Anki Custom Study: The Complete Guide To Smarter Reviews (And A Better Alternative Most Students Don’t Know About) – Learn how to actually use custom study *well* and why apps like Flashrecall make this whole process way easier.

What Anki Custom Study Really Does (In Plain English)

Alright, let’s talk about anki custom study because it confuses a lot of people. Anki custom study is basically a way to temporarily change your review schedule so you can cram extra cards, focus on specific tags, or catch up on overdue reviews. It matters because sometimes the default daily reviews aren’t enough—you might have an exam tomorrow, or a topic you keep forgetting and want to hammer harder. For example, you can tell Anki, “Give me 50 extra new cards from this deck” or “Only show me cards tagged ‘biology_exam’ today.” Apps like Flashrecall do this kind of targeted studying automatically in a simpler way, while still using spaced repetition to keep everything on track:

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

Quick Refresher: What Custom Study Is Trying To Fix

So, you know how Anki usually just gives you whatever’s due that day?

That works… until:

• You’re cramming for an exam tomorrow
• You’ve ignored Anki for a week and now you’re buried in reviews
• You only want to study one topic (e.g., cardio, verbs, formulas)
• You want extra practice on leeches (cards you keep getting wrong)

“Ok fine, let’s break the normal schedule and make a special temporary deck just for what you want right now.”

The idea is good. The problem?

It’s kinda clunky. Lots of options, weird wording, and it’s easy to wreck your review schedule if you don’t know what you’re doing.

That’s why a lot of people eventually look for something simpler like Flashrecall, which bakes in smart scheduling and targeted practice without all the manual tweaking.

How Anki Custom Study Works (Step-By-Step)

If you’re still using Anki and want to understand custom study properly, here’s how it works.

1. Where To Find Custom Study

On desktop:

1. Go to your deck list

2. Right-click a deck (or click the gear icon)

3. Choose “Custom Study”

On mobile (AnkiDroid / AnkiMobile), it’s usually in the deck options menu, but the exact path can vary a bit.

When you open it, you’ll see several options like:

• Study new cards ahead of schedule
• Increase today’s new card limit
• Review ahead
• Review forgotten cards
• Study by card state or tag

Each of these creates a temporary filtered deck.

The Main Custom Study Options (And When To Use Them)

1. “Study New Cards Ahead Of Schedule”

Use this when:

• You feel today’s new card limit is too low
• You’re starting a new topic and want to see more of it today
• You’re cramming before a class or quiz

What it does:

• Pulls extra new cards into a temporary deck
• Doesn’t permanently change your deck limits (it’s temporary)

Risk: If you pull too many new cards, your future review load will explode.

2. “Increase Today’s New Card Limit”

This is similar, but instead of just a filtered deck, it actually raises the new card limit for today.

Use this when:

• You want today only to allow more new cards
• You’re fine with increasing your future workload a bit

This one is more “dangerous” long term because it can snowball your reviews if you overdo it.

3. “Review Ahead”

Use this when:

• You know you’ll be busy tomorrow / this weekend
• You want to clear out some of tomorrow’s reviews in advance

What it does:

• Shows you cards that are due in the future
• Good for “pre-paying” your review debt

Downside: You might end up seeing some cards too early, which slightly weakens spaced repetition efficiency.

4. “Review Forgotten Cards”

This is for stuff you’ve been failing a lot.

Use this when:

• You feel shaky on recently failed cards
• You want a focused “weak spot” session

What it does:

• Creates a filtered deck of cards you’ve failed recently
• Lets you drill them more without waiting for their next due date

5. “Study By Card State Or Tag”

This is the most powerful and the most confusing.

Use this when:

• You want to study only tagged content (e.g., `exam1`, `pharm`, `chapter3`)
• You want only new, only learning, or only review cards
• You want to focus on a specific subset (e.g., “only mature cards”, “only leeches”)

You can do things like:

• “Show me 100 review cards tagged `cardio`”
• “Only new cards tagged `JLPT_N5`”
• “All leeches so I can fix or delete them”

This is where Anki can be super powerful… if you’re willing to fiddle with settings and filters.

The Big Problem With Anki Custom Study

Here’s the honest issue:

Custom study is strong, but it’s too easy to mess up:

• You accidentally pull 300 new cards → future reviews become a nightmare
• You study too far ahead → intervals get weird and less efficient
• You juggle multiple filtered decks → you’re never sure what’s actually “due”
• The UI and wording are confusing if you’re not already deep into Anki

Most people just want:

• “Show me more of this topic”
• “Help me catch up without dying”
• “Let me focus on what I’m actually weak at”

That’s where simpler apps like Flashrecall feel way more friendly.

