Anki's difficulty buttons changed, and you want the original three back

Anki's default review screen shows four buttons: Again, Hard, Good, and Easy. If your deck is showing only two buttons (Again and Good), or if you want to restore the full set after accidentally hiding them, you can turn them back on in your deck settings. The buttons control how soon Anki shows you a card again — Easy makes it wait longest, Hard makes it wait less long, and Again resets the card to the beginning.

The setting that controls this is called Bury related new cards and related options in your deck configuration. Most readers will find the fix in the deck options menu, which takes about 30 seconds to reach.

Key Takeaways

  • The four-button layout (Again, Hard, Good, Easy) is Anki's default, and you can restore it by opening your deck options.
  • On the deck screen, right-click your deck name and select Options to reach the settings that control button visibility.
  • Look for settings related to card scheduling and button count — the exact location depends on whether you use Anki Desktop or AnkiDroid.
  • If buttons are still missing after checking deck options, restart Anki completely to refresh the display.

Restore the buttons in Anki Desktop

Open Anki and look at your deck list on the left side. Right-click the deck name where you want the buttons back, then select Options from the menu that appears. A new window will open showing your deck configuration.

Look for a section labeled Lapses or New Cards depending on your Anki version. In the Lapses section, you should see a field that says Relearning steps. If this field is empty or set to a single value, Anki may be hiding the Hard button. Enter at least one value here — for example, 10 means Anki will show the card again after 10 minutes if you press Hard.

If you do not see a Lapses section, check the Review tab instead. Look for any setting that mentions "steps" or "intervals". Once you have entered a value in the Relearning steps field, click Save at the bottom of the window. Go back to your deck and start a review — the Hard button should now appear.

Restore the buttons in AnkiDroid

On your Android device, open AnkiDroid and tap the deck you want to fix. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner, then select Deck Options. Scroll down until you find the section labeled Lapses.

In the Lapses section, look for Relearning steps. If this field is blank or contains only one number, tap it and enter a value — 10 is a common starting point. This tells AnkiDroid to show the Hard button and wait 10 minutes before showing the card again if you choose it. Tap Save or the back arrow to confirm your changes.

Return to your deck and start a review session. The Hard button should now be visible alongside Again, Good, and Easy.

Why the buttons disappeared in the first place

Anki hides the Hard button when your Relearning steps field is empty. Relearning steps tell Anki what to do when you press Hard on a card you have already learned — it is the schedule for cards you got wrong. If there is no schedule, Anki assumes you do not want to use the Hard button and removes it from the screen.

This can happen if you imported a deck with unusual settings, or if you manually cleared the Relearning steps field at some point. The Easy button stays visible because it is controlled by a different setting, which is why you might see only two or three buttons instead of four.

Set up Relearning steps the way most people use them

If you want the buttons back and are not sure what numbers to enter, here is a simple setup that works for most decks. In the Relearning steps field, enter 10. This means if you press Hard on a card, Anki will show it again after 10 minutes.

If you want more control, you can enter multiple steps separated by spaces — for example, 1 10 means Anki will show the card after 1 minute, then after 10 minutes, then move it back into your regular review schedule. Most people use one or two steps. Once you save these settings, all four buttons will appear on every review card in that deck.

Check your Anki version if buttons still do not appear

Older versions of Anki (before 2.1) stored settings differently, and the menu locations may not match what you see. If you are using Anki 2.0 or earlier, look for Deck Properties instead of Deck Options. The Relearning steps field should still be there, usually under a tab labeled Lapses.

If you are not sure which version you have, open Anki and look at the window title or go to Help > About. If you are using a very old version, consider updating to Anki 2.1 or later, where the interface is clearer and the buttons are more reliable.

Restart Anki if the buttons still do not show after saving

Sometimes Anki does not refresh the review screen immediately after you change deck options. Close Anki completely — not just the deck, but the entire program. Wait a few seconds, then open Anki again and go back to your deck. Start a new review session and check whether the buttons appear.

If the buttons are still missing, double-check that you actually saved your changes. Open the deck options again and look at the Relearning steps field — if it is blank, your save did not stick. Enter the value again and make sure you see a confirmation message or button before closing the options window.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Hard and Good?

Hard tells Anki you found the card difficult but you did remember it. Anki will show it again sooner than if you pressed Good. Good means you remembered it at a normal pace. Easy means you remembered it easily and Anki will wait the longest before showing it again.

Can I add more than four buttons?

Anki's standard interface shows only four buttons. You cannot add a fifth button through the settings. Some advanced users write custom code to add buttons, but this requires editing Anki's source files and is not supported by the main Anki project.

Do I have to use all four buttons?

No. You can ignore the Hard button and use only Again, Good, and Easy if you prefer. Anki will still work normally. Some people find four buttons overwhelming and stick to three or even two.

Will changing these settings affect cards I have already reviewed?

No. Changing Relearning steps only affects how Anki schedules cards going forward. Cards you have already reviewed keep their current schedule. The change takes effect the next time you press Hard on a card.

What if my deck has different settings than other decks?

Each deck can have its own options. If one deck shows four buttons and another shows only two, they have different Relearning steps settings. You can fix them one at a time by opening each deck's options separately, or you can create a shared options group that applies to multiple decks at once.