Syncing with Anki Desktop
Flashcard Flow is compatible with Anki Desktop, the free, open-source flashcard app available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. By connecting Anki Desktop to your Flashcard Flow account, your decks and review progress stay in sync across both apps automatically.
Why sync with Anki Desktop?
Anki Desktop offers features that complement Flashcard Flow:
- Add-ons — thousands of community plugins for things like image occlusion, LaTeX rendering, and more
- Offline reviewing — study without an internet connection; changes sync the next time you connect
- Bulk editing — powerful note browser for editing many cards at once
- AnkiMobile / AnkiDroid — Anki’s official mobile apps can also connect through the same sync server
How to set it up
1. Download Anki Desktop
Get the latest version from apps.ankiweb.net. Flashcard Flow is tested against Anki 23.x and newer.
2. Open Sync preferences in Anki
- Open Anki Desktop
- Go to Tools → Preferences (Windows/Linux) or Anki → Preferences (macOS)
- Click the Syncing tab
3. Point Anki at Flashcard Flow
In the Self-hosted sync server field, enter:
https://flashcardflow.appClick OK to save.
4. Enter your credentials
- Click the Sync button in the main Anki toolbar (or press
Y) - Anki will prompt for a username and password
- Use the credentials shown on your Flashcard Flow Settings page:
- Username — your Flashcard Flow sync username (usually the part of your email before the
@) - Password — your Flashcard Flow password
- Username — your Flashcard Flow sync username (usually the part of your email before the
5. Sync
Click Sync again. Anki will upload your local collection to Flashcard Flow (or download from it, depending on which side is newer). From this point on, clicking Sync in Anki keeps everything up to date.
Changing your password
If you change your password on the Settings page, Anki Desktop will ask you to log in again the next time you sync. Just enter your new password when prompted.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| ”Authentication failed” | Double-check the username and password on the Settings page. Passwords are case-sensitive. |
| ”Cannot connect to server” | Make sure the sync server URL is exactly https://flashcardflow.app with no trailing slash. |
| Anki shows an old sync URL field | Update to Anki 23.10 or newer — older versions don’t support custom sync servers in preferences. |
| Cards synced but media (images/audio) didn’t | Media sync runs separately. Wait a moment after the card sync completes, then sync again. |
AnkiMobile and AnkiDroid
Both official Anki mobile apps support custom sync servers. Look for the Custom sync server setting in each app’s preferences and enter https://flashcardflow.app there as well.