How Flashrecall Handles “Custom Study” Without The Headache

If you like the idea of anki custom study but hate the setup, Flashrecall basically gives you the benefits without making you babysit the settings.

👉 App link:

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

Here’s how it helps:

1. Automatic Spaced Repetition (No Manual Tweaking)

Flashrecall has built-in spaced repetition with smart scheduling and auto reminders, so you don’t have to:

• Manually create filtered decks
• Remember to review at the right times
• Worry about breaking your schedule

You just open the app, and it tells you what to review today. Done.

2. Easy “Custom Focus” Without Filters

Instead of building complex custom study decks, you can:

• Organize content into decks and subtopics
• Tag or group stuff by subject (e.g., “Biochem”, “French Verbs”, “Anatomy – Upper Limb”)
• Just choose the deck/topic you want to focus on and study that

No weird “card state” menus—just tap the thing you want to practice.

3. Make Cards Instantly From Anything

One of the biggest pains with Anki is making cards, especially if you’re on mobile.

Flashrecall makes that part way faster:

• Create flashcards from images, text, audio, PDFs, YouTube links, or typed prompts
• Or just make them manually if you like full control
• Works great for lecture slides, screenshots, or textbook pages

So instead of spending an hour formatting cards, you can literally snap a pic and start studying.

4. Built-In Active Recall (And Chat With Your Cards)

Flashrecall is built around active recall—you see the question, try to remember the answer, then reveal it and rate how well you knew it.

But it also has something Anki doesn’t:

You can chat with the flashcard if you’re unsure.

Example:

• You’re learning medicine and don’t fully get a concept
• You tap into chat and ask something like “Explain this in simpler words”
• It helps you understand instead of just memorizing blindly

That’s like having a mini tutor inside your flashcards.

5. Study Reminders So You Don’t Fall Behind

Instead of logging in and seeing 1,000 overdue cards (Anki pain), Flashrecall:

• Sends gentle reminders to study
• Keeps your daily load reasonable
• Helps you stay consistent without guilt-tripping you

Consistency > giant review days.

6. Works Offline, On iPhone And iPad

Flashrecall works:

• Offline – perfect for commuting, flights, bad Wi-Fi
• On iPhone and iPad, with a modern, fast, clean interface
• Free to start, so you can test it without committing to anything

If Anki feels like a 90s power tool, Flashrecall feels like a modern, clean app built for actual humans.

When To Use Anki Custom Study Vs. Switching To Flashrecall

If you’re deep into Anki already, here’s a simple way to think about it:

Use Anki Custom Study if:

• You like tinkering with settings
• You’re ok managing filtered decks and intervals
• You’re comfortable with a more technical workflow

Try Flashrecall if:

• You just want something that works without babysitting it
• You want fast card creation from images, PDFs, YouTube, etc.
• You want built-in spaced repetition, active recall, and reminders
• You like the idea of chatting with your flashcards when you’re confused
• You’re studying languages, exams, school subjects, medicine, business—basically anything

Again, here’s the link if you want to try it:

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

Practical Tips If You Still Want To Use Anki Custom Study

If you’re sticking with Anki for now, a few survival rules:

1. Don’t Go Crazy With New Cards

• Avoid pulling huge numbers of new cards with custom study
• Small boosts (like +10–20 new cards) are safer than +200

2. Use Tags Smartly

• Tag cards by topic: `cardio`, `neuro`, `chapter3`, `JLPT_N3`, etc.
• Then use “Study by card state or tag” to focus on those when needed

3. Use It For Short-Term Goals, Not Daily Routine

Custom study is best for:

• Pre-exam cramming
• Focusing on weak topics
• Catching up before busy days

Don’t rely on it every single day or you’ll wreck your schedule.

Final Thoughts

So yeah, anki custom study is basically a way to bend Anki’s rules when you need extra control—more new cards, focused topics, or catching up. It’s powerful, but also easy to overuse or misconfigure.

If you like the idea of targeted studying but don’t want to constantly fight with settings, Flashrecall gives you:

• Automatic spaced repetition
• Simple “focus by topic” studying
• Fast card creation from images, PDFs, YouTube, text, audio
• Study reminders, offline mode, and a clean mobile experience
• The ability to chat with your flashcards when you’re stuck

You can grab it here and see if it fits your style better than wrestling with custom study menus:

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

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.

How can I study more effectively for this test?

Effective exam prep combines active recall, spaced repetition, and regular practice. Flashrecall helps by automatically generating flashcards from your study materials and using spaced repetition to ensure you remember everything when exam day arrives.

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