How to Change Your Anki Background (simple)

Many people feel that Anki is not appealing to look at out of the box. Luckily Changing your Anki background is very easy. All we need is to install a simple add-on. There is no CSS editing in this guide.

Table of Contents

1. Install A Custom Background Add-on

Firstly, Anki does not allow you to do this by default, so we need an add-on. Custom Background Image and Gear Icon is the most popular add-on for this and my personal favorite.

If you are interested in other ways to improve your Anki experience, I wrote an article on my 10 favorite add-ons for Anki that make Anki an amazing user experience.

How to install an Anki add-on — Install Custom Background Image and Gear Icon

It only takes a couple of steps to install an Anki add-on.

Go to tools -> add-ons –> get add-ons
Enter code 1210908941

2. Find an Image

Next, you will need to find an image to set as your background. There are two options here, either you can choose one of the ones in the collection below or you can find your own backgrounds.

My collection of 20 aesthetic Anki backgrounds

I actually took the time to compile 20 of the most Aesthetic backgrounds I could find into a Pexels collection if you want some really good backgrounds right off the bat that are compatible with Anki’s interface. The gallery above is just a sample of the images in the collection.

However, if these backgrounds don’t suit your fancy, I’ll show you how to find your own.

How to find your own background

I tend to prefer the darker background so I can keep my text white and still be able to read it. It’s generally best to find a background that contrasts with either or black white text. This way you will still be able to read your deck names. This may take some playing around until your image selection is what you want.

With this in mind, I have listed some resources to find your own backgrounds below.

Best sites for Anki Backrounds:

That’s all there is to finding the perfect Anki background.

3. Put Your Image in The Background Folder

Where to put custom Anki background image file — Put Your Image in The Folder

Next, you will need to put your image in the special folder for background images.

Go to Anking –> Custom Background and Gear Icon –> Open Image Folders –> background
Drag and drop your images into this folder

4. Set The Image as The Background

How to set custom Anki background — Set Your Custom Background Image

To set a single image as your background simply click the three dots next to the Image name for the background and the folder menu will pop up.

If you want to have a selection of images that randomly change just click the random images button in the Custom Background and Gear Icon settings rather than going to the image folder.

5. Adust Anki’s look to fit your image (Optional)

Adjusting text

This step is optional if you like the image you have. But if you want the text to contrast better with your particular background it’s a good idea to change your text color.

This can be done by installing the Anki ReColor add-on. Install this using the same steps as the first add-on and use code 688199788.

Change Anki Text colour — Matching Text Colours in Anki

With this add-on you can easily and completely customize all of the different text colors in Anki to fit your background. Once you have this add-on you will need to find the colors you need.

If you want to match your background and the text in Anki together you can use this website to find the correct HEX color code. Or you can use this site to just pick any HEX color you want.

Once you have your color code go to AnKing –> reColor and edit the text you need to match.

Adjusting Review Heatmap

Change Review Heatmap Color Scheme in Anki — Changing Review Heatmap Colour Scheme

If you have Review Heatmap installed (like I do) then you should configure its color scheme to match your new background.

To do this simply click on the slider icon and adjust the color scheme in the general tab.

6. Bonus step: Change your Gear Icon

Lastly, Custom Background Image and Gear Icon also allow you to change your gear icon. The add-on comes with many icon choices but you can head over to Flaticon for more options.

Changing the icon is the same as the background. All you do is select the three dots to the right of the Image name for the Gear Icon area in the Custom Background settings menu.

That’s It! You have a fully customized background for Anki that fits in with your other add-ons.

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Sean

Hello, my name is Sean and I am currently a Cognitive Science student at a Canadian University. My passion for learning has led me to research the ways in which we can optimize our learning as students. I believe that learning should be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. I am constantly seeking out new ways to make the most out of my learning at university and I write about those things here.