Hands-free Anki on iPhone with AirPods and Siri

How to start a flashcard review session with Siri, keep your iPhone locked in your pocket while you walk, answer cards out loud through AirPods, and pause or stop with a stem press.

Disclosure: This guide is published by Loudwalk (iOS 26 or later and Apple silicon Mac · macOS 26 or later). Free and built-in Anki methods are covered first with links to Anki’s official manuals. Loudwalk is independent of Anki and is not affiliated with Ankitects.

Why most “hands-free” iPhone flashcard setups still need your hands

If you have tried reviewing flashcards on an iPhone while walking outside, you have probably hit the same wall: iOS locks the screen, Auto Advance keeps reading cards when a truck drives past, or Voice Control / Switch Control misfires in your pocket. Even with a Bluetooth controller in your hand, you still have to remember which micro-button maps to Again versus Good while your hands are in gloves or holding a coffee.

A true AirPods workflow means your iPhone goes into your pocket before the first card and stays there until the walk is over.

How the iPhone + AirPods + Siri loop works in Loudwalk

Step-by-step setup on iPhone

1. Bring your Anki decks over (or start fresh)

Export your collection (.colpkg) or a specific deck (.apkg) from Anki with scheduling and media included, and import it into Loudwalk on your iPhone or on your Mac (which syncs to your iPhone through your own iCloud Drive). Loudwalk keeps your existing due dates, FSRS-6 parameters, and review counts.

By default, a walk asks cards that are already in your review or learning queue so you do not meet brand-new material blind on the street. If you want the voice tutor to introduce new cards during a walk, open the deck’s Options and turn on “Ask new cards on a walk”.

2. Configure language and voice

Set Your language (English or French) for what the teacher speaks between cards. Each individual card is asked, heard, and corrected in its own language whenever Apple’s on-device speech recognition supports it (for example, Spanish, French, German, or Russian cards are asked and heard in that language).

3. Lock the phone and walk

Put in your AirPods, start the walk (including via Siri), and lock your iPhone. Because Loudwalk’s review loop is built around Apple’s native audio and on-device SpeechAnalyzer framework (iOS 26 or later), the session continues with the screen off in your pocket.

How grading stays honest without buttons

When you grade yourself in your head on a walk, it is tempting to give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Loudwalk splits grading into two parts:

• Content check (semantic): The grading model compares your on-device transcript with the answer written on your card. It judges substance rather than spelling, and never invents facts outside your card.
• Interval grade (deterministic code): Turning a right answer into Again, Hard, Good, or Easy is deterministic code: a correct answer is graded Good up to 25 seconds of hesitation; past 25 seconds, or if you asked to hear the question repeated, it is capped at Hard. Easy requires an instant, high-confidence answer. And if you ever disagree with a verdict, you can override the grade and the FSRS-6 schedule replays cleanly.

What about on a Mac?

Loudwalk also runs natively on Apple silicon Macs (Apple silicon Mac · macOS 26 or later), synced with your iPhone via iCloud Drive. On a Mac, a walk is a desk session with headphones on (and shows the card’s pictures alongside the spoken review). Hands-free pocket mode with Siri and a locked screen is specific to the iPhone app.

If you use both devices, subscribe to Loudwalk Walking ($9.99/month or $89/year in the US; €11.99/month or €99/year in France) or Unlimited ($99/month) inside the iPhone app and tap “Connect your Mac” in Voice tutor settings to cover both devices under one subscription.