Anki Answers
Short, tested answers to the questions people ask most about Anki files and decks. Each one links to the page that covers it in full — often a free tool that does the job in your browser.
Converting files
How do I convert a PDF into Anki flashcards?
Upload the PDF to a generator that drafts cards from its text, review them, and export an .apkg. GuruOwl keeps a page reference on every card; the PDF needs a selectable text layer.
PDF to Anki →How do I export an Anki deck to CSV or Excel?
Drop the .apkg into a converter that reads it in your browser and writes one row per note, or use “Notes in Plain Text” in Anki Desktop. Choose UTF-8 with a byte-order mark so Excel shows accents correctly.
APKG to CSV →How do I import a CSV or spreadsheet into Anki?
Anki Desktop, AnkiMobile and AnkiDroid import comma- or tab-separated text directly. To preview the cards first or get a single .apkg file, map the columns in a CSV to Anki converter and download the deck.
CSV to Anki →How do I move Quizlet cards to Anki?
Use Export on the Quizlet website — only a set’s creator can — and paste the text into a converter, or import it in Anki Desktop. A Quizlet link itself cannot be imported.
Quizlet to Anki →Making cards
How do I make Anki flashcards with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini?
Ask for tab-separated cards — front, back, tags, one per line — in a code block, paste the reply into a CSV to Anki converter, and download the .apkg. Check every card against your notes.
ChatGPT to Anki →How do I turn lecture notes into Anki cards?
Pick the few ideas worth remembering, write one fact per card, and prefer cloze deletions for definitions and lists. The guide walks through a full lecture.
Lecture notes to Anki →How do I make image occlusion cards?
Cover each label on a diagram with a mask, so every card asks for one hidden label. GuruOwl’s free editor proposes the masks from an image or PDF page and exports an .apkg.
Image occlusion →Opening and importing decks
How do I open an .apkg file without Anki?
An .apkg is a zipped Anki deck. To look inside without installing anything, open it in a browser viewer such as the GuruOwl .apkg viewer, which reads it locally; to study it, import it into an app that reads .apkg.
Open an .apkg file →How do I open an .apkg file on iPhone?
Save it to the Files app, tap it or use the share sheet, and open it in an app with an Anki engine — AnkiMobile (paid) or Guru (free for up to 5 decks).
.apkg on iPhone →How do I import my Anki decks onto iPhone?
Get the .apkg or .colpkg into Files, AirDrop or iCloud Drive and import it in a native Anki app; with the scheduling included, your progress comes along.
Anki decks on iPhone →Studying
Is Anki free on iPhone and iPad?
No. Anki is free on computers and on Android (AnkiDroid), but AnkiMobile is a one-time US$24.99 purchase. AnkiWeb in Safari and some third-party apps are free alternatives.
Is Anki free on iPhone? →What is FSRS, and should I use it instead of SM-2?
FSRS is a scheduler that fits a memory model to your own review history and lets you choose a target retention; benchmarks show it predicts recall better than the 1987 SM-2 formula.
FSRS vs SM-2 →Review your Anki decks on iPhone or Android
Import .apkg and .colpkg decks for free. Daily review is free, too.
Editing and cross-device sync require Pro.
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