Why does Tomaru make me wait before showing a word I marked "Forgot" again? What is cooldown?

Key points

• Tomaru's cooldown: cards you mark "Forgot" rest for a few minutes (and so do new words you mark "Clear" when your study method is set to "Pass twice"), then come back, and the screen tells you how many cards return in how many minutes.
• Tomaru uses cooldown because recalling a word right after learning it is mostly short-term memory, and recalling it after a short gap is what makes it last.
• While you wait, Tomaru lets you "Play while waiting": Hoops (pull down and release to shoot) or Tower (tap at the right time to drop the block), and both keep your high score.
• Tomaru can notify you when the time is up if you turn on "Remind me when all cooldowns end"; on iPhone, Tomaru also shows a countdown in the Dynamic Island or on the Lock Screen.
• If you're short on time, Tomaru lets you tap "Skip Cooldown" or "Skip all cooldowns," and you can skip the cooldown from the home screen widget too.

When does cooldown appear?

When you finish a round of cards but some are still cooling down, Tomaru shows "Take a little break" with a list of the words in cooldown and when they'll return. Once the cooldown is over, it shows "Ready to go back."

Related questions

Can I skip the cooldown?

Yes. "Skip Cooldown" skips just one card, and "Skip all cooldowns" brings every card back right away; but waiting a little before you're tested again helps you remember longer.

Will Tomaru let me know when the cooldown ends?

Yes. Turn on "Remind me when all cooldowns end" and you'll get a notification when the cooldown is over; on iPhone, a countdown appears in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen.

Do the cooldown mini-games cost anything?

No. Hoops and Tower are both free.