Study Flashcards GoodNotes: The Powerful Shortcut Most Students Miss (And What To Use Instead) – Before you spend hours turning notes into flashcards in GoodNotes, read this and save yourself a ton of time.

GoodNotes for Flashcards? It Works… But There’s a Better Way

Let’s be real: GoodNotes is awesome for handwritten notes, PDFs, and pretty digital notebooks.

But when it comes to actually studying with flashcards, it’s… kind of a pain.

If you’re tired of:

• Manually drawing boxes for “front” and “back”
• Flipping through pages instead of real cards
• Having no spaced repetition, no reminders, no progress tracking

…then you’re basically doing flashcards the hard way.

That’s where Flashrecall comes in:

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

It takes the notes you already have (GoodNotes, PDFs, screenshots, YouTube, whatever) and turns them into real, smart flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall built in.

Let’s break down how to use GoodNotes together with a flashcard app like Flashrecall, and why this combo is way more powerful than trying to force GoodNotes to be a flashcard app.

Why Making Flashcards Directly in GoodNotes Feels So Clunky

You can technically do “flashcards” in GoodNotes by:

• Creating a template with a box for “Question” and “Answer”
• Copy-pasting that template for each new card
• Flipping pages like a deck

But here’s what’s missing:

• ❌ No spaced repetition (it doesn’t know which cards you forget)
• ❌ No automatic reminders to review
• ❌ No stats or progress tracking
• ❌ No easy shuffle / randomization
• ❌ No “type your answer then reveal” style active recall

GoodNotes is built for note-taking, not memorization.

If you’re studying for exams, languages, medicine, law, or any content-heavy subject, you want something that:

• Automatically schedules reviews
• Shows you the right card at the right time
• Adapts to what you forget

That’s exactly what Flashrecall does, and it still works perfectly with your GoodNotes workflow.

The Smart Workflow: GoodNotes for Notes, Flashrecall for Flashcards

Instead of fighting GoodNotes to behave like a flashcard app, do this:

1. Take notes in GoodNotes like you normally do

2. Capture key info as images or text

3. Drop them into Flashrecall, which automatically turns them into flashcards

4. Let spaced repetition + reminders handle the rest

Here’s how Flashrecall makes this super easy.

How to Turn GoodNotes Pages into Flashcards (Without Going Crazy)

1. Screenshot Your GoodNotes Content

When you’re reviewing your notes and see something flashcard-worthy:

• On iPad or iPhone, take a screenshot of:
• A diagram
• A definition
• A formula
• A vocabulary list
• Crop it if needed so only the important part shows.

2. Import That Image into Flashrecall

Open Flashrecall on your iPhone or iPad:

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

Then:

• Create a new deck (e.g. “Biology – Cell Membrane”)
• Add a new card
• Upload the screenshot

Flashrecall can:

• Turn images into flashcards instantly
• Use OCR/text recognition to grab text from the image
• Help you split one screenshot into multiple cards if it has multiple concepts

So instead of re-typing everything from GoodNotes, you just snap, import, done.

Why Flashrecall Beats Hand-Drawn “GoodNotes Flashcards”

Here’s what you get in Flashrecall that GoodNotes alone doesn’t give you:

✅ Built-In Active Recall

Instead of just flipping pages, Flashrecall actually makes you think:

• You see the question side
• You try to recall the answer from memory
• Then you tap to reveal and rate how well you remembered

This is active recall, which is way more effective than just rereading notes.

✅ Automatic Spaced Repetition (No Extra Effort)

Flashrecall has spaced repetition built in:

• Cards you struggle with show up more often
• Cards you know well show up less
• You don’t have to manually plan reviews or track which cards are “due”

It even has study reminders, so you’re nudged to review before you forget everything.

✅ Works Offline

Studying on the train, on a plane, or in a dead Wi-Fi zone?

Flashrecall works offline, so your flashcards are always with you—even without internet. GoodNotes is great offline too, so together they’re a perfect pair.

✅ Fast, Modern, Easy to Use

You’re not messing with templates, drawing boxes, or copying pages.

With Flashrecall, you can:

• Make flashcards from:
• Images (screenshots of GoodNotes, textbooks, slides)
• Text
• Audio
• PDFs
• YouTube links
• Or just type them manually
• Edit cards quickly
• Organize decks by subject, chapter, or exam

And it’s free to start, so you can try it with your current notes without commitment.

