Meet the New Flashcard Assistant: Smarter Study with Foundation Models

lioneldude
Sep 23
2 min read

With the release of iOS 26, we’re excited to bring a major upgrade to Card Drill: the new Flashcard Assistant, powered by Apple’s Foundation Models framework.

This feature makes creating flashcards and decks easier than ever — whether you’re learning a new language, memorizing vocabulary, or brushing up on quick math facts.

Card Drill flashcards app powered by Foundation Models — Flashcard Assistant powered by Foundation Models

What are Foundation Models?

Foundation Models are Apple’s new on-device AI framework, introduced in iOS 26. Unlike cloud-based systems, Foundation Models run directly on your iPhone or iPad, giving you:

Privacy – your data never leaves your device.
Speed – instant suggestions without waiting for a server.
Efficiency – optimized for Apple Silicon, so it’s lightweight and battery-friendly.

In short, Foundation Models bring Apple Intelligence capabilities to your apps in a way that’s private, fast, and deeply integrated with iOS.

How the Flashcard Assistant Helps You

Inside Card Drill, the Flashcard Assistant works seamlessly in two places:

When adding a card → get smart suggestions for the front text of new flashcards.
When creating a deck → instantly see theme ideas (like “Travel Phrases” or “Basic Grammar”) to help you get started.

If you like the suggestions, just tap to insert them into your card or deck. Pro subscribers can even re-generate new suggestions with a single tap.

Flashcard Assistant with card suggestions

Availability

Flashcard Assistant is available on devices that support Apple Intelligence. On devices without Apple Intelligence, the feature will simply not appear — so your experience stays smooth and consistent.

Why This Matters

We built Card Drill to be fast, simple, and motivating. With Foundation Models, we can now help you spend less time thinking “what should I add next?” and more time actually studying.