KnowmadRead
A reader for books you read to learn
- Import your own books and organize them in folders.
- Open a book stored in iCloud on any of your devices at the exact spot where you stopped.
Knowmad: Words & Flashcards
Remember what you read
A reading app for iPhone and iPad for people who read to learn. Turn passages and figures from your books into flashcards linked to their page, save new words with a simple definition or a translation, and review both with spaced repetition.
Get Knowmad on the App Store
- Free with 3 books, 50 flashcards and 50 saved words
- Your own books
- iPhone and iPad, iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later
- No account
- App in English, Russian and Ukrainian
- Select a sentence and tap New Flashcard.
- The sentence becomes the answer. Tap Generate and AI writes a question from it, or write your own.
- Later, Go to Source opens the book at that page.
Flashcards and new words from the books you read
Most reading apps stop at the highlight. Knowmad keeps reading, flashcards, new words and review in one app, and every flashcard stays linked to the page it came from.
- Read
- Save
- Study
- Go back to the page
Flashcards
Turn what matters into a flashcard
- Crop a figure, diagram or formula as an image card.
- Build one flashcard from text spread over several pages.
Vocabulary
New words explained in simple words, or translated
- Select a word and tap Define.
- Get a definition in simple words, written like a learner's dictionary and never using the word itself, or a translation. You choose for each language.
- The sentence where you found the word is its first example.
- Hear how the word is pronounced, and mark words you already know.
- Definitions use Apple Intelligence or your own AI key; translations work on the device.
Study
Review at the right time, so you remember
- Spaced repetition brings each flashcard and word back after longer and longer gaps: often while you're learning it, rarely once you know it.
- Words go through three kinds of questions: pick the word from four options, build it from letters, then type it.
- Study a book's due cards and words from the reader, or a whole folder from the library.
- 1 day
- 2 days
- 3 days
- 5 days
- 8 days
- 13 days
- 21 days
- Learned: then 34, 55, 89 days and longer
Who Knowmad is for
Anyone who reads to learn and wants to keep what they read: people reading for work, people teaching themselves from textbooks, people learning a language from real books, and people working through nonfiction on a subject they care about. You bring the books; Knowmad doesn't sell or supply them. For a step-by-step method, see how to remember what you read.
Private and calm
No account
Your books stay in your own iCloud or on your device. Flashcards and words sync through your own private iCloud database. We don't operate a cloud library of your files.
No streaks, notifications or ads
Knowmad sends no notifications, puts no badge on its app icon, shows no ads and keeps no streaks. Open it when you want to read or study.
Anonymous analytics you can turn off
Anonymous usage statistics are on by default. They never include your books, flashcards or words, and you can turn them off in Settings. Privacy Policy
AI that helps when you want it
AI can explain a word, write example sentences, suggest a flashcard question, or make an answer concise or turn it into key points. You decide what to keep, and the app never creates cards on its own.
On your device
On devices that support Apple Intelligence, AI features run on the device for the languages it supports. Your text isn't sent to us or to any AI provider.
Connect Your AI
On any iPhone or iPad, add your own OpenAI or Google Gemini API key. Requests go straight from your device to your provider, and you pay the provider directly. Knowmad adds no charge. How to set it up
Without AI
Definitions and example sentences need Apple Intelligence or your own key. Without either, you can still translate words on the device with Apple's Translation, offline once the language is downloaded, and write flashcards yourself.
Free and Knowmad Plus
Both versions include reading, spaced repetition, iCloud sync and AI features. Plus only removes the limits on how much you can add.
Free
No time limit
- 3 books
- 50 flashcards
- 50 saved words
Knowmad Plus
US$3.00 a month, or US$27.00 a year (25% less)
- Unlimited books
- Unlimited flashcards
- Unlimited saved words
Prices shown are for the United States; the App Store shows the price for your country. Subscriptions are handled by Apple, work with Family Sharing, and can be cancelled at any time. If Plus ends, nothing you made is deleted, hidden or locked: every book stays readable, and every flashcard and word stays available to study and edit.
Questions and answers
Is there a free trial of Knowmad Plus?
No. The free version has no time limit, so you can use the full app with 3 books, 50 flashcards and 50 saved words before you decide.
Do I need an account?
No. Knowmad has no account and no sign-in. Your books, flashcards and words stay in your own iCloud or on your device.
Which devices does Knowmad work on?
iPhone and iPad, iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later. There is no Android, Windows or web version.
Which file formats can I import?
PDF files. Other formats, such as EPUB, are not supported. See Support for how to import a book.
Can I highlight or write notes in a book?
You can't add new highlights or notes. Knowmad shows the highlights already in a file, and you can tap one to define its words or turn it into a flashcard. See How reading works.
Do I need AI to use Knowmad?
No. You can write flashcards yourself and translate words on the device. Definitions and example sentences need Apple Intelligence or your own AI key. See Connect Your AI.
Which languages can I look up words in?
Any language your chosen option supports: the languages Apple Intelligence supports on the device, the language pairs Apple's Translation supports, or the languages your OpenAI or Gemini model handles.
Can I export my flashcards or import cards from another app?
Knowmad can't import cards from other apps. To keep a copy of your own flashcards, saved words and known words, open Settings → Backup and tap Export Backup. Import Backup adds them back, for example after you move to a different iCloud account. Books are not included.
Does Knowmad work offline?
Reading and studying work offline for books downloaded to the device. Apple Intelligence and downloaded translation languages also work offline. Connect Your AI and iCloud sync need an internet connection.
How is Knowmad different from a separate flashcard app?
You make cards inside the reader from the text or figure you select, and each card keeps a link to its page, so during review you can go back to where it came from.
Does Knowmad use active recall?
Yes. A flashcard shows its question first, so you try to recall the answer before you flip it. See How it works.
How many flashcards should I review each day?
There is no daily target or limit. Knowmad shows the flashcards and words that are due, starting with the ones most overdue compared with their interval. You can stop at any time, and the answers you gave are saved.
Who makes Knowmad?
Knowmad is made by Oleksandr Baralei, an independent developer. Write to [email protected] with questions or feedback.
More help is on the Support page.
Start with your next book
Free to start. No account.
Get Knowmad on the App StoreMade by Oleksandr Baralei, an independent developer, who answers every email at [email protected].