Flashbulb guide

How does spaced repetition work?

Spaced repetition shows you a fact again just before you'd forget it. Each time you recall it, the next review waits longer: a day, then a few days, then weeks. Cards you miss come back sooner. Schedulers like FSRS predict when you'll forget each card, so a few minutes a day keeps hundreds of facts.

Last checked November 3, 2026 by Lyravant.

The forgetting curve

Right after you learn something you remember it well, then the memory fades, quickly at first and then more slowly. Each time you successfully pull the fact back out of memory, it fades more slowly the next time. Spaced repetition times each review for the moment you're about to forget: that recall is the hardest, and the most useful.

What the gaps look like

Typical gaps; the real ones depend on how hard each card is for you.

FSRS, the scheduler

FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) estimates, for every card, how stable your memory of it is and how hard the card is, then sets the next review for when you'd have about a 90% chance of still knowing it. Anki adopted it in version 23.10; Flashbulb uses it too. With an exam date, Flashbulb also paces new cards so they're all learned two days before the exam.

Why it beats re-reading

• Re-reading feels productive because the page looks familiar, but recognising isn't recalling.
• Spaced recall spends your time on what you're about to forget, not on what you already know.
• It's short: most days are 10 to 20 minutes, which is easier to keep up than long sessions.

Questions

More guides