How to Use Flashrecall with Different GoodNotes Study Styles

1. Handwritten Notes → Flashcards

If you write everything by hand in GoodNotes:

• Highlight key definitions or formulas
• Screenshot that section
• Import into Flashrecall as an image card
• Optionally, let Flashrecall extract the text so you can clean it up

Example:

You’ve written “Definition of osmosis” by hand.

Screenshot that definition → import → now it’s a flashcard you’ll actually review on time.

2. PDF Textbooks in GoodNotes → Flashcards

A lot of people load their PDFs into GoodNotes to annotate.

Instead of rewriting everything:

• Highlight the important paragraph in GoodNotes
• Screenshot it
• Import into Flashrecall and:
• Turn parts of that screenshot into Q&A cards
• Or use the text recognition to copy the exact words

Example:

You highlight: “The limbic system is responsible for emotion, behavior, and long-term memory.”

Turn that into cards like:

• “What is the limbic system responsible for?” → Answer side: emotion, behavior, long-term memory
• Or cloze-style: “The limbic system is responsible for ______, ______, and ______.”

3. Diagrams and Sketches

GoodNotes is amazing for diagrams: anatomy, physics, chemistry, whatever.

Instead of redrawing them in every review session:

• Draw your diagram once in GoodNotes
• Screenshot it
• In Flashrecall, make multiple cards from that one image:
• “Label this part”
• “What does this structure do?”
• “What is step 3 in this process?”

You can even chat with the flashcard in Flashrecall if you’re unsure about something and want more explanation. Super handy for complex diagrams.

“But I Like My Handwritten Flashcards in GoodNotes…”

Totally fair. Handwriting feels nice, and for some people it helps with memory.

You don’t have to give that up—you can combine both:

• Use GoodNotes for:
• Brain-dumping
• Active note-taking in class
• Drawing, sketching, concept mapping
• Use Flashrecall for:
• Long-term memory
• Efficient review
• Exam prep with spaced repetition
• Studying on the go

Think of GoodNotes as your notebook, and Flashrecall as your memory coach.

Why Not Just Use a Generic Flashcard App?

You might be thinking, “Why Flashrecall and not some random flashcard app?”

Here’s what makes Flashrecall especially good for people coming from GoodNotes:

• Insanely easy card creation

You can build cards from images, text, audio, PDFs, YouTube links, or typed prompts—perfect when your notes are scattered across apps.

• Chat with your flashcards

Stuck on a concept? You can literally chat with the card to get deeper explanations or examples.

• Works for everything
• Languages (vocab, phrases, grammar rules)
• Exams (SAT, MCAT, USMLE, bar, etc.)
• School & university subjects
• Medicine, business, coding, anything with facts to remember
• Fast, modern interface

No clunky menus or old-school design. It’s built to feel smooth on iPhone and iPad.

And again, here’s the link so you don’t have to search for it:

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

Simple Example Workflow (Step-by-Step)

Let’s say you’re studying Biology with GoodNotes.

1. Lecture in GoodNotes

• You write: “Mitochondria = powerhouse of the cell, site of ATP production.”

2. End of day review

• You go back through your notes and mark key facts.

3. Create flashcards in Flashrecall

• Screenshot the key line from GoodNotes
• Import into Flashrecall
• Make cards like:
• Q: “What is the function of mitochondria?”
• A: “Powerhouse of the cell; site of ATP production.”

4. Study with spaced repetition

• Flashrecall schedules reviews automatically
• You get reminders when it’s time to study
• You rate how well you remembered, and it adapts

Result:

You keep using GoodNotes the way you like, but your actual memorization happens in a system built for it.

Final Thoughts: Use GoodNotes for Notes, Flashrecall for Memory

If you’ve been trying to force GoodNotes to be both a notebook and a flashcard app, you’re basically doing twice the work for half the results.

A much better setup:

• GoodNotes = where you learn and capture
• Flashrecall = where you remember and review

You’ll:

• Save time creating cards
• Stop forgetting to review
• Actually remember what you wrote weeks later

If you’re already living in GoodNotes, just add Flashrecall on top of your workflow and you’re set:

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

Try it with just one chapter of notes and you’ll feel the difference in how much you actually remember.

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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