How to import Anki decks on iPhone (without paying $24.99)
AnkiMobile Flashcards costs $24.99 on the App Store. If you just want to study your existing Anki decks on iPhone, there's a free alternative: sumi reads .apkg files directly and includes built-in spaced repetition.
What you need
- An iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or later
- Your .apkg file (exported from Anki desktop or downloaded from AnkiWeb)
Step 1: Download sumi
Get sumi from the App Store — it's free, no account required.
Step 2: Get your .apkg file onto your iPhone
There are a few ways to do this:
- Email: Send the .apkg file to yourself and open the attachment on your iPhone
- Files app: Save the .apkg to iCloud Drive or On My iPhone, then open it
- Direct download: Download shared decks from AnkiWeb in Safari — the file will save to your Downloads folder
- AirDrop: Send the file from your Mac to your iPhone
Step 3: Import into sumi
You have two options:
- Open directly: Tap the .apkg file in Mail, Files, or Safari and choose "Open in sumi"
- Import from within sumi: Open sumi → Settings → Import cards → select "Flashcard package (.apkg)" → choose your file
sumi will import your cards, formatting, and any embedded media (images, audio).
Step 4: Start studying
Your imported deck appears on the home screen. Tap it to start reviewing. sumi uses spaced repetition to schedule your reviews — cards you know well appear less frequently, while cards you struggle with come back sooner.
What gets imported?
- All card fronts and backs
- Basic HTML formatting
- Cloze deletions
- Embedded images and audio
Other import formats
Besides .apkg, sumi also supports CSV, TSV, plain text, and JSON imports. This means you can bring cards from Quizlet (export as CSV), spreadsheets, or any other flashcard app.
Ready to import your decks?
Free on the App Store. No account required.