Study Apps For PC: 7 Powerful Tools To Learn Faster (And The One Most Students Forget) – If you want study apps that actually help you remember stuff (not just feel busy), this breakdown is for you.
Study apps for pc that don’t waste your time: use your PC as a content hub, then let Flashrecall handle spaced repetition, active recall and offline review.
Start Studying Smarter Today
Download FlashRecall now to create flashcards from images, YouTube, text, audio, and PDFs. Use spaced repetition and save your progress to study like top students.
How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free
So, You're Looking For The Best Study Apps For PC?
Alright, let’s talk about study apps for pc that actually make a difference and don’t just clutter your desktop. The best combo right now is using a powerful flashcard app like Flashrecall on your phone/tablet together with a few focused PC tools, because that covers both learning and organising. Flashrecall is awesome because it creates flashcards instantly from text, images, PDFs, YouTube links, and more, then uses spaced repetition and active recall so you actually remember what you study. You can grab it here:
👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
Set up your notes and resources on your PC, then let Flashrecall handle the memorisation part on your phone so you can study anywhere without being stuck at your desk.
Why Your PC Alone Isn’t Enough (And Where Flashrecall Fits In)
Most people think: “I’ll just use my laptop, take notes, maybe watch a lecture, and I’m good.”
But here’s the problem:
- Your PC is great for reading and watching
- It sucks at making you actively recall and remember
That’s where Flashrecall comes in. You use your PC to gather content, then:
1. Send that content to Flashrecall
- Screenshot important slides → turn into flashcards
- Copy text from PDFs/articles → paste into Flashrecall
- Use YouTube links or lecture notes → auto-generate cards
2. Let Flashrecall do the memory work
- Built‑in active recall (you see the question, try to remember, then flip)
- Spaced repetition with auto reminders, so you review at the perfect time
- Works offline, so you don’t need your PC or Wi‑Fi to study
So your PC becomes the “content hub”, and Flashrecall becomes your “memory engine”.
1. Flashrecall – Your Memory Booster That Complements Any PC Setup
You know what’s cool about this setup? You don’t need a PC-specific flashcard app if your phone/iPad app is fast, smart, and always with you. That’s exactly what Flashrecall does.
What Flashrecall Does Really Well
- Makes flashcards instantly from:
- Images (screenshots of slides, diagrams, textbook pages)
- Text (copy-paste from your PC)
- PDFs
- YouTube links
- Audio
- Or just manually typing them in if you like control
- Built-in spaced repetition
You don’t have to remember when to review. Flashrecall schedules reviews for you and sends study reminders so you don’t fall behind.
- Active recall baked in
Every card forces you to think before revealing the answer, which is exactly how your brain remembers better.
- Chat with your flashcards
Stuck on a concept? You can literally chat with the card to get more explanation, examples, or clarification.
- Works offline
Perfect for trains, planes, boring waiting rooms, or when campus Wi‑Fi decides to die.
- Great for literally anything
- Languages (vocab, grammar, phrases)
- Medicine and nursing (drugs, anatomy, conditions)
- Law (cases, articles, definitions)
- Exams like MCAT, USMLE, CFA, bar, SAT, etc.
- School subjects, uni courses, business concepts
- Free to start, fast, and modern
No clunky 2005-style UI. It’s clean and quick to use on iPhone and iPad.
Again, here’s the link so you don’t have to scroll back up:
👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
Use your PC to gather info. Use Flashrecall to actually learn it.
2. Note-Taking Apps For PC: Organise First, Memorise After
Once you’ve got Flashrecall handling the memory side, you want a solid note system on your PC. A few good options:
Notion (All-In-One Workspace)
- Great for:
- Class notes
- To-do lists
- Study dashboards
- Project planning
- You can:
- Embed PDFs, links, and images
- Create pages for each subject
- Track exams, deadlines, and revision plans
Highlight key points in Notion → copy the most important ones into Flashrecall → let spaced repetition handle the rest.
OneNote (If You Like Handwritten + Typed Notes)
- Good for:
- Stylus/writing on a tablet or touchscreen laptop
- Organising notes into notebooks/sections
- You can:
- Screenshot pages or diagrams
- Paste those images into Flashrecall and turn them into cards
This is especially nice for math, physics, or anything with formulas and diagrams.
3. PDF & Text Readers: Turn Your Reading Into Flashcards
You probably spend a lot of time staring at PDFs on your PC. Don’t just read them passively.
How To Turn PDFs Into Study Powerhouses
1. Highlight as you read on your PC
Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :
2. When you find something important, either:
- Copy the text → paste into Flashrecall as a Q&A card
- Screenshot a paragraph/diagram → import as an image card
You can do this with:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Your browser’s built-in PDF viewer
- Apps like Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange
The trick is: don’t trust your brain to “remember later”. Turn it into a card right away.
4. Pomodoro & Focus Apps For PC: Stay On Track
Studying on a PC is risky because… distractions are one tab away. A simple focus app can save you.
A Basic Pomodoro Setup
Use any Pomodoro timer app or even a website. The pattern:
- 25 minutes focused work
- 5-minute break
- After 4 rounds, take a longer break
During your 25 minutes:
- Read, take notes, or create content on your PC
- Or review cards in Flashrecall on your phone
During breaks:
- Stand up, stretch, drink water
- Do not open social media “just for a second”
You can also pair this with website blockers to keep you off TikTok, YouTube, etc. while studying.
