Where Does Anki Store Cards and Media?
Anki2 profile folder with collection.anki2 and collection.media on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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Anki keeps each profile in its own folder under Anki2: a collection.anki2 SQLite database plus a collection.media folder of images and audio. Review history lives in the database, not in AnkiWeb alone.
Sync first, then back up the folder with Anki closed. Restoring an old database over a synced account needs a one way sync choice to avoid merging confusion.
Where Anki stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\Anki2\[Profile]\collection.anki2
Default profile is User 1. Media sits next to the database in collection.media. Automatic backups live in a backups subfolder.
~/Library/Application Support/Anki2/[Profile]/collection.anki2
Same profile layout. In Finder use Go > Go to Folder. Add ons live in addons21 next to profiles.
~/.local/share/Anki2/[Profile]/collection.anki2
Same layout. Check File, Switch Profile in app to confirm the active profile name before copying.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move Anki to a new computer?
Sync to AnkiWeb on the old machine, sync down on the new one. For manual moves, copy the profile folder with Anki closed on both ends.
Where are automatic Anki backups?
In a backups subfolder inside the profile, kept on a rolling count. Restore via File, Switch Profile, Open Backup rather than unzipping by hand.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.