Create Flashcards GoodNotes: 7 Powerful Tips To Study Smarter (And A Faster Shortcut Most People Miss) – Learn how to turn your notes into effective flashcards and a smarter system that actually reminds you to study.

So, Can You Create Flashcards In GoodNotes?

Alright, let’s talk about this straight: you can kind of “create flashcards GoodNotes style” by using note pages, templates, and handwriting, but GoodNotes isn’t really built as a true flashcard app. It’s awesome for writing and organizing notes, but it won’t give you automatic spaced repetition, active recall tracking, or smart reminders. That’s where pairing your notes with a flashcard app like Flashrecall comes in – you keep your handwritten GoodNotes setup, then turn the important parts into smart flashcards that actually help you remember long term. You basically get the best of both worlds: pretty handwritten notes + a system that makes you review at the right time.

Before we get into the shortcut, let’s break down how this all works and how to make your GoodNotes → flashcards workflow actually smooth.

GoodNotes vs Real Flashcards: What’s The Difference?

You ever highlight a bunch of stuff in GoodNotes and then… forget it all a week later? Yeah, that’s the gap.

• Handwritten notes
• Annotating PDFs
• Organizing notebooks and subjects
• Drawing diagrams, mind maps, etc.

• Showing you cards right before you’re about to forget them
• Tracking what you know vs what you don’t
• Giving you “quiz mode” with active recall
• Sending you reminders to study

That’s what an actual flashcard app is built for.

• Built‑in spaced repetition – reviews are automatically scheduled
• Active recall – it shows you a question, you answer from memory, then reveal
• Study reminders – so you don’t forget to open the app
• Works offline – so you can study anywhere
• Free to start – so you can try it without stress

You can grab it here:

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

The smart move is: keep using GoodNotes for writing, and use Flashrecall for memorizing.

How To Create Flashcards From GoodNotes (The Simple Workflow)

Let’s walk through a clean, no‑nonsense way to go from “notes in GoodNotes” to “flashcards that actually stick.”

1. First: Highlight What’s Flashcard‑Worth

Don’t try to turn everything into a card. That’s how you burn out.

In your GoodNotes pages, mark things that are perfect for flashcards, like:

• Definitions
• Formulas
• Dates and names
• Vocabulary
• Diagrams/labels
• “Trick” concepts you always forget

You can circle them, highlight them, or star them – whatever works.

2. Decide: Text Cards Or Image Cards?

You’ve got two main options:

You just type the question and answer into Flashrecall.

Example:

• Front: “What does ‘mitosis’ mean?”
• Back: “Cell division resulting in two identical daughter cells.”

If you like your handwritten notes, you can just screenshot a section from GoodNotes and turn that into a card.

This is where Flashrecall makes life way easier.

Using Flashrecall With GoodNotes (The Fast Way)

Flashrecall is actually built for this kind of workflow – pulling content from notes, PDFs, screenshots, whatever, and turning it into cards.

Here’s a simple way to go from GoodNotes → Flashrecall:

Step 1: Screenshot From GoodNotes

On your iPad or iPhone:

1. Open your GoodNotes page

2. Zoom into the definition/formula/diagram you want

3. Take a screenshot (Power + Volume Up on most iPads/iPhones)

4. Crop it to just the important part

Step 2: Import Into Flashrecall

Open Flashrecall:

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

Then:

1. Create or open a deck (e.g. “Biology – Cell Division”)

2. Add a new card

3. Import the screenshot image

Flashrecall can:

• Turn the image itself into a flashcard
• Or use the image as a prompt and let you type the answer
• Or you can chat with the card if you’re unsure and want more explanation

So you can literally pull your handwritten GoodNotes content straight into a study system.

Why Not Just Use GoodNotes As Flashcards?

You can fake flashcards in GoodNotes by making:

• A “question” page and a “answer” page
• Or using page templates that look like cards

But here’s the problem:

• No spaced repetition
• No automatic scheduling
• No “I know / I don’t know” tracking
• No reminders
• You have to manually flip and organize everything

That’s fine for super light stuff, but if you’re studying for exams, languages, medicine, law, business, whatever… you’ll want something smarter.

