Flashcards On Google Slides: 7 Powerful Tips To Study Smarter (And A Way Easier Alternative) – Stop fighting with slide layouts and learn a faster way to make actually useful flashcards.

What Are Flashcards On Google Slides (And Are They Worth It)?

Alright, let’s talk about flashcards on Google Slides: they’re basically digital flashcards you build by putting questions on one slide and answers on another, or using animations so the answer appears after a click. People do this because Google Slides is free, easy to share, and works in a browser. It’s handy for simple class reviews or group study, but it can get clunky fast when you have lots of cards or want spaced repetition. That’s where a proper flashcard app like Flashrecall comes in, because it does all the “smart studying” stuff for you instead of you wrestling with slide decks. You can still use Slides if you like, but pairing or switching to Flashrecall makes your study setup way more efficient.

Before we dive into how to do it in Slides, if you’re serious about flashcards, it’s honestly way easier to just use an app built for it.

• Make flashcards instantly from images, text, PDFs, YouTube links, and more
• Get automatic spaced repetition and study reminders
• Study offline on iPhone or iPad
• Chat with your flashcards if you’re stuck

You can grab it here (free to start):

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

Now, let’s break down how to actually use Google Slides for flashcards—and when it’s time to move beyond it.

How To Make Flashcards On Google Slides (Step-By-Step)

1. Set Up Your Slide Size Like A Card

If you want that “real flashcard” feel:

1. Open Google Slides

2. Go to File → Page setup

3. Click Custom

4. Use something like 5 x 3 inches (or 4 x 6, whatever you like)

This makes every slide shaped more like a real flashcard instead of a wide presentation slide.

You can also stick with the default size if you don’t care about the exact shape, but resizing makes it feel a bit more natural.

2. Decide: One-Slide Cards Or Two-Slide Cards

There are two main ways people make flashcards on Google Slides:

• Front of the “card”: question at the top
• Answer: hidden and then revealed with a click

How to do it:

1. Type your question at the top of the slide

2. Add a text box for the answer below

3. Select the answer text box

4. Go to Insert → Animation (or View → Motion depending on your version)

5. Set it to “Fade in” on click

Now when you present the slide, you’ll see the question first, then click once to reveal the answer.

• Slide 1: Question
• Slide 2: Answer (maybe with some extra explanation or image)

This is super simple: just duplicate slides and replace the text.

Use Ctrl/Cmd + D to duplicate a slide, then change “question” to “answer”.

This method is a bit less smooth to review, but easier to set up.

3. Make A Simple Flashcard Template

To save time:

1. On your first slide, add:

• A title area for the question
• A text box for the answer (or where the answer will appear)
• Optional: a small label at the bottom like “Term” / “Definition” or “Question” / “Answer”

2. Format the fonts, colors, and alignment how you like

3. Right-click the slide in the left sidebar → Duplicate slide

4. Reuse that layout for all future cards

Now you’re not redesigning every single card one by one.

4. Use Images And Colors To Make It Stick

Google Slides is actually decent for visual cards:

• Add images (Insert → Image) for diagrams, anatomy, vocab pictures, maps, etc.
• Use color coding:
• Blue for formulas
• Green for definitions
• Red for “warning” concepts or common mistakes

Visual cues help your brain remember faster, especially for languages, geography, or anything visual.

The problem? You’ll still have to manually control what to review and when… which is where Flashrecall is way better.

The Big Problem With Google Slides Flashcards

Here’s the issue: flashcards on Google Slides look fine, but they don’t teach you efficiently.

You have to:

• Manually decide which slides to review
• Remember when to come back to them
• Track what you know vs what you keep forgetting
• Click through slides in the same fixed order every time

That’s the opposite of smart studying.

Good flashcard learning uses spaced repetition and active recall:

• Spaced repetition = review stuff right before you’re about to forget it
• Active recall = force yourself to remember the answer before you see it

Google Slides doesn’t do any of that automatically. It’s just a slideshow.

Why Flashrecall Is Way Better Than Flashcards On Google Slides

If you like the idea of flashcards but hate the manual work, Flashrecall basically does everything Google Slides can’t.

Here’s how it compares:

1. Built-In Spaced Repetition (No Manual Scheduling)

In Slides, you’re just clicking through a deck randomly or in order.

