How to set up Anki on your phone, sync with desktop, and build a mobile review habit that actually sticks.
AnkiMobile (iPhone/iPad)
$24.99 one-time on the App Store. Made by the same developer as Anki desktop. Feature-complete and fully syncs with desktop.
AnkiDroid (Android)
Free on Google Play. Open-source, community-developed. Slightly different interface from desktop but fully compatible with AnkiWeb sync.
Search "AnkiMobile Flashcards" — the official app by Ankitects. $24.99. Avoid third-party Anki clones which are scams.
Open AnkiMobile → tap the gear icon → AnkiWeb Account → enter your AnkiWeb credentials. You'll need a free AnkiWeb account — create one at ankiweb.net if you haven't already.
Tap the sync button (cloud icon) in the top-right corner. Your decks from Anki desktop appear automatically. First sync may take a minute if you have many cards or media files.
AnkiMobile supports swipe gestures for rating cards. Settings → Review → Answer Buttons: set swipe left = Again, swipe right = Good. This lets you review one-handed without looking at rating buttons.
Search "AnkiDroid Flashcards" — the free open-source app. Not the same as Anki desktop UI but fully compatible with the .apkg format and AnkiWeb sync.
Tap the three-line menu → Settings → AnkiDroid → AnkiWeb account. Enter your credentials. Then tap Sync (the sync icon in the toolbar) to pull your decks.
Settings → Reviewing → Swipe to answer. Swipe right = Correct (Good), swipe left = Incorrect (Again). Makes one-handed reviewing much faster.
Sync flow: always sync before and after each session.
If you forget to sync and review on both devices, Anki will ask which version to keep. Choose the device where you did more work.
Mobile Anki is ideal for dead time: commuting, waiting in queues, lunch breaks. The review sessions don't need to be long — 10 minutes of focused card review on your phone is genuinely useful.
Best for mobile: reviews, not new cards
Use mobile for review sessions. Do new cards and card creation on desktop where you have a proper keyboard and larger screen. This division of labour makes both experiences better.
Split your daily target
If you have 100 reviews due, doing 40 on the commute and 60 in the evening is perfectly fine. Anki syncs seamlessly between devices.
Related: how to download Anki, Anki settings guide, how to export cards to Anki.
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