Flashrecall is built for exactly that:

• Automatic spaced repetition – cards come back right when you’re close to forgetting
• Active recall flow – you see the question, think, then reveal
• Study reminders – it nudges you to review instead of letting everything pile up
• Works offline – on the bus, train, or in a library with bad Wi‑Fi
• Fast and modern UI – so making cards doesn’t feel like a chore

7 Tips To Make GoodNotes → Flashcards Actually Effective

If you want your “create flashcards GoodNotes” setup to actually help you remember more, these tips help a lot:

1. One Idea Per Card

Don’t cram a whole paragraph from GoodNotes into one card.

Bad card:

“Explain the entire Krebs cycle.”

Better:

• “What is the purpose of the Krebs cycle?”
• “Where does the Krebs cycle occur?”
• “What are the main outputs of the Krebs cycle?”

More cards, but way easier to recall.

2. Turn Headings Into Questions

Look at your GoodNotes headings and subheadings. Many of them can become instant flashcards:

• GoodNotes heading: “Causes of World War I”
• Flashcard front: “What were the main causes of World War I?”

Then the bullet list becomes your answer.

3. Use Images For Diagrams

For things like:

• Anatomy
• Chemistry mechanisms
• Physics setups
• Geography maps

Just screenshot the diagram from GoodNotes and drop it into Flashrecall as an image card. Then:

• Front: the diagram
• Back: labels or explanations

You can test yourself by mentally labeling it before flipping.

4. Mix Text, Images, And PDFs

Flashrecall isn’t just “type a card, get a card.” It can make flashcards from:

• Images (screenshots from GoodNotes, textbooks, slides)
• Text you paste in
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Typed prompts
• Audio

So you can keep GoodNotes for handwriting and still pull from other sources into the same deck.

5. Let Spaced Repetition Do The Heavy Lifting

Once your cards are in Flashrecall, don’t overthink the schedule.

The app:

• Shows you cards you’re weak on more often
• Shows you cards you know less often
• Spaces reviews out over days/weeks so you don’t cram and forget

You just open the app, hit study, and follow the queue.

6. Use Study Reminders

Most people don’t forget how to study. They just forget to start.

Flashrecall has study reminders, so you can:

• Set a daily or weekly time
• Get a nudge when reviews are due
• Keep your streak and avoid the “oh no I haven’t studied in 2 weeks” spiral

7. Ask Questions When You’re Stuck

One cool thing: in Flashrecall you can chat with the flashcard.

So if you imported something from GoodNotes and you’re like “I still don’t really get this,” you can:

• Ask for a simpler explanation
• Get an example
• Break down the concept step-by-step

That’s super handy for tricky topics like organic chemistry, law concepts, or math proofs.

Why Use Flashrecall Instead Of Just Anki (Or Others)?

Since you’re already in the Apple ecosystem with GoodNotes, you probably want something that feels smooth on iPhone and iPad.

Flashrecall is:

• Designed for iOS/iPadOS – fast, modern, not clunky
• Free to start – you can try it without committing
• Great for any subject – languages, exams, medicine, school, uni, business, whatever
• Offline-friendly – perfect for commuting or travel

And compared to older flashcard tools like Anki, Flashrecall is:

• Less fiddly with settings
• Easier to add cards from images, PDFs, and links
• Cleaner UI that feels more like a modern app than a desktop program from 2010

If you’re already taking notes in GoodNotes, Flashrecall fits right into that Apple‑centric workflow.

Grab it here and try turning a few GoodNotes pages into cards:

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

A Simple Workflow You Can Start Today

If you want a quick “do this now” plan:

1. Open GoodNotes and pick one topic (not a whole course).

2. Highlight or star 10–20 key facts or concepts.

3. Screenshot the important bits.

4. Open Flashrecall and create a new deck for that subject.

5. Import those screenshots or type short Q&A cards.

6. Do your first review session (takes like 10–15 minutes).

7. Let spaced repetition + reminders handle the rest.

You keep writing and organizing in GoodNotes.

Flashrecall makes sure you actually remember what you wrote.

That’s the real win: not just prettier notes, but better memory.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

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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