Help · Cardsheet
Cardsheet turns a lecture PDF into flashcards and a quiz you answer with Apple Pencil. It is made for iPad and needs iPadOS 17 or later.
How do I bring a PDF into Cardsheet?
Tap Import PDF and pick a file from the Files app, share a PDF to Cardsheet from another app (Files, Mail, a browser or your notes app), or drag a PDF onto Cardsheet in Split View. Cardsheet saves its own copy, so your original file is never changed, and importing works offline. Lecture handouts, textbook chapters, slides saved as PDF, notes exported from a note-taking app and scanned pages all work.
Which 10 cards are free on each PDF, and how are they picked?
Cardsheet reads the whole PDF first. The free cards are the first 10 that pass its quality checks in page order, with no more than 4 of one card type so you see a mix, plus the first 5 quiz questions. They are full cards, not blurred previews. The same file always gets the same free cards: importing it again or renaming it does not reset them. Everything else the PDF yielded is shown as a real count, such as “176 more cards found”, and unlocks with Pro. Free cards stay free, with spaced review, for good.
Why did my slides give so few cards?
Slides often hold a title and a few short bullet points rather than the full sentences and definitions that cards are made from. Cardsheet keeps only the cards that hold up against the page, and tells you when a PDF has fewer than 10. Pick the rest yourself: circle any passage with Apple Pencil to turn it into a card. Slides saved with speaker notes, handouts and textbook chapters give many more cards.
How do I make a card with Apple Pencil?
Draw a loop around a passage on the PDF, at least three words. When you lift the Pencil, the passage becomes a card at the top of the list, linked to its page. You get 3 of these per PDF for free; Pro makes them unlimited. To hide a card, strike it through with the Pencil and Cardsheet will not make that card again from the same passage. Every step can be undone with the undo button, ⌘Z or the Undo button in the message that appears. Fingers scroll and zoom; they never draw.
How does handwriting grading work?
Write your answer under the question with Apple Pencil (a finger works too), then pause for a moment or tap Check. Cardsheet reads your handwriting on the iPad and grades the answer correct, close or wrong; for a close answer it asks “Did you mean …?” so you can confirm. If you disagree with a grade, tap I was right or I was wrong; when you mark an answer right, that spelling is accepted next time. You can always tap to type instead. Correct answers come back later; wrong ones come back soon and go to your Mistakes list.
Which iPads does Cardsheet run on, and do I need Apple Pencil?
Cardsheet runs on any iPad with iPadOS 17 or later; there is no iPhone version. Every Apple Pencil model works: first generation, second generation, USB-C and Pro. Without a Pencil you can still read, review and take quizzes, writing answers with a finger or typing them; only circling a passage to make a card needs the Pencil. Landscape works best, and portrait and Split View are supported.
What does “✦ Enhanced on device” mean, and which iPads get it?
On iPads that support Apple Intelligence, running iPadOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence turned on, Cardsheet can use Apple’s on-device model to reword some questions and add answer choices. Cards it improved carry the “✦ Enhanced on device” label; each one is checked against your PDF and falls back to the original card if it does not match. On these iPads Pro includes 14 card types; on other iPads everything else works the same and Pro includes 11 card types. You can switch it off in Settings → On-device enhancement.
What can I export, and in which formats?
Export is part of Pro. Open a deck, tap Export, choose the deck, your mistakes or selected cards, and pick a format:
- Anki (TSV) — a text file the Anki desktop app can import.
- CSV — for spreadsheets.
- Printable index cards (PDF) — 3 × 5 cards, or 2 × 4 on Letter or A4 paper, with the answer and source page on the back.
- Mistakes PDF — the questions you missed, with their source pages.
- Semester poster — your seals and study stats for the semester.
Files are made on the iPad and handed to the share sheet, so you decide where they go.
How do backup and restore work?
Encrypted backup is part of Pro and stays off until you turn it on in Settings → Encrypted backup. Cardsheet then encrypts your decks, cards, review history and seals on the iPad and saves them in your own iCloud Drive; turn on Include PDFs to back up the PDFs too. The key lives in your iCloud Keychain, so only your devices can open the backup and we cannot read it. The backup is refreshed whenever you leave the app. On a new iPad, sign in with the same Apple Account, restore your purchase, then tap Restore: the backup is merged in and nothing on the iPad is deleted. If it fails, check that you are signed in to iCloud, that iCloud Drive is on, and that it is the same Apple Account. Deleting the app does not delete the backup; to remove it, turn backup off and choose Delete it.
What is free, and what does Pro add?
Free on every PDF
- Unlimited PDF imports & side-by-side reading
- 10 cards + 5 quiz questions per PDF
- Handwritten answers with auto-grading
- 3 Pencil circle-to-cards per PDF
- Spaced review for every free card
- 5 card types + this week's subject pack
- Mastery seals & study stats
Cardsheet Pro
- Unlimited cards & questions from every PDF
- Unlimited Pencil circle-to-cards
- Exam Mode: timed mock exams across decks
- All 14 card types (11 on iPads without on-device Apple models)
- All 8 subject packs
- Semester poster
- Printable deck cover & seal card
- Encrypted iCloud Drive backup & restore
- Export to Anki (TSV), CSV, printable index cards & mistakes PDF
Pro comes as a weekly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time Lifetime purchase that never renews. The price is shown in the app and the App Store before you confirm.
How do I cancel a subscription or get a refund?
Open the Settings app → your name → Subscriptions → Cardsheet Pro and tap Cancel, at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Pro stays on until the end of the period you paid for. Lifetime is not a subscription, so there is nothing to cancel. Refunds are handled by Apple: request one at reportaproblem.apple.com. We cannot issue refunds or see your payment details.
I bought Pro on another iPad. How do I get it back?
Sign in with the same Apple Account, open the purchase screen and tap Restore purchases. Lifetime and active subscriptions come back on every iPad signed in to that account. That restores Pro, not your decks; decks come back only from your own encrypted backup.
Does Cardsheet upload my PDFs?
No. Your PDFs are never uploaded to us: reading, card generation, grading and reviews all happen on your iPad. There is no account, no ads, no analytics and no third-party SDKs, and the App Store label says Data Not Collected. Cardsheet only goes online for the App Store and, if you turn backup on, your own iCloud Drive. The full text is in Settings → Privacy Policy.
Something not covered here? Write to Fuuqiu at Fuuqiu@gmail.com. Cardsheet is published by WANG WENJIE.