In Flashrecall:

• Every card is scheduled with spaced repetition
• Easy cards show up less often
• Hard cards come back more frequently
• You get automatic reminders so you actually review at the right times

You don’t have to remember when to study—Flashrecall handles it.

2. Actual Flashcard Features, Not Just Slides

Flashrecall is built for flashcards from the ground up:

• Tap to reveal the answer (active recall baked in)
• Mark cards as easy / medium / hard
• Shuffle, filter, and focus on specific decks
• Works offline on iPhone and iPad

With Slides, you’re hacking a presentation tool into something it’s not really meant to be.

3. Make Cards Instantly From Real Study Material

This is where Flashrecall pulls way ahead.

Instead of typing every single question/answer manually like in Slides, you can create cards from:

• Images (e.g., textbook photos, lecture slides)
• Text you paste in
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Audio
• Or just typed prompts

You can still create cards manually if you want, but the “generate from content” option saves ridiculous amounts of time—especially for big exams or long courses.

4. You Can Literally Chat With Your Flashcards

This is something Google Slides will never do.

In Flashrecall, if you’re unsure about a concept:

• You can chat with the flashcard
• Ask it to explain in simpler words
• Get examples
• Ask follow-up questions

It’s like having a mini tutor attached to each card.

In Slides, if you don’t understand something, you’re back to Google or your textbook.

5. Perfect For Any Subject, Not Just Simple Q&A

Flashcards on Google Slides are fine for simple vocab or basic definitions.

Flashrecall works great for:

• Languages (vocab, phrases, grammar patterns)
• Medicine (drugs, anatomy, conditions)
• School & university (math, physics, history, biology)
• Business (frameworks, interview prep, sales scripts)
• Exams (SAT, MCAT, USMLE, bar exam, etc.)

You’re not limited to just text either—images, diagrams, and more are all fair game.

Can You Move From Google Slides To Flashrecall?

If you already made a bunch of flashcards on Google Slides and don’t want to start from scratch, you’ve got a couple of options:

Option 1: Screenshot And Import

1. Open your Google Slides deck

2. Screenshot each “card” (or export as images)

3. In Flashrecall, create a new deck

4. Add those images as cards

Flashrecall can turn images into flashcards quickly, so you don’t have to retype everything.

Option 2: Copy-Paste Text

If your cards are mostly text:

1. Copy your question and answer from Slides

2. Paste them into Flashrecall as front/back of a card

3. Repeat (yeah, a little manual, but you only do this once)

Once they’re in Flashrecall, you get spaced repetition, reminders, and all the other good stuff automatically.

When Google Slides Flashcards Are Actually Fine

To be fair, flashcards on Google Slides are okay in a few situations:

• You’re making a class review slideshow for a group
• You want to present flashcards in front of a class or study group
• You only have a small set of cards and don’t plan to use them long-term
• You just need something quick and simple for one-time use

In those cases, Slides is totally workable.

But if you’re:

• Studying for big exams
• Learning a language
• Trying to remember a ton of info over months
• Or just want your studying to be as efficient as possible

…then Slides starts to feel like trying to study with a hammer instead of a proper tool.

A Simple Study Setup That Actually Works

Here’s a combo that works really well:

1. Use Google Slides

• For class presentations, group reviews, or teaching others
• For quick “quiz the room” sessions

2. Use Flashrecall

• For your personal long-term learning
• For daily review with spaced repetition
• For anything you actually care about remembering

You get the best of both worlds: Slides for showing stuff, Flashrecall for actually learning it.

Try Flashrecall If You’re Done Fighting With Slides

If you’ve been trying to force Google Slides to behave like a flashcard app, you’ll feel the difference immediately with Flashrecall:

• Fast, modern, and easy to use
• Free to start
• Works offline on iPhone and iPad
• Makes flashcards from images, text, PDFs, YouTube, audio, or manual input
• Built-in active recall and spaced repetition with auto reminders
• You can even chat with your cards when you’re confused

Grab it here and test it on your next topic:

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

Use Slides if you want to show flashcards.

Use Flashrecall if you actually want to remember them.

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.

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• Make Your Own Flashcards Quizlet: 7 Powerful Tips To Study Smarter (And A Better Alternative) – Stop wasting time on clunky decks and start making flashcards that actually help you remember stuff faster.