Anki Desktop Update Checker
Checks whether your Anki Desktop is up-to-date with the latest official release (optionally includes pre-releases).
Anki does include a built-in update check, but it’s typically used for major updates and only after they’ve been out for a while, so many minor/stable releases won’t trigger an in-app prompt. This add-on fills that gap by checking quietly on profile open (configurable) and notifying you only when a newer version is detected.
What it does Compares your installed Anki version against the latest official GitHub release. Silent on startup; shows a dialog only when a newer version is found. Manual check available under Tools → Check for Anki Updates. On Anki versions that include the native Upgrade/Downgrade launcher, offers to run it; otherwise opens the official download page. If you enable pre-releases, the add-on will not offer the native launcher (since it installs only stable builds) and will instead offer the official download page. Compatibility Tested with Anki 24.04.1, 25.02.7, 25.07.5 on Windows. Designed to work on Windows/macOS/Linux. Python 3.9+ compatible (no 3.10-only syntax). Install / Use After installing, restart Anki. To check manually: Tools → Check for Anki Updates. On startup, the add-on checks according to your configured interval and only shows a dialog if an update is available. Configuration
Open Tools → Add-ons → Anki Desktop Update Checker → Config.
{ “_last_check_ts”: 1755910470, “_last_known_latest”: “25.07.5”, “check_interval”: “startup”, “check_interval_days”: 0, “check_on_startup”: true, “download_page_url”: “https://apps.ankiweb.net/”, “include_prereleases”: false }
check_on_startup: true to allow automatic checks; false for manual-only. check_interval (recommended): “startup” → check every time Anki opens. “Nm”, “Nh”, “Nd” → every N minutes/hours/days (e.g., “30m”, “12h”, “3d”). “never” → disable auto-checks (manual menu still works). check_interval_days (legacy): number of days; used only if check_interval is absent. include_prereleases: true to consider betas/pre-releases; when enabled, the add-on won’t offer the native Upgrade/Downgrade option, only the official download page. download_page_url: Where to send you when you choose “Open the official download page.” Default: https://apps.ankiweb.net/. _last_check_ts: Unix timestamp of the last automatic check. Used to enforce the interval. You generally don’t need to change this. _last_known_latest: most recent “latest” version the add-on saw (e.g., “25.07.5”). Display/diagnostic only; safe to ignore. Notes & limits Network/API errors are silent on startup (you’ll only see them when you run a manual check). Linux sandboxing/Flatpak: if the OS refuses to open a browser, the add-on shows a copyable URL. Troubleshooting “Update check failed …”: Likely network, proxy, or GitHub rate-limit; run the manual check again later or open the download page directly from the dialog. Native Upgrade/Downgrade not shown: Your Anki build may not include the launcher; the add-on will fall back to the website.
Developed by Enrique C. Guerra • Built with support from ChatGPT-5
Reviews (1)
👍 2025-08-23
it’s a good idea add-on! convenient for Anki users who want to try the latest Anki right away👍️
