How to Reset an Anki Deck in 2026

Back up before you reset

A reset changes every card in the deck. Make a backup first, so you can go back.

1. Create a backup. In Anki desktop 2.1.50 or later, choose File > Create Backup. The backup has your cards and scheduling, but not sounds or images.
2. For a copy with media, choose File > Export, select Anki collection package (.colpkg), and turn on include media. Keep the file on another device or in cloud storage.

To restore a backup, choose File > Switch Profile, then Open Backup. You lose every change made after the backup. Anki also makes automatic backups, every 30 minutes by default.

Source: Anki manual: Backups

Reset a whole deck in Anki desktop

The Anki manual has no one-step deck reset. You select the deck’s cards in the Browse window, then reset them.

1. Open Browse. Click Browse in the main window, or press B.
2. Show cards, not notes. The switch to the left of the search box shows Cards or Notes. Set it to Cards. In Notes mode, a reset also changes the note’s cards in other decks.
3. Find the deck’s cards. Search deck:french, using your deck’s name. Put quotes around a name with a space: deck:"french words". The search includes the deck’s subdecks.
4. Select every card. Choose Edit > Select All. The shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+A on Windows and Linux.
5. Reset them. Choose Cards > Reset. The shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+N on Windows and Linux.
6. Choose the options. Restore original position where possible puts the cards back in their first new-card order. Reset repetition and lapse counts sets those counts to zero.
7. Click OK. If it was a mistake, choose Edit > Undo at once.

Reset only some cards? Select just those rows before you choose Cards > Reset. Reset changes only the selected cards.

Sources: Anki manual: BrowsingAnki manual: SearchingAnki 26.09.3 Browse window menus

What Reset changes, and what it keeps

The cards become new

They move to the end of the new-card queue and come back as new cards.

Review history stays

Anki keeps each card’s past reviews. Reset does not delete them.

New cards/day sets the pace

The deck’s New cards/day limit decides how many reset cards you see each day. Missed days do not add up.

Reset used to be Forget

Anki 24.04 renamed Forget to Reset. Older guides use the old name.

Sources: Anki manual: BrowsingAnki manual: Deck optionsAnki 24.04 release notes

Reset cards on iPhone

In AnkiMobile, Reset Card turns the card on screen back into a new card. Set Due Date with 0 days makes a card ready to review at once.

For a whole deck, use Anki desktop. The AnkiMobile manual does not list a bulk reset. Reset the deck on the desktop, then sync, so the iPhone gets the change.

Source: AnkiMobile manual: Study tools

Too many reviews? Cut the backlog instead

A pile of overdue reviews is the usual reason to reset. These deck options make the daily load smaller and keep what you already know.

Stop new cards for now

The Anki manual recommends no new cards until you catch up. Each new card adds reviews later. It estimates that 20 new cards a day gives about 200 reviews a day.

Set Maximum reviews/day

This caps the reviews Anki shows each day. By default, it also stops new cards when you hit the cap.

Spread the overdue cards

In Cards mode, search deck:"Your deck" is:due -is:learn. That finds the deck’s due reviews and leaves cards in learning alone. Select all, and choose Cards > Set Due Date (Ctrl+Shift+D). A range such as 0-6 spreads the cards over the next week. Without an exclamation mark, their intervals stay the same.

Lower desired retention (FSRS)

The default is 90%. A lower value gives fewer reviews but more forgotten cards. Today’s count changes only if Reschedule cards on change is on. It is off by default.

Use Easy Days

Mark some weekdays Reduced or Minimum, and Anki moves due dates a little to study less on those days. It changes future intervals, so today’s count does not drop.

Clear today’s reviews first

Custom Study > Increase today’s review card limit shows more of today’s due cards when you have the time.

Sources: Anki manual: Deck optionsAnki manual: BrowsingAnki manual: Filtered decks

Starting over in another app?

Smort, our iPhone app, imports the text cards in an Anki .apkg and can start them fresh. Images, audio, and some custom card templates don’t import. You say or type each answer instead of flipping the card. Your Anki collection stays as it is. Smort for iPhone is coming soon.

Import an Anki deck on iPhone →

Join waitlistComing soon for iPhone

Common questions

How do I reset an Anki deck?

In Anki desktop, open Browse, set the switch left of the search box to Cards, and search deck:"Your deck name". Choose Edit > Select All, then Cards > Reset. Every card in the deck becomes a new card again.

Does resetting delete my review history?

No. Reset moves the cards to the end of the new-card queue and keeps their review history. The Reset dialog can also set the repetition and lapse counts back to zero.

Where did Forget go?

Anki 24.04 renamed Forget to Reset. It is in the same place: the Cards menu of the Browse window.

Can I undo a reset?

Right after the reset, choose Edit > Undo in the Browse window. Later, you can restore a backup from File > Switch Profile > Open Backup, but you lose every change made after that backup.

How do I reset a deck on iPhone?

AnkiMobile has Reset Card for the card on screen. To reset a whole deck, reset it in Anki desktop, then sync so the change reaches your iPhone.

Should I reset, or just cut my reviews?

Reset when you want to learn the deck again from the start. If you still know most of the cards, keep your progress: stop new cards until the backlog is gone, and set a maximum number of reviews a day.

Sources