Anki sync/database issue – unable to repair

[Katze1125]

Hello,

I’m having a serious issue with my Anki collection.

My collection contains ~87,000 cards.
After syncing between AnkiMobile (iPad) and Anki Desktop, only ~82,000 cards appear.
I previously received a warning about cards with position numbers ≥ 1,000,000.

I tried:

• Check Database
• Reposition cards
• Full sync (upload/download)

The issue persists and card/deck counts are incorrect.
I suspect my collection/database may be corrupted.

I also tried to create a forum account but registration does not work. And when I add new cards I only see not all of my new cards only 5 or something

Could you please advise how to safely repair or recover my collection?

Thank you very much.

[Danika_Dakika]

@Katze1125

My collection contains ~87,000 cards.
After syncing between AnkiMobile (iPad) and Anki Desktop, only ~82,000 cards appear.

1. Which platform did you see the 87K cards on – and where were you looking to see that (as in: what screen, what did you search for, etc.)?
2. Does that platform still show 87K cards, and the other one only shows 82K cards? Or do they both show 82K cards now?
3. How does the number of notes compare between the 2 devices? [Make sure you understand the difference between notes and cards.]

@Katze1125

I suspect my collection/database may be corrupted.

4. If Check Database went fine, and your collection is syncing between devices successfully, that’s unlikely. Are you getting any errors that suggest database corruption?

@Katze1125

I also tried to create a forum account but registration does not work

5. It seems like that’s resolved, since you did create this account and post this message.

@Katze1125

And when I add new cards I only see not all of my new cards only 5 or something

6. After you add a new note – where are you looking that you’re not seeing all of the cards you expect?

[Katze1125]

Thank you for your reply. I will answer your questions one by one.

1. I saw the ~87,000 cards on Anki Desktop (Mac). I was looking at the Browse (Cards) view with no filters applied and an empty search field, showing the total card count at the top.

2. On Anki Desktop, the collection still shows ~87,000 cards. On AnkiMobile (iPad), it only shows ~82,000 cards after syncing. This difference persists even after a full sync (upload from Desktop, download on iPad).

3. The number of notes appears to be similar on both devices, but the number of cards differs, which is why I believe some cards are not being generated or displayed correctly on AnkiMobile.

4. Check Database completes without errors, and syncing itself finishes successfully. However, I previously received a warning about cards with position numbers ≥ 1,000,000, and despite repositioning cards, the card count mismatch and display issues persist.

6. After adding a new Image Occlusion note, I expect multiple cards to be created. However, when I check the deck or Browse view, I only see one card instead of all expected cards. This happens even when no filters are applied. The missing cards are not visible on AnkiMobile, and sometimes not immediately visible on Desktop either.

Because of the persistent mismatch in card counts and the Image Occlusion cards not appearing correctly, I’m concerned that something in the collection state or card generation is not behaving as expected.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Danika_Dakika]

So sorry I missed your response!

@Katze1125

2. On Anki Desktop, the collection still shows ~87,000 cards. On AnkiMobile (iPad), it only shows ~82,000 cards after syncing. This difference persists even after a full sync (upload from Desktop, download on iPad).

I downloaded the collection you have synced to AnkiWeb, and it has 87K cards (from 71K notes). I synced it to my AnkiMobile [through a my test account, so it was a one-way sync] and I see the exact same number of cards (and notes). [I also get the same results when I check “Empty Cards” on each device. But that’s less than 100 cards, so even if they were different, it wouldn’t be enough to account for the difference you’re seeing.]

2b. Can you clarify where you’re looking to see the number of cards on AnkiMobile? My method for getting these same totals was similar to how you did it on desktop – opening Browse, running an empty search, and clicking the to get into select mode – which shows the total number at the top of the screen.

2c. Take a look at Stats > Card Counts on each device, and click “collection” at the top of the screen. What total number of cards does it give you?

@Katze1125

6. After adding a new Image Occlusion note, I expect multiple cards to be created. However, when I check the deck or Browse view, I only see one card instead of all expected cards.

6b. How are you getting from the Add Note window to Browse? Are you selecting that note from the “History” button? Are you running a fresh search in Browse (and if so, what are you searching for)?

6c. Is your Browse window in “Cards” mode?