anki

anki installed

Close detail of the review-tick used across this install guide.
Review-tick detail for the card-stack mark used across this install guide. Deck Quill original card-stack geometry for this install guide (not an upstream project logo).

You landed here after the install panel. The binary is on disk. These eight steps turn a fresh anki window into a desk you trust before you open the floodgates on large packs.

First-hour checklist

  1. Launch Anki once. Confirm the Decks list and side filters appear without an immediate crash.
  2. Set the default collection folder. Tools → Preferences. Prefer a disk with free space.
  3. Separate incomplete and finished folders. Same Options → Downloads area when you want cleaner sorting.
  4. Note the sync preference. Tools → Preferences → Syncing. Enable the sync service only if your network policy allows it.
  5. Add one trusted card or .deck. File → Add Magnet Link or Add Torrent File. Watch a row appear.
  6. Set polite speed limits. Tools → Preferences so work calls still work on shared lines.
  7. Decide on optional cloud sync later. Tools → Preferences → Syncing stays optional until you need remote access.
  8. Write the update door. winget id, brew cask, or the Releases filename you actually installed.

Windows notes

If you used winget, upgrades stay on Anki.Anki. If you used the win-x64.msi, return to the same GitHub tag family for the next file. SmartScreen may still warn on brand-new builds; prefer publisher details that match the project.

Association tip: make .deck files open in Anki after you trust the install. Guide: Windows install.

macOS and Linux notes

Brew cask users upgrade with brew upgrade --cask anki. Dmg users replace the app from a newer tag. tar.zst users replace the file and keep chmod +x in the habit.

More: macOS, Linux.

Optional optional cloud sync

Enable the optional cloud sync only after a strong password and, ideally, a trusted network path. Do not expose it to the open internet without additional controls. Deep dive: optional cloud sync.

When something looks wrong

No peers can mean a firewall, a bad card, or an empty deck — not always a broken install. Disk full errors usually mean the collection folder still points at a tiny system volume. Recheck existing data when you pointed at folders from another client.

First-run narrative: first run. Pillar: anki home.

Operational detail for shared desks

Shared desks drift when every volunteer picks a different mirror. Print the GitHub Releases URL, the winget id Anki.Anki, and the Homebrew cask anki on the same lab card. After each reimage, prove one card or deck add before you hand the machine back.

Travel laptops should carry the filename you installed and the update door you trust.

Prefer returning to the documented door even when search ads shout louder than the official project name.

Helpdesk tickets move faster when they include the OS build, the asset name or package id, and whether a VPN changed during the incident.

Vague deck-is-broken notes waste mornings. Ask for a screenshot of the Decks list and the Downloads path in Options.

Classroom images should freeze only after a reboot test. Antivirus first scans and login scripts hide problems that a same-session demo misses. Keep a second spaced repetition flashcard program only if your policy truly needs it.

When you retire a machine, uninstall Anki and remove extra media folders that still hold private packs. Document retention rules separately from the install guide.

Back to the pillar for the live install panel: anki home. Guides hub: guides.

Quiet checklist for the next image

  • Pin the Releases URL and package ids on the lab card.
  • Prove one card or deck add after every reimage.
  • Keep adware mirrors off the bookmark bar.
  • Record whether winget, brew, or a manual asset was used.
  • Reboot once before you call the desk ready.
  • Trainers rehearse the prove step on a small trusted deck.
  • Helpdesks ask for the filename and the Downloads path before they escalate.
  • Travel kits carry the same notes on paper when Store access is flaky.

When a machine retires, uninstall Anki and clear media folders that still hold private packs according to your retention rules. Keep signature verification optional for threat models that require it, using the detached asc files on the same tag.

Prefer the newest non-prerelease release tag that publishes the Windows x64 setup. Beta lines stay out of golden images.

Keep a short prove-one-add habit after every change to firewall rules or VPN profiles. A single trusted card tells you whether the desk still works before you schedule a long pack overnight.

Document the sync preference beside the machine name when classrooms share a filtered network. Substitutes should not guess under pressure during exam week.