (Your Brain Loves Pictures)

Visual memory is crazy strong. Anki supports images, but adding them can feel clunky.

With Flashrecall, you can:

• Take a photo of your textbook page or notes
• Let the app auto-generate flashcards from that image
• Add your own tweaks if you want

• Language: photo of a street sign or menu → vocab cards
• Medicine: labeled anatomy diagrams
• Math: handwritten solution steps → cards for each step

4. Don’t Turn Your Entire Textbook Into Cards

A common Anki mistake: trying to memorize everything.

You don’t need cards for:

• Obvious things you already know
• Things you’ll never be tested on
• Long explanations that are better understood conceptually

Instead, make cards for:

• Key definitions
• Formulas
• Exceptions
• Tricky details you keep forgetting
• High-yield exam facts

Flashrecall makes this easier because you can:

• Import a PDF or YouTube lecture
• Let it generate suggested flashcards
• Keep the good ones, delete the fluff

That way you’re not wasting time making 500 cards you’ll never review.

5. Be Consistent, Not Perfect

Anki can be brutal if you skip days—suddenly you have 500+ reviews waiting.

Flashrecall helps you avoid that “oh no” pileup by:

• Sending gentle study reminders
• Adjusting review loads over time
• Letting you quickly blast through sessions on your phone

You don’t need 2-hour sessions every day.

Even 15–20 minutes daily is enough if your cards are good.

6. Use Active Recall Before Flipping The Card

Don’t just glance and flip.

Do this instead:

1. Read the question

2. Pause and actually try to answer (even in your head)

3. Then flip and check

Both Anki and Flashrecall rely on this, but Flashrecall leans into it with a simple, clean interface that keeps you focused on the question first.

Also, if you’re unsure about a card in Flashrecall, you can chat with the flashcard to get a deeper explanation, examples, or a simpler breakdown. It’s like having a tutor built into your deck.

7. Use Anki-Style Cards For Everything, Not Just Exams

People think flashcards are only for school. Not true.

You can use Anki-style cards (or Flashrecall decks) for:

• Languages – vocab, phrases, grammar patterns
• Medicine / Nursing / Pharmacy – drugs, mechanisms, side effects
• Programming – syntax, concepts, command line tools
• Business – frameworks, marketing concepts, finance formulas
• Presentations – key points you need to remember
• Personal growth – quotes, mental models, frameworks

Flashrecall is perfect here because it’s:

• Fast and modern
• Works offline
• Free to start
• On your iPhone and iPad, so you can study on the bus, in line, wherever

Anki vs Flashrecall: Which One Should You Use?

If you’re wondering, “Should I just stick with Anki cards or switch?”, here’s a quick breakdown.

Where Anki Shines

• Very customizable if you like tinkering
• Huge community and shared decks
• Desktop-focused power users love it

Where Flashrecall Feels Better (For Most People)

Instead of manually typing every card, you can:

• Paste text → instant cards
• Upload PDFs → instant cards
• Add YouTube links → instant cards
• Use images or audio → instant cards
• Or type a prompt and let Flashrecall generate cards for you

You don’t have to think about settings.

Flashrecall:

• Schedules reviews automatically
• Sends study reminders so you don’t forget
• Keeps your load manageable

No confusing menus. No “where is that setting again?”

Just:

• Open the app
• Tap your deck
• Start reviewing

If you’re stuck on a concept:

• You can chat with your flashcard and ask it to explain, simplify, or give examples
• This helps move you from memorizing → actually understanding

Studying on the train, in a café, or on a plane?

Flashrecall works offline on your iPhone and iPad.

You can grab it here:

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

How To Move Your “Anki Mindset” Into Flashrecall

If you’re used to Anki cards, you’ll feel at home in Flashrecall pretty quickly. Here’s a simple way to transition:

Step 1: Pick One Subject To Try

Don’t move everything at once.

Choose:

• One exam
• One language
• One course

Step 2: Import Real Material

Instead of typing cards manually:

• Take photos of your notes
• Upload a PDF of your slides
• Paste text from your syllabus
• Drop in a YouTube link of a lecture

Let Flashrecall generate the first batch of cards for you.

Step 3: Clean Up And Simplify

Go through and:

• Delete cards that feel too detailed
• Split long ones into smaller, simpler ones
• Add images where helpful

Step 4: Commit To 10–20 Minutes A Day

Use Flashrecall’s:

• Study reminders
• Spaced repetition engine

Just show up daily. The app will handle the timing.

When Anki Cards Are Enough (And When They’re Not)

If you:

• Love tweaking settings
• Prefer desktop over mobile
• Don’t mind a clunky interface

…then Anki might still be fine for you.

But if you:

• Want to make flashcards instantly
• Mostly study on your phone or iPad
• Want reminders and scheduling handled for you
• Like the idea of chatting with your cards to understand better

…then Flashrecall will probably feel like a huge upgrade.

You can still think of them as “Anki-style cards”—just in a faster, more modern app.

Try An Anki-Style Deck In Flashrecall Today

If you’re already sold on the idea of spaced repetition and flashcards, the next step is just using a tool that actually fits your life.

With Flashrecall you get:

• Instant card creation from images, text, PDFs, audio, YouTube, prompts
• Manual card creation if you like full control
• Built-in active recall and spaced repetition
• Auto reminders so you don’t fall behind
• Offline studying on iPhone and iPad
• A free start, so you can test it without stress

Grab it here and try turning one topic into a deck today:

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

You don’t have to give up Anki entirely—but once you feel how smooth studying can be with a modern app, you might not want to go back.

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's the best way to learn vocabulary?

Research shows that combining flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall is highly effective. Flashrecall automates this process, generating cards from your study materials and scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.

Related Articles

• Anki Revision: 7 Powerful Tricks To Study Smarter (And a Better Alternative Most Students Don’t Know) – Stop wasting hours reviewing the wrong way and use these proven strategies to actually remember what you study.
• DIY Flashcards: The Complete Guide To Making Powerful Cards (Plus a Faster App Trick Most Students Don’t Know)
• Creating Flashcards Online: 7 Powerful Tricks To Learn Faster (Most Students Don’t Know) – Stop wasting time with clunky tools and use smarter online flashcards that actually stick in your memory.