If you haven’t visited YouVersion for a while, it’s worth the time.
Thanks to the organizers, you finally have a free bible on your phone, tablet, and computer. It’s simple, clean and ad-free, with 150 million installs (and counting). With it, you can read, study, subscribe to Bible-reading plans, and use it across all your devices, with your notes, bookmarks, highlights, and plans syncing perfectly. And by visiting their “Now” page at…
You can get an idea of how much use the product is getting. (A lot, by the way.) So far, they’ve incorporated 982 versions in 679 languages. YouVersion is a ministry of LifeChurch.tv, which, in and of itself, is worth a visit. Wow.
They began in Oklahoma City with 40 people meeting in a two-car garage in 1996. They have multiple locations in five states, along with 20 tv campuses. ChurchReport.com considers them the 5th most influential church in the USA. If you have kids, see the next item. :-)
YouVersion is my favorite Bible reading app, and while some find it annoying (despite it being an option you can turn on or off), I love that it will send you regular reminders to keep up with your selected reading plan(s), of which there are a seemingly endless number to choose from. I also appreciate the audio option that is included with some translations.
One downside to YouVersion is that it is designed primarily for online use, so you need a wi-fi or cellular data connection to access some Bible translations as well as features such as highlighting, text searches, and notes. It is also not geared toward Bible study. For these reasons, I find it helpful to have a second go-to app that allows me to both operate fully offline and provides better study tools. My app of choice is Laridian’s Pocket Bible. Olive Tree is another great option. And, of course, if you have an investment in Logos, you should give the Logos app a try.
Regarding translations, YouVersion is well-poised to continue building its extensive list of translations. I have very mixed feelings about it, but a group called ETEN is rapidly acquiring rights to the vast majority of translations around the globe, providing access to apps/websites/etc. who get approved for a “digital library card.” Unfortunately, most applications to ETEN for a “library card” are currently rejected, and those who do get a card don’t necessarily get full access to the growing library of scriptures (ETEN decides this, as far as I know). The good news here is that YouVersion has close ties to ETEN and should continue to get full or near full access to all scripture translations in the library.