Damien Elmes: The Mind Behind Anki And What Most Students Don’t Know About Better Flashcard Apps – If you love spaced repetition, you need to know what came *after* Anki.

Who Is Damien Elmes And Why Do Students Care?

Damien Elmes is the creator of Anki, the legendary spaced repetition flashcard app that basically introduced half the internet to SRS (spaced repetition systems).

If you’ve ever Googled “flashcards app” or “how to remember everything for exams,” you’ve probably seen Anki mentioned. Damien built something insanely powerful, especially for med students, language learners, and anyone who needs to memorize a ton of stuff.

But here’s the thing nobody really tells you:

> The idea Damien popularized (spaced repetition + active recall) is now built into newer apps that are way easier to use and way faster to create cards with.

That’s where Flashrecall comes in:

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

It takes the same core science that made Anki so good… and wraps it in a modern, simple, “I-don’t-need-a-YouTube-tutorial” interface.

Let’s break it down.

What Damien Elmes Got Right With Anki

Damien absolutely nailed a few core ideas that changed how people study:

1. Spaced Repetition

Instead of cramming, you review cards right before you’re about to forget them. That timing massively boosts memory.

Anki did this with an algorithm that schedules reviews for you. It felt like magic compared to paper flashcards.

2. Active Recall

Anki forces you to pull the answer from your brain instead of passively rereading notes. That’s active recall, and it’s one of the most effective learning techniques we know.

3. Customization And Power

You can:

• Build your own decks
• Download shared decks (especially for medicine and languages)
• Tweak card types, tags, add-ons, etc.

For power users, Anki is a beast. Damien built something that’s open, flexible, and free. That’s a huge contribution to how people learn today.

But… there’s a catch.

Where Anki (And Damien’s Original Vision) Starts To Feel Old

If you’ve tried Anki on iOS, you’ve probably hit at least one of these:

• The interface feels… dated
• Creating cards takes time and effort
• Importing from PDFs, YouTube, or images is not exactly “one tap”
• The learning curve is steep; you almost need a guide to use it well

Damien built Anki in a different era of apps. It’s powerful, but it’s not exactly “modern iPhone app” levels of smooth.

Most students today want:

• Speed – “I don’t want to spend 2 hours setting up my study system.”
• Automation – “Turn my notes into flashcards for me.”
• Simplicity – “Just show me what to study next, I don’t want to configure algorithms.”

That’s where newer tools like Flashrecall step in and build on top of what Damien started.

Flashrecall vs Anki: Same Science, Modern Experience

If you respect what Damien Elmes built (you should), but you want something faster and easier on iOS, Flashrecall is kind of the natural upgrade.

Here’s how it compares.

👉 Download Flashrecall here (free to start):

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

1. Card Creation: Manual vs Instant

• Mostly manual card creation
• You type questions and answers one by one
• You can import stuff, but it’s not super beginner-friendly

Flashrecall is built around instant flashcard creation:

You can make cards from:

• Images (e.g., textbook pages, lecture slides, diagrams)
• Text you paste in
• Audio
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Typed prompts
• Or just manually, if you like control

Example:

You’ve got a 30-page PDF for tomorrow’s exam. Instead of reading everything and then manually making cards, you can feed it into Flashrecall and let it generate cards for you. Now your “I’ll do it later” becomes “I’m already reviewing.”

That’s a huge time saver compared to traditional Anki-style manual entry.

2. Spaced Repetition: Same Core, Less Hassle

• Very customizable scheduling
• But you need to understand intervals, ease factors, etc. if you want to tweak it
• Can feel overwhelming if you’re not a settings nerd

• Built-in spaced repetition out of the box
• Auto reminders – it tells you when it’s time to review, so you don’t have to think about it
• No need to tune complex settings; it just works

If you’re the type of person who wants to study, not configure, Flashrecall feels a lot more friendly.

3. Active Recall: Both Have It, But Flashrecall Adds A Twist

Both Anki and Flashrecall are built around active recall: you see a prompt, try to remember, then check the answer.

If you’re stuck or confused on a card, you can chat with the flashcard.

• Unsure why the answer is what it is? Ask.
• Need a simpler explanation? Ask.
• Want another example? Ask.

Instead of leaving the app to Google or watch a video, you can dig deeper inside your deck. It turns flashcards from static Q&A into an interactive tutor.

