Free · Open source · LGPL-3.0

Anki Remote, on the iPhone you already have

Q: Does this work with AnkiMobile (the official iOS Anki app)?

No. This is the companion to Flashcard Guru, our standalone iOS flashcard app. The add-on talks WebSocket to Flashcard Guru on your iPhone, not to AnkiMobile.

Q: How do I update the add-on?

Anki Desktop checks for add-on updates automatically. Tools → Add-ons shows the version; Check for Updates pulls newer ones from AnkiWeb.

Q: Is the iOS app open source?

The add-on is open source under LGPL-3.0: jyehn/flashcard-guru-remote-addon. The iOS app itself stays closed-source.

Pair your iPhone with Anki Desktop in 10 seconds via QR code, then drive Show Answer / Again / Hard / Good / Easy from your couch, treadmill, or wherever you're studying. Plug in a cheap 8BitDo controller and it works through your phone — even the models AnkiMobile refuses to pair with.

Download Flashcard Guru View on AnkiWeb

iPhone showing the Show Answer button while a MacBook in the background runs Anki — connected wirelessly

Setup (3 steps, ~1 minute)

On your Mac: open Anki, then Tools → Add-ons → Get Add-ons… and paste this code:
1196082853
Restart Anki when prompted. The first time the add-on starts, macOS asks "Allow incoming connections?" — click Allow.
On your iPhone: install Flashcard Guru from the App Store.
Pair:
- In Anki: Tools → Connect Phone (Flashcard Guru Remote)… — a QR code appears.
- In Flashcard Guru: Settings → Anki Remote → Pair with Mac — scan the QR.
That's it. Open any deck on your Mac and your iPhone takes over.

What you can drive remotely

Show AnswerFlip the current card.

Again / Hard / Good / EasyAll four ratings.

Replay audioFor decks with media.

UndoRoll back the last rating.

Hardware controller support

Plug a controller into your iPhone (USB-C or Bluetooth) and Flashcard Guru forwards the buttons to Anki Desktop:

Gamepad (MFi)

A → Good · B → Again · X → Hard · Y → Easy
R1 → Show Answer · L1 → Replay · Options → Undo

Keyboard mode (8BitDo Zero 2 / micro / external keyboards)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 → Again / Hard / Good / Easy
Space → Show Answer · R → Replay · Z or U → Undo

The keyboard route is the trick that makes cheap 8BitDo controllers work — those small models don't expose Apple's GCExtendedGamepad profile, so AnkiMobile rejects them. Flashcard Guru listens to GCKeyboard too, which is what 8BitDo's "Keyboard Mode" sends.

Privacy

LAN only. The pairing token never leaves your local Wi-Fi. The add-on rejects connections from non-private IPs as a safety check.
No telemetry. No analytics, no remote logging, no upload of your decks or cards.
Revocable any time. "Forget" the iPhone in Anki's pairing dialog and the token is invalidated immediately.

FAQ

Does this work with AnkiMobile (the official iOS Anki app)?

No. This is the companion to Flashcard Guru, our standalone iOS flashcard app. The add-on talks WebSocket to Flashcard Guru on your iPhone, not to AnkiMobile.

Why isn't this just a Bluetooth keyboard like StudyRemote?

iOS doesn't allow third-party apps to act as Bluetooth HID peripherals — that limitation is platform-level, not something we can work around. The Wi-Fi WebSocket route lets us deliver the same review actions without that restriction.

Does it work on Windows or Linux?

Probably yes — the Python add-on is cross-platform — but we only actively QA on macOS. Anki 2.1.55+ on Qt6 builds is the minimum supported version.

How do I update the add-on?

Anki Desktop checks for add-on updates automatically. Tools → Add-ons shows the version; Check for Updates pulls newer ones from AnkiWeb.

Is the iOS app open source?

The add-on is open source under LGPL-3.0: jyehn/flashcard-guru-remote-addon. The iOS app itself stays closed-source.

Source & support

AnkiWeb listing: code 1196082853
Add-on source: jyehn/flashcard-guru-remote-addon (LGPL-3.0)
iOS app support: flashcard-guru.flashify.app/support