Blog / Anki on iOS

Open .apkg on iPhone: Import Anki Decks (2026)

June 22, 2026 · 6 min read

TL;DR Get the .apkg (or .colpkg) file onto your phone — via the Files app, AirDrop, iCloud Drive, or email — then open it in a native Anki app. With Guru the import uses Anki's own engine, so cards, media, and scheduling state carry over exactly. And because everything exports back to a standard .apkg, your decks are never locked in.

What's actually inside an .apkg

An .apkg is a zipped package that contains your notes, the cards generated from them, their note types/templates, any media (images, audio), and — crucially — the scheduling state (due dates, intervals, ease, review history for that deck). A .colpkg is the same idea but for your entire collection rather than one deck.

That last part is why "importing" matters: done right, you don't restart your decks from zero — your streak of progress travels with the cards.

Step 1: Get the file onto your iPhone

You first need the .apkg file accessible on the phone. Any of these work:

Files app / iCloud Drive — drop the .apkg into iCloud Drive on your computer; it appears in Files on the phone.
AirDrop — from a Mac, AirDrop the file straight to the iPhone.
Email or messaging — send it to yourself and tap the attachment.
Direct download — shared decks (AnKing, etc.) often download straight to Files in Safari.

Choosing the .apkg file from On My iPhone in the Files picker

Step 2: Import it (keeping scheduling intact)

In Guru, open the deck list and choose import, then pick the .apkg from Files. Because the import runs on Anki's own engine, the cards, media, and scheduling come in exactly as they were — no re-learning, no lost history.

The same file imports into AnkiMobile too, if that's the app you're using — tap the .apkg in Files and choose "Copy to AnkiMobile." (Not sure which app to use? See how to use Anki on iPhone & iPad.)

Anki Import Wizard on iPhone ready to import the .apkg

Anki .apkg import finished on iPhone — 2,825 cards added with scheduling intact

Step 3: Verify it came over correctly

After import, do a quick sanity check:

The deck's due count looks right (not "all cards new").
A card with an image or audio renders its media.
Cloze cards show their blanks correctly.

If due counts reset to "new," you probably imported a deck that was shared with scheduling stripped — that's a property of how the deck was exported, not the import. Re-export from the source with scheduling included if you control it.

Will my streak and review history survive?

Your scheduling state (intervals, ease, due dates) travels inside the .apkg, so your reviews pick up where they left off. A global daily streak counter is app-specific and starts fresh in a new app — but the actual spaced-repetition schedule, which is what matters for retention, is preserved.

You're never locked in

This is the part worth repeating: a good Anki app lets you export back out. With Guru you can export any deck to a standard .apkg at any time and take it to desktop Anki, AnkiMobile, or anywhere else. Importing onto your phone is a move, not a one-way trapdoor.

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FAQ

How do I open an .apkg file on iPhone?

Get the .apkg into Files (iCloud Drive, AirDrop, email, or Safari download), then open it with a native Anki app such as AnkiMobile or Guru. The app imports cards, media, and scheduling state from the package.

How do I open an .apkg file on iPad?

Same flow as iPhone: place the file in Files, then Open In / import into AnkiMobile or Guru. iPadOS treats .apkg as a document you hand off to a supporting app.

What's the difference between .apkg and .colpkg?

.apkg is one or more decks; .colpkg is your whole collection (all decks plus collection-level data). Both import the same way in apps that use Anki’s package format.

Can I import a huge deck like AnKing?

Yes. Large media-heavy decks import fine—give big files a minute to unpack. If due counts look “all new,” the export may have stripped scheduling; re-export with scheduling included when you control the source.

Will my review history survive the import?

Scheduling state inside the package (intervals, ease, due dates) carries over. A global daily streak number may reset per app, but the spaced-repetition schedule that matters for memory is preserved.

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