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AnkiDroid Companion’s main feature is the ability to review flashcards directly from Android notifications without opening the app. This provides a convenient way to practice your decks throughout the day.

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How Notifications Work

Once you’ve selected a deck and clicked the “Refresh” button in the app, AnkiDroid Companion will display a persistent notification with your next scheduled card.

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Reading Card Questions

The notification appears in two states: Collapsed View
  • Shows the card question (front side)
  • Displays “Anki • [Deck Name]” as the title
  • Tap to expand and see the full card
Expanded View
  • Shows the card question at the top
  • Displays the answer (back side) below
  • Shows 4 answer buttons for grading your response
Card content is automatically stripped of HTML formatting for clean display in notifications. Complex cards with extensive HTML may not display perfectly.

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Answering Cards

When you expand the notification, you’ll see four answer buttons corresponding to AnkiDroid’s ease ratings:
ButtonEase LevelMeaning
Button 1EASE_1Again (didn’t remember)
Button 2EASE_2Hard
Button 3EASE_3Good
Button 4EASE_4Easy
These buttons work exactly like they do in AnkiDroid, scheduling your next review accordingly.

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What Happens After You Answer

When you tap an answer button:
  1. Card is graded - Your response is recorded in AnkiDroid with the selected ease rating
  2. Time tracking - The time you spent on the card is calculated and sent to AnkiDroid (from Notifications.kt:49-52 and AnkiDroidHelper.java:273-284)
  3. Next card loads - The notification automatically updates with the next scheduled card
  4. Silent update - Subsequent cards appear silently to avoid notification sounds for each card (Notifications.kt:37)
// From NotificationReceiver.kt:22-37
private fun respondCard(context: Context, ease: Int) {
    var mAnkiDroid = AnkiDroidHelper(context)
    val localState = mAnkiDroid.storedState
    
    if (localState != null) {
        mAnkiDroid.reviewCard(localState.noteID, localState.cardOrd, 
                             localState.cardStartTime, ease)
    }
    
    // Move to next card
    val nextCard = mAnkiDroid.queryCurrentScheduledCard(localState.deckId)
    if (nextCard != null) {
        mAnkiDroid.storeState(localState.deckId, nextCard)
        Notifications.create().showNotification(context, nextCard, 
                                               mAnkiDroid.currentDeckName, true)
    }
}

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When the Deck is Finished

When you complete all scheduled cards in your deck:
  1. Completion notification appears with the message:
    • “Congrats! You’ve finished the deck!”
    • “New notifications will arrive when it’s time to study!”
  2. Notification becomes dismissible - The persistent flag is removed, so you can swipe it away (Notifications.kt:79)
  3. Background worker starts checking - Every 8 hours, the app checks if new cards are available (MainActivity.kt:48-49)
  4. New notification appears - When cards become due, a new notification automatically appears
The 8-hour check interval is currently hardcoded. Future versions may allow customization of this interval.

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Persistent vs. Dismissible Notifications

  • Active cards: Notification is persistent (setOngoing(true)) and cannot be dismissed
  • Deck completed: Notification is dismissible (setOngoing(false)) and can be swiped away
This design ensures you don’t accidentally dismiss a notification while cards are still available for review.

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Notification Permissions

AnkiDroid Companion requires the POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission on Android 13+ to display notifications. See the Permissions page for details on granting this permission.
If notifications aren’t appearing, check your Android system settings to ensure notifications are enabled for AnkiDroid Companion.

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