4. Ease Of Use And Design

• Powerful but clunky
• Looks like a tool built by a developer (which it is) rather than a modern consumer app
• Amazing once you learn it, but there’s a learning curve

• Fast, modern, clean interface
• Designed for iPhone and iPad from the ground up
• You can open it and start learning within minutes, no tutorial rabbit hole required

If you’ve ever recommended Anki to a friend and they bounced off because “it’s too confusing,” Flashrecall is the one you send them instead.

5. Studying On The Go (And Offline)

Damien’s Anki has sync and offline options, which is great.

Flashrecall also:

• Works offline – perfect for commuting, traveling, or spotty Wi-Fi at school
• Runs smoothly on both iPhone and iPad
• Keeps your study sessions quick and focused – open the app, see what’s due, knock it out

No excuses like “I don’t have my laptop” or “Wi-Fi is trash here.”

6. What You Can Use Flashrecall For

Anki became popular with med students and language learners especially. Flashrecall covers those and more:

• Languages – vocabulary, grammar examples, phrases
• Exams – SAT, MCAT, LSAT, bar exams, board exams
• School subjects – math formulas, history dates, physics concepts
• University – lecture slides, dense PDFs, research articles
• Medicine – drugs, mechanisms, side effects, diseases
• Business & work – frameworks, interview prep, company knowledge

Anything you can write down or screenshot can become flashcards in Flashrecall almost instantly.

So… Should You Still Use Anki If You Respect Damien Elmes?

You absolutely can still use Anki. A lot of people do, and for certain use cases it’s still great, especially if:

• You love fine-tuning everything
• You want super advanced card types and add-ons
• You’re already deep into the Anki ecosystem

But if you:

• Are starting fresh
• Want something easier and faster
• Prefer a clean, modern iOS experience
• Like the idea of auto-generated flashcards from your existing content

…then Flashrecall is honestly a better fit for how most people study today.

You’re not “betraying” Damien’s work. You’re using the same learning science he helped popularize, just in a tool that matches 2025 expectations.

How To Switch (Or Start) With Flashrecall In 5 Minutes

Here’s a simple way to get going:

Step 1: Download Flashrecall

Grab it on the App Store (free to start):

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

Step 2: Pick One Subject

Don’t try to move your entire life at once. Start with:

• One chapter
• One lecture
• One PDF
• Or one YouTube video you’re studying from

Step 3: Turn Your Material Into Cards

Use Flashrecall to create cards from:

• A screenshot of your notes or textbook
• A PDF you’ve been procrastinating on
• A YouTube link from a lecture or explainer
• Or just type a few key Q&A pairs manually

You’ll see how quickly you can go from “I have content” to “I have flashcards ready to review.”

Step 4: Let Spaced Repetition Do Its Thing

Flashrecall will:

• Schedule reviews for you using spaced repetition
• Send study reminders so you don’t forget to open the app
• Keep your daily load manageable instead of overwhelming

Step 5: Use Chat When You’re Stuck

If a card doesn’t make sense or you keep missing it:

• Open the chat with that flashcard
• Ask for a clearer explanation or more examples
• Turn confusion into understanding without leaving the app

Final Thoughts: From Damien Elmes’ Anki To Modern Flashcards

Damien Elmes deserves a ton of credit. Anki changed how a generation studies. It proved that spaced repetition + active recall can take your memory to another level.

But tools evolve.

If you love the idea behind Anki but want something:

• Faster to set up
• Easier to use
• Better integrated with your real study materials
• Designed for iPhone and iPad with a modern feel

…then Flashrecall is the natural next step.

Try it for your next exam, language, or course and see how it feels compared to traditional Anki-style studying:

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

Same science Damien helped popularize. Less friction. More learning.

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.

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.

Related Articles

• Kado Flashcards: The Essential Guide To Smarter Studying (And A Better Alternative Most Students Don’t Know About) – Before you commit to Kado, read this and see why many learners are quietly switching to a faster, easier flashcard app.
• Anki Desktop Alternatives: The Best Modern Flashcard Setup Most Students Don’t Know About – Stop Fighting Clunky Software and Start Actually Remembering What You Study
• Anki For Mac Alternatives: 7 Powerful Reasons To Switch To A Faster Flashcard App Today – Stop Wasting Time Fighting Clunky Software And Start Actually Remembering What You Study