Make Flashcards In Goodnotes: 7 Smart Tricks To Study Faster (And A Better Alternative) – Stop wasting time formatting notes and turn them into actually useful flashcards that you’ll remember.

So, You Want To Make Flashcards In Goodnotes?

Alright, let’s talk about how to make flashcards in Goodnotes and what that actually looks like in real life. Making flashcards in Goodnotes basically means you’re drawing or typing question–answer pairs on digital paper, like you would on real index cards, but inside a notebook. It’s nice for handwriting lovers and iPad note-takers, but it’s still mostly manual work. You design each “card”, flip between pages, and review them yourself.

If you like the flashcard idea but want something faster and smarter (with spaced repetition and reminders), that’s where a dedicated app like Flashrecall comes in: it turns text, images, PDFs, and more into flashcards automatically and actually schedules your reviews for you:

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

Let’s break down how to do flashcards in Goodnotes properly – and when it makes more sense to switch to Flashrecall instead.

How Flashcards Work In Goodnotes (And Their Big Limitation)

Goodnotes is mainly a note-taking app, not a flashcard app. So when people say they “make flashcards in Goodnotes”, they’re usually doing one of these:

• Creating a flashcard-style template (like question on top, answer below)
• Using two-page spreads (left page = question, right page = answer)
• Making a deck as a notebook, with each page acting like a card
• Sometimes using shapes or text boxes to “hide” answers

It works, but here’s the catch:

• No built-in spaced repetition
• No tracking of what you know vs what you keep forgetting
• No automatic reminders to review
• Super manual: you flip pages and hope you’re reviewing often enough

That’s why a lot of people start in Goodnotes and then end up moving their cards to a flashcard app like Flashrecall once they realize they want something smarter and faster.

Method 1: Simple Flashcards Inside Goodnotes

If you still want to stay in Goodnotes, here’s the most straightforward way.

Step 1: Create A “Flashcards” Notebook

• Open Goodnotes
• Tap New Notebook
• Name it something like Biology Flashcards or Spanish Verbs

Each page in this notebook will be one flashcard.

Step 2: Layout Your “Card”

On each page:

• At the top, write your question or prompt
• e.g. “What is mitosis?” or “Spanish: to eat”
• At the bottom or on the next line, write your answer

If you like hiding the answer:

• Write the answer in a different color
• Or write the answer below a line so you can cover it with your hand or scroll

You can also use text boxes if you prefer typed cards.

Step 3: Review Manually

• Start from page 1
• Read the question, try to answer from memory
• Scroll or uncover the answer
• Swipe to the next page

This is basically active recall, but you’re doing everything manually: no stats, no reminders, no “show me the ones I’m bad at”.

Method 2: Two-Page “Question–Answer” Layout

Some people like a more traditional flashcard feel.

How It Works

• Use a two-page view in Goodnotes
• Left page = questions
• Right page = answers

So for example:

• Page 1 (left): “What’s the capital of Japan?”
• Page 2 (right): “Tokyo”

You can swipe between pages or use thumbnails to jump around.

Pros

• Feels more like real flashcards
• Clear separation between question and answer

Cons

• Still no spaced repetition
• If you have hundreds of cards, navigation gets annoying
• You can’t easily shuffle or randomize like a real flashcard app

Why Goodnotes Flashcards Feel “Nice” But Don’t Scale

Goodnotes is great if:

• You love handwriting
• You’re okay with small decks
• You just want to review casually, not super efficiently

But once you hit:

• 100+ cards
• Multiple subjects
• Exam season

…it starts to fall apart. You can’t:

• See which cards you keep missing
• Focus on weak areas
• Get automatic reminders
• Use spaced repetition without doing math in your head

That’s where using a dedicated flashcard app like Flashrecall makes a massive difference.