5. Mind Map & Whiteboard Tools: For Big-Picture Understanding
Some subjects are more about connections than memorising isolated facts.
Use Mind Mapping Apps On PC
Tools like:
- XMind
- FreeMind
- Online whiteboards (Miro, Excalidraw, etc.)
You can:
- Map out a chapter
- Show how concepts link together
- Then pull key nodes/ideas into Flashrecall as cards
Example:
- You’re studying cardiovascular physiology
- Make a mind map of blood flow, pressures, valves, etc.
- Then turn each chunk into flashcards:
- “What opens the mitral valve?”
- “Where is the highest blood pressure in circulation?”
Mind map on PC → remember with Flashrecall.
6. Video & Lecture Tools: From Watching To Remembering
Most people watch lectures on their PC and feel productive… then forget 80% of it in a week.
Here’s a better way:
1. Watch on your PC – YouTube, recorded Zoom lectures, online courses
2. Pause when something important comes up
3. Turn it into a card in Flashrecall:
- Type a short question + answer
- Or paste the YouTube link into Flashrecall and let it help you generate cards
This way, your PC is the content player, and Flashrecall is your long-term memory backup.
7. Why Flashrecall Beats Most “Study Apps For PC”
A lot of “study apps for pc” are:
- Just note-takers
- Just planners
- Or just fancy to-do lists
They’re useful, but they don’t force your brain to recall, which is where real learning happens.
Flashrecall is better for actual learning because:
- It’s built around active recall + spaced repetition, the two most effective study techniques backed by research
- It reminds you automatically when it’s time to review, so you don’t have to think about scheduling
- It’s faster to create cards than most desktop apps because it:
- Generates cards from images, PDFs, YouTube, and text
- Lets you chat with the card if something doesn’t click
And honestly, your phone or iPad is always with you. Your PC isn’t.
So instead of hunting for a “perfect PC study app” that does everything, you can:
- Use your PC for:
- Notes
- PDFs
- Videos
- Mind maps
- Use Flashrecall for:
- Memorising
- Reviewing on the go
- Getting reminders so you don’t forget
Grab it here if you haven’t already:
👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
How To Build A Simple Study System With PC + Flashrecall
Here’s a quick setup you can copy:
Step 1: Organise On PC
- Pick one note app (Notion / OneNote / Google Docs)
- Create:
- One page per subject
- Sections for lectures, readings, and practice questions
Step 2: Extract The Important Stuff
While you’re on your PC:
- Highlight key definitions, formulas, diagrams
- For each “this is important” moment, ask:
- “Could this be a flashcard question?”
- If yes → send it to Flashrecall (text or image)
Step 3: Turn It Into Flashcards In Flashrecall
On your phone/iPad:
- Paste text, upload images, or drop in YouTube links
- Let Flashrecall generate cards or make them manually if you prefer
- Keep them short and clear:
- One fact per card
- One concept per question
Step 4: Review Daily (Takes Less Time Than You Think)
- Open Flashrecall once or twice a day
- Do your scheduled reviews (spaced repetition will handle what shows up)
- You’ll get:
- Short, focused sessions
- Way better retention than just rereading notes
Final Thoughts: Your PC Is The Desk, Flashrecall Is The Brain
Think of it like this:
- Your PC is your digital desk: where you read, watch, and organise
- Flashrecall is your digital memory: where you actually lock things into your brain
If you’re serious about using study apps for pc in a way that actually improves your grades (or helps you pass that brutal exam), pairing your desktop setup with Flashrecall is honestly one of the easiest wins.
Set up your notes on your computer, then let Flashrecall handle the hard part—remembering everything later:
👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
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.
Related Articles
- Good Revision Apps: 7 Powerful Study Tools To Learn Faster (And The One Most Students Miss) – If you want to actually remember what you revise instead of rereading notes forever, these apps will change how you study.
- Study Software: The Best Apps To Learn Faster In 2025 (And The One Most Students Don’t Know About) – If you’re tired of messy notes and random apps, this guide shows you the study software that actually helps you remember stuff long-term.
- Study Tools For Students: 9 Powerful Apps And Methods To Learn Faster And Remember More
Practice This With Free Flashcards
Try our web flashcards right now to test yourself on what you just read. You can click to flip cards, move between questions, and see how much you really remember.
Try Flashcards in Your BrowserInside the FlashRecall app you can also create your own decks from images, PDFs, YouTube, audio, and text, then use spaced repetition to save your progress and study like top students.
Research References
The information in this article is based on peer-reviewed research and established studies in cognitive psychology and learning science.
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380
Meta-analysis showing spaced repetition significantly improves long-term retention compared to massed practice
Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 369-378
Review showing spacing effects work across different types of learning materials and contexts
Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19
Policy review advocating for spaced repetition in educational settings based on extensive research evidence
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966-968
Research demonstrating that active recall (retrieval practice) is more effective than re-reading for long-term learning
Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20-27
Review of research showing retrieval practice (active recall) as one of the most effective learning strategies
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58
Comprehensive review ranking learning techniques, with practice testing and distributed practice rated as highly effective

FlashRecall Team
FlashRecall Development Team
The FlashRecall Team is a group of working professionals and developers who are passionate about making effective study methods more accessible to students. We believe that evidence-based learning tec...
Credentials & Qualifications
- •Software Development
- •Product Development
- •User Experience Design
Areas of Expertise
Ready to Transform Your Learning?
Start using FlashRecall today - the AI-powered flashcard app with spaced repetition and active recall.
Download on App Store