Summary
Pressing the 4 key (which should rate a card Easy) has, in every clean test I’ve run, logged instead as Rating 1 (Again). This isn’t a one-off — I’ve reproduced it 3 separate times, including on a completely default “Basic” note type in a brand-new test deck with no custom template or JavaScript involved. Typing “4” in other applications (e.g. Google Docs) produces the correct character, so this isn’t a hardware key or macOS layout issue.
Reproduction data (from Card Info)
Test 1 — AnkiHub note type (“Basic 86f9e”), Study Designs deck:
| Time | Intended | Logged Rating | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17:36 | 4 (Easy) | 1 | 10 minutes |
| 17:37 | 2 (Hard) | 4 | 2 days |
Test 2 — Vanilla “Basic” note type, brand-new “test” deck (no custom template):
| Time | Intended | Logged Rating | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17:43 | 4 (Easy) | 1 | 10 minutes |
| 17:43 | 2 (Hard) | 4 | 2 days |
Test 3 — Same AnkiHub note type, different card:
| Time | Intended | Logged Rating | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17:39 | 4 (Easy) | 1 | 10 minutes |
| 17:39 | 3 (Good) | 3 (correct) | 1 day |
Pattern: across all 3 tests, pressing 4 logged as 1 with 100% consistency. The press immediately following a misfired “4” was also wrong twice (2 logged as 4) but correct once (3 logged as 3) — so the “4→1” swap looks like the real, reliable bug; the follow-on press may just be residual noise from whatever is happening with the 4 key specifically.
What I’ve already ruled out, with evidence
- Learning/relearning step misconfiguration — confirmed both set to
10min deck options. On-screen interval preview labels before each press matched expectations (Again<10m, Hard15m, Good/Easy graduating to2d/9d), so the step config itself is correct. - Mouse input — clicking the Again/Good/Easy buttons directly with the mouse produced correct, expected ratings every time. This rules out the core button-to-rating logic being broken.
- Numeric keypad confusion — I only have and use the keyboard number row, no numpad, so a numpad layout mix-up isn’t possible here.
- Physical key / macOS layout issue — typing 4 and 2 in other apps (e.g. Google Docs) produces the correct characters every time. Also checked System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Input Sources: only one layout active.
- Third-party controller add-on conflict — I have both “Anki Remote - Customize” (a physical Bluetooth clicker, set to Key mode) and “Contanki” (controller support) installed. Disabled Contanki and restarted Anki; the 4→1 misfire still happened afterward (Tests 2 and 3 above were both run after disabling Contanki).
- Note-type/custom JavaScript — Test 2 above used Anki’s completely default “Basic” note type in a fresh deck with zero custom template code, and the bug still reproduced identically.
- System-wide key remapping (Karabiner-Elements, BetterTouchTool, etc.) — checked Applications and menu bar, nothing installed. Checked System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts, no custom entries for Anki or the number row.
Still installed (for context, in case relevant)
AMBOSS Official, Anki Remote - Customize, AnkiHub, BetterSearch, Contanki (currently disabled), Custom Background Image and Gear Icon, Postpone Cards Review, Review Heatmap
Question for the community
Has anyone seen a specific number key reliably map to the wrong rating like this, especially after ruling out add-ons, hardware, and note templates? Is there a known interaction between “Anki Remote - Customize” (even when not actively pressing its physical buttons) and Anki’s own keyboard event handling that could explain a single key being intercepted this consistently? Happy to provide anything else — screenshots of Card Info, add-on list, or profile folder if useful.jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj