On iPhone and iPad, Anki is a paid app. It is called AnkiMobile Flashcards and costs S$34.98, paid once, from the App Store (price checked October 2026). The money goes to the people who make Anki, not to me.
Would you rather not pay? Anki is free on a computer. Set it up on a Mac or Windows computer instead.
You need two things: the AnkiMobile app and the deck file. The deck file comes from my email or the download page, and its name ends in .apkg. Do these steps on the iPhone or iPad your child will use. It needs iOS or iPadOS 15.2 or newer.
Step 1: Install AnkiMobile
- Open the App Store and search for AnkiMobile Flashcards. Or tap this link on the iPhone: AnkiMobile Flashcards on the App Store.
- Check the maker shown under the name is Anki Software. Other apps with "Anki" in their name are not the real Anki.
- Tap the price, then confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your Apple Account password. Wait for it to install.
- Open AnkiMobile once. You will see a list with one deck called Default. That is normal; you can ignore it.
Step 2: Add the deck
- On the same iPhone or iPad, open my email and tap the download link. If the link opens inside the Gmail or Outlook app, use its "open in Safari" button first: downloads work best in Safari.
- If Safari asks whether to download the file, tap Download.
- Tap the download arrow in Safari's address bar, then tap the file (it ends in .apkg).
- If a sharing screen appears, tap AnkiMobile. You may need to swipe along the row of apps, or tap More at the end of it.
- AnkiMobile opens and shows an import screen. Tap Import and wait until it finishes. Pictures and sound make the file big, so this can take a minute.
- The deck is now in your list, named after the Level (for example 2024 Standard P1).
Can't find the file? Open the Files app, tap Browse, then Downloads (under iCloud Drive or On My iPhone). Tap the .apkg file there and it opens in AnkiMobile.
Step 3: Set five new cards a day
Anki starts with 20 new cards a day. That is too many for a young child. Five a day keeps sessions short and calm.
- Tap the deck to open it.
- Tap the gear button at the bottom of the screen, then Study Options.
- Under Daily Limits, change New cards/day to 5 and tap Save.
Step 4: The first session
- Tap the deck. The first card appears.
- Let your child answer, then tap the screen to see the answer. The Mandarin plays out loud, with the pinyin and the English.
- Tap Again if your child didn't know it, or Good if they did. Skip Easy: it hides the card for too long.
- Keep going until Anki says you have finished for today. That's the session.
Then do it again tomorrow. Here is the 10–15 minute daily routine, with tips for a child who is just starting out.
Using a computer too? (optional)
If you also use Anki on a computer or a second device, make a free account at ankiweb.net and tap Synchronize at the bottom of the deck list. Your child's progress then follows them from device to device. If this iPhone or iPad is the only device, you don't need an account.
If something goes wrong
- "File invalid or corrupt" or nothing happens: the download probably stopped early. Delete it, download it again in Safari, and wait until it finishes before you tap it.
- AnkiMobile isn't in the sharing screen: open the file from the Files app instead (see "Can't find the file?" above).
- No sound: turn the volume up and make sure the iPhone isn't set to silent.
- The deck is there twice: importing the same file again doesn't make copies; it just updates the same cards. A second deck with a different name is a different Level.