Which platforms does Tomaru support, and how does sync work?

Which platforms does Tomaru support?

Tomaru is available on three platforms: iOS, Android, and the web. You access all three using a single account, and your study progress, custom word lists, and card histories sync automatically across every device.

All three versions are completely free to download and use. The iOS application has no purchase price, allowing you to access a full-featured spaced repetition system on iPhone and iPad without paying an upfront fee.

How does progress syncing work across devices?

When you complete a review session on one platform, your updated memory scores write to your central sync record. Answering a card on your phone updates that card's FSRS retrievability, stability, and difficulty values across your account, writing to the same review record.

This unified record extends to mobile home screen widgets. Both iOS and Android versions include home screen widgets with all four rating buttons (Forgot, Fuzzy, Clear, and Know it). Reviews completed through a widget write to the same review record as reviews completed inside the main application.

What system features are unique to iOS and Android?

While core flashcard features, algorithms, and statistics are identical across platforms, mobile versions include integrations built for their respective operating systems:

• Android text selection: Tomaru appears directly in the native system text-selection menu. When reading an article, email, or message in another app, you can highlight a word and send it straight to Tomaru to generate a new card.
• iOS translation provider: Tomaru integrates as a system translation extension on iOS. You can trigger card creation and sentence translation lookups directly from system text menus across iOS apps.

Both mobile platforms also support app interface display in 7 languages: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, and Hindi.

Does Tomaru work offline?

No. Tomaru requires an active network connection to function. Card reviews, speech synthesis, AI features, and progress updates all communicate directly with sync servers, so you cannot complete study sessions or capture new vocabulary while offline.

To learn more about core app capabilities, read our guide on what Tomaru is.

Related questions

Do I need to buy the iOS app if I already use Tomaru on the web?

No. The Tomaru iOS app is free to download and requires no purchase. Logging into your account syncs all web progress to your phone.

Will reviews done on my home screen widget count toward my study statistics?

Yes. Widget reviews use the same four rating buttons and update your main account record, statistics, and FSRS card scheduling.

Can I capture words from other apps on Android?

Yes. Selecting text in any Android app opens the system menu, where you can tap Tomaru to import the selected word directly into your study queue.

Can I access my word lists from a browser on a desktop computer?

Yes. Log into the Tomaru web interface with your account credentials to access all your decks, complete reviews, and track progress on any desktop browser.