Set up Anki on a Mac

You need two things: the Anki app and the deck file. The deck file comes from my email or the download page, and its name ends in .apkg.

Step 1: Check which Mac you have

Anki has two Mac downloads, so check this first. Click the Apple menu (the apple at the top left of the screen), then About This Mac.

• If it says Chip: Apple M1 (or M2, M3, M4 and so on), you need the Apple Silicon download. Most Macs from 2021 onwards are this kind.
• If it says Processor: Intel, you need the Intel download.

Step 2: Install Anki

1. Go to apps.ankiweb.net, click Download, and choose the Mac download that matches Step 1.
2. Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file you just downloaded. A window opens with the Anki icon in it.
3. Drag the Anki icon into the Applications folder.
4. Open Applications and double-click Anki. If the Mac asks whether you are sure you want to open it, click Open.
5. If Anki asks which language to use, choose English and click OK. You will see a list with one deck called Default. That is normal; you can ignore it.

Step 3: Add the deck

1. Download the deck file from my email or the download page. It lands in your Downloads folder.
2. Double-click the .apkg file. Anki opens and shows an import screen.
3. Click Import and wait until it finishes. Pictures and sound make the file big, so this can take a minute.
4. The deck is now in your list, named after the Level (for example 2024 Standard P1).

Step 4: 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.

1. In the deck list, click the gear icon to the right of the deck, then Options.
2. Under Daily Limits, change New cards/day to 5.
3. Click Save.

Step 5: The first session

1. Click the deck's name, then Study Now. The first card appears.
2. Let your child answer, then click Show Answer (or press the space bar). Anki plays the Mandarin out loud and shows the pinyin and the English.
3. Click Again if your child didn't know it, or Good if they did. Skip Easy: it hides the card for too long.
4. Keep going until Anki says "Congratulations! You have finished this deck for now." 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.

Want to study on a phone or tablet too? (optional)

Many families set up on the computer and study on a tablet. Make a free account at ankiweb.net, click Sync at the top of Anki and sign in. Then install Anki on the iPhone or iPad or Android device, sign in with the same account there and sync: the deck appears by itself, so you can skip the "add the deck" step on that device.

If something goes wrong

• "Anki can't be opened" or the Mac won't open it: make sure you downloaded it from apps.ankiweb.net, then right-click Anki in Applications, choose Open, and click Open again.
• Anki won't start at all: check you picked the right download in Step 1, and that the Mac runs macOS 13 or newer.
• No sound: turn the volume up and check the Mac isn't muted.
• 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.