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The best AnkiDroid setup for reviewing on your phone

ยท 5 min read

AnkiDroid is a full Anki client, not a cut-down companion app. It runs the same scheduler, reads the same decks, and syncs with AnkiWeb like the desktop version. Most people install it, log in, and never touch the settings. That works, but a few changes make reviewing on a phone noticeably faster and easier to keep up.

This is the setup that works well for short sessions throughout the day. Menu names shift a little between AnkiDroid versions, so where a setting is described rather than named, look for it in the same area of the settings or deck options.

1. Sync with AnkiWeb, and let it sync on its own

Create a free AnkiWeb account if you do not have one, then log in from AnkiDroid's sync settings. Turn on automatic sync so AnkiDroid syncs when you open and close the app. Reviews done on the bus then appear on your desktop without you thinking about it.

One rule saves a lot of pain: sync before you switch devices. If you edit or reorganize decks on two devices without syncing in between, Anki may not be able to merge the changes and will ask you to choose one side for a full sync, overwriting the other. Reviews alone merge fine. Structural changes like moving or deleting decks are what cause conflicts.

2. Turn on FSRS

FSRS is the newer scheduler built into Anki and recent versions of AnkiDroid. It predicts how likely you are to remember each card and schedules reviews to hit a target retention. You enable it in the deck options, in the FSRS section.

After enabling it, run the optimize option so the parameters are fitted to your own review history. The FSRS settings live in the deck options preset, which syncs with your collection, so you can do the optimizing on desktop and then sync your phone if that is easier. Leave desired retention at the default of 0.90 to start. Raise it if you need to remember more and can afford more reviews, or lower it slightly if your daily load is too heavy.

3. Set daily limits that fit a phone day

Phone sessions are short and scattered, so set limits you can clear in short bursts. In the deck options:

  • New cards/day: keep it modest. New cards create reviews for weeks, and on a phone you feel that load quickly.
  • Maximum reviews/day: set a cap you can finish on a busy day. If you fall behind, the visible count stays finishable instead of growing into a number you avoid.

If you use several decks, check which preset each one uses. Decks that share a preset share its settings, and subdecks interact with the limits of their parent deck, so look at the deck you actually tap to study.

4. Answer with one thumb

The biggest speed gain on a phone is not needing two hands or precise taps. AnkiDroid lets you assign gestures, such as swipes and taps on different areas of the screen, to actions like showing the answer and pressing the answer buttons. You will find these in the controls or gestures part of the settings.

A setup many people like: tap anywhere to show the answer, then use two easy gestures for Good and Again. With FSRS especially, most of your answers will be Good or Again, so make those two the easiest to reach. Hard and Easy can stay on the buttons. Once you stop aiming for buttons, reviewing with one hand while standing becomes practical.

5. Make cards readable on a small screen

Cards written on a desktop often look cramped on a phone. A few fixes:

  • Zoom settings. AnkiDroid has its own settings for scaling card text and images. Adjust them until a typical card fits without scrolling.
  • Dark theme. AnkiDroid has dark themes, and Anki applies a night mode to card content. If a note type uses hard-coded colours that look wrong at night, adjust its styling in the card template.
  • Mobile-specific styling. Anki adds platform-specific classes to card styling, including one for mobile, so a note type can use larger text on the phone without changing desktop. The styling section of the Anki manual covers the details.
  • Shorter backs. If an answer needs scrolling, the card is probably doing too much. Splitting it makes it faster to review anywhere, not only on the phone.

6. Put the widget on your home screen

AnkiDroid includes home screen widgets. The basic one shows how many cards are due, and newer versions add more options. Put one on your first home screen page. A visible count is a cue each time you unlock the phone, which matters more than any setting inside the app.

While you are arranging the home screen, move AnkiDroid itself into the dock or the spot your thumb lands on most. If a distracting app lives there now, swap them. Small changes in what is easiest to open add up across a day.

7. Set up reminders, and make sure they arrive

AnkiDroid can send notifications when cards are due. They are a useful backup cue, especially on days your routine is off. If reminders arrive late or not at all, check Android's battery settings for AnkiDroid. Some phones restrict background activity aggressively, which can delay or block notifications.

8. Add audio if you study languages

Anki's text-to-speech field syntax works in AnkiDroid using the voices installed on your phone. For language decks, having the card read aloud while you review on the go helps with listening and pronunciation. Install a good voice for the target language in Android's text-to-speech settings first, or the result can sound rough.

9. Keep backups

AnkiDroid keeps automatic backups on the device, and AnkiWeb holds a copy of your synced collection. Before a big change, such as switching to FSRS or reorganizing decks, sync first so you have a clean copy to fall back on. Exporting a full collection package now and then is cheap insurance.

Where the reviews actually happen

All of this makes reviews faster. None of it makes you start them. The best AnkiDroid setup is the one you open, so the last piece is putting your cards where your attention already goes.

That is the job we built Tollbooth for. It is a separate Android app that puts a toll on the apps you choose: opening Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube costs a few of your own AnkiDroid cards first, and it adds a home screen widget that shows an actual card rather than a count. It reads and grades cards through AnkiDroid's own API, so FSRS, your limits, and your sync setup keep working exactly as configured above.

The checklist

  • AnkiWeb sync on, with automatic sync, and sync before switching devices.
  • FSRS enabled and optimized, desired retention at 0.90 to start.
  • Modest new cards per day and a review cap you can finish.
  • One-thumb gestures for showing the answer, Good, and Again.
  • Readable cards: zoom, dark theme, shorter backs.
  • A widget and AnkiDroid itself on your first home screen page.
  • Reminders that are not blocked by battery settings.
  • A recent backup before any big change.

Set it up once, and phone reviewing stops being a chore you schedule and becomes something you do in the gaps.