A Much Easier Way: Turn Your Notes Into Flashcards With Flashrecall

Instead of trying to force Goodnotes into being something it’s not, you can:

1. Take your notes in Goodnotes like normal

2. Then turn those notes into flashcards in Flashrecall way faster

Here’s why Flashrecall is a better setup for actually remembering stuff:

1. It Makes Flashcards Instantly

Flashrecall can create cards from:

• Images (screenshots of your Goodnotes pages, textbooks, slides)
• Text
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Audio
• Or just typed prompts

So you could literally:

• Screenshot a Goodnotes page
• Drop it into Flashrecall
• Let it help you build cards from that content

Or make cards manually if you want full control.

2. Built-In Spaced Repetition (No Effort From You)

Flashrecall has spaced repetition baked in:

• It automatically schedules when you should see each card again
• Hard cards show up more often
• Easy cards are spaced out

You don’t have to remember when to review – the app does it for you.

3. Active Recall Done For You

Flashrecall is built around question–answer style learning, so you’re always:

• Seeing a prompt
• Trying to recall from memory
• Then revealing the answer

Exactly what you’re trying to simulate in Goodnotes, but with stats, tracking, and smart scheduling.

4. Study Reminders So You Don’t Fall Off

You get study reminders, so you’re nudged to review before you forget everything. No more “oh wow, I haven’t opened that Goodnotes notebook in three weeks”.

5. Works Offline, On iPhone And iPad

You can:

• Study on the bus, in bed, walking to class
• Use it on both iPhone and iPad
• Keep going even offline

Perfect if your iPad is for Goodnotes and your iPhone is for quick review sessions.

6. You Can Even Chat With Your Flashcards

If you’re unsure about a concept, you can chat with the flashcard in Flashrecall to get more explanation. That’s something Goodnotes just can’t do – it’s static ink on a page vs interactive learning.

7. Free To Start And Fast To Use

Flashrecall is:

• Fast, modern, and easy to use
• Free to start, so you can test if it actually helps your studying

You can grab it here:

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

How To Use Goodnotes + Flashrecall Together (Best Of Both Worlds)

You don’t have to pick one or the other. You can absolutely:

1. Take detailed notes in Goodnotes

• Diagrams, handwriting, lecture scribbles, whatever you like

2. Highlight key info you want to remember

3. Turn that into flashcards in Flashrecall

• Screenshot sections of your notes
• Or rewrite key points into Q&A style cards
• Or paste text from PDFs/lectures directly

4. Let spaced repetition + reminders in Flashrecall handle the review

Goodnotes = your “brain dump” and lecture notebook

Flashrecall = your “memory gym” where you actually lock it in

Example: From Goodnotes Page To Flashrecall Deck

Let’s say you’ve got a Goodnotes page on Photosynthesis.

In Goodnotes

You might have:

• A big diagram of a chloroplast
• Notes like “Light-dependent reactions happen in the thylakoid membrane”
• Equations, arrows, messy annotations

In Flashrecall

You’d turn that into cards like:

• Q: Where do light-dependent reactions occur?

• Q: What are the main products of the light-dependent reactions?

• Q: What gas is taken in during photosynthesis?

Then Flashrecall:

• Schedules when you should see each question
• Shows you more often the ones you miss
• Reminds you to review so you don’t forget before the exam

Much more efficient than just scrolling through a Goodnotes page hoping it sticks.

When To Use Goodnotes Flashcards vs Flashrecall

• You’re just starting out
• You like handwriting everything
• You’re working with a tiny set of cards

• You have lots of material
• You’re studying for exams, languages, medicine, business, uni courses
• You want spaced repetition, reminders, and progress tracking
• You want to create cards quickly from PDFs, text, or screenshots

Honestly, most people outgrow Goodnotes-only flashcards pretty fast once exams get serious.

Final Thoughts: Make Flashcards In Goodnotes… But Don’t Stop There

You can totally make flashcards in Goodnotes using pages, templates, and handwriting – it works, especially if you just enjoy writing things out. But if your goal is to actually remember stuff long-term, a dedicated flashcard app like Flashrecall will save you a ton of time and brainpower.

Take notes in Goodnotes, then move the important bits into Flashrecall and let spaced repetition + reminders do the heavy lifting for you.

If you want to try it out, grab Flashrecall here (free to start):

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

Your future “I actually remember this” self will thank you.

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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