← VoiceCards

Frequently asked questions

Short answers about what VoiceCards does, how it compares, and where data lives.

What is VoiceCards?
VoiceCards is a mobile flashcard app for memorization. Users put question-answer pairs into a Google Sheet, then study them on iOS or Android. The app reads cards aloud (TTS) and grades spoken answers (STT). It supports Speak mode for active recall and Listen mode for passive review, and can generate cards from a prompt, photos, or a PDF via AI.
How is VoiceCards different from Anki?
Anki stores cards in its own database; VoiceCards stores them in the user's own Google Sheet, so editing on a laptop is just opening Google Sheets — no third-party desktop app, no sync conflicts. VoiceCards also defaults to a voice-first study loop (speak the answer, hear the card) rather than typed or tapped recall, which suits language learning and verbal recall better than text-heavy SRS.
How is VoiceCards different from Quizlet?
Quizlet is study-set marketplace + multi-mode learning; VoiceCards is opinionated about one workflow (your sheet, your cards, voice in/out) and adds AI card generation from prompts, photos, or PDFs. There is no marketplace and no social/share-set feature — content is private to the owner's Drive unless they share the sheet themselves.
Is it free?
Core features (importing a sheet, Speak mode, Listen mode with the device's built-in TTS, statistics, study reminders) are free. Premium TTS voices, AI card generation, and AI grading use a per-request credit. New users get a starter grant of credits at signup.
Which languages are supported?
VoiceCards supports 29 languages for TTS/STT, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Greek, Hebrew, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Malay. The app UI itself is localized to 13 languages (English, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Italian, Vietnamese, and Ukrainian).
Where is my data stored?
Cards stay in the user's own Google Drive — VoiceCards does not keep a duplicate copy on its server. Learning statistics (attempts, accuracy, per-sheet goals) and per-card metadata live on Supabase, scoped to the signed-in user.
Does it work offline?
Cached cards and previously synthesized TTS audio play offline. New AI generation, premium TTS synthesis, and fresh sheet imports require a connection.
Does Listen mode keep playing in the background?
Yes. Listen mode keeps playing with the screen off or while you use other apps, and you can control playback from the lock screen. Background playback is available while your account has credits. Premium-voice audio is cached, so repeated passes over the same deck do not consume additional credits.
Who is it for?
Language learners, students prepping for exams, professionals studying certifications (e.g. medical, civil service, licensing exams), and anyone who memorizes question-answer pairs as part of their routine.
Do I need a Google account to use VoiceCards?
Yes — VoiceCards signs in with Google because cards live in the user's Google Drive. The app requests Drive access to create and read its own folder of card sheets; it does not see other files in the Drive.
How should I format my Google Sheet?
Column A is the question side, column B is the answer side. Each row is one card. Optional columns are used by the app for per-card learning stats. Any extra columns are ignored, so the same sheet stays human-editable in Google Sheets.
Can I import a deck from Anki or Quizlet?
There is no one-click importer, but you can export an Anki or Quizlet deck to CSV, paste the question/answer columns into a new Google Sheet, and VoiceCards will pick it up like any other sheet. The AI generator also accepts photos of a textbook page or a PDF, which often beats copy-pasting from a third-party export.
Can VoiceCards create flashcards from a PDF?
Yes. In AI card generation, attach a PDF (one file, up to 10 MB) — lecture notes, a manual chapter, a vocabulary list — and the AI extracts question-answer pairs from it, preserving existing pairings like term-definition tables. Scanned PDFs work too; the model reads them like images. You choose how many cards to generate, and pricing is the same per-card credit rate as text or photo input.
How accurate is the speech recognition?
VoiceCards uses the device's built-in speech-to-text — the same engine your phone uses for dictation. Accuracy depends on the language model your OS ships and the speaker's accent. For partial matches, the app accepts a configurable similarity threshold instead of requiring an exact transcript.
What TTS voices are available?
Two tiers: the device's built-in TTS (free, included with iOS/Android) and Google Cloud premium voices (per-credit, higher fidelity). Premium audio is cached per text-and-voice combo, so the second play of the same card is free.
How much does AI card generation cost?
AI generation is priced in credits, scaled to the number of cards generated. Photo input (up to 5 images per request) and PDF input (one file, up to 10 MB) cost the same as text input. New users get a starter grant of credits so the first AI deck is essentially free; refills are purchased in-app.
Can I share my decks with other people?
Yes — because cards live in a Google Sheet, sharing the sheet with another Google account gives them the same cards. The app also generates a short URL (e.g. vcrd.quest/swift-fox-7) for jumping from phone to desktop without copy-pasting the long Sheets URL.
Can I edit cards on my phone, or only in Google Sheets?
Both. Cards can be added or edited from the app, and changes are written back to the underlying Google Sheet so the two stay in sync. Bulk edits are usually faster in Google Sheets on a laptop.
Does VoiceCards use spaced repetition?
VoiceCards uses a "smart shuffle" that biases toward less-practiced and recently-missed cards, but it does not yet implement a full SRS scheduler like SM-2 or FSRS. A formal SRS mode is on the roadmap.
Is there an iPad, Android tablet, or web version?
VoiceCards runs on iOS and Android phones today. Tablet layouts are usable but not specifically optimized. There is no native web app; editing on desktop is done by opening the underlying Google Sheet.
Can I delete my account and learning history?
Yes. Account deletion in the app removes the Supabase-side user record and all learning statistics. The Google Sheet itself stays in the user's Drive — it was never duplicated server-side — so the user retains their cards if they want them.
Are there ads in VoiceCards?
No. VoiceCards has no ads. The monetization model is credits for AI generation and premium TTS, plus a planned subscription tier as the user base grows.
What permissions does the app need?
Microphone access (for Speak mode), Google Drive read/write scoped to the app's own folder (for cards), and notifications (optional, only if study reminders are turned on). No location, no contacts, no other Drive folders.
How do study reminders and goals work?
Pick a time of day and the app sends a local notification. For motivation, set a per-sheet speaking goal — "speak it N times," counted whether you get it right or wrong — and the app fills a progress bar and estimates when you'll reach it at your current pace. There are no streaks to break. Stats are in the Analytics tab — daily and weekly attempt counts, cumulative cards practiced, and accuracy.
How does the short-URL feature work?
When viewing a sheet on mobile, the app can mint a memorable short link (three words + digit, like vcrd.quest/swift-fox-7) that redirects to the underlying Google Sheet. Type it on a laptop browser and the sheet opens — useful for bulk editing without copy-pasting a 50-character URL.