Appsfire Names the Bible App for iOS in Top 10

Out of every app available in the iTunes App Store, Appsfire recently listed the Bible App™ for iPad as its number three pick for best Non Game app overall, and the Bible App for iPhone as its number nine.

The iTunes App Store rankings are based solely on which apps have been downloaded the most, whereas the Appsfire rankings take into account a wider range of criteria, including user reviews, feedback, and social activity.

This kind of accomplishment is only possible because you, the YouVersion community, constantly uses the Bible App to engage with the Bible and share God’s Word with the people in your life. We’d like to thank Appsfire for the recognition, and even more, we’d like to thank YOU, the global YouVersion community for making it possible!

Optimized Layout Debuts in Latest Bible App for iPad Update

Yesterday we shared several of the new features that the latest Bible App™ update brought to all Apple devices we support: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. But we radically updated the Bible App for iPad specifically to take full advantage of all that this remarkable device has to offer. Get the latest release of the Bible App for your iPad now in the iTunes App Store. Here’s some of what we think you’re going to love about the new Bible App on your iPad:

Complete Slide Out Menu. Instant access to all of the Bible App’s features is now just one tap away, no matter where you are. The slide out menu is a new addition to the Bible App on all iOS devices, but on iPad, it gives you everything. On any screen, just touch the menu icon at the top to display the full Bible App menu. Bookmarks, Notes, Share, Plans—it’s all there… and more. Try it!

Today View. Also in the Bible App on other iOS devices, the top of the slide out menu includes Today, which displays a Verse of the Day, ready to share. But you also get more—a lot more. More screen real estate means we can bring you one-tap access to your Profile settings, the last passage you were reading, today’s readings for all your active Plans, even the last passage you bookmarked.

Parallel Reading Mode. Truly make the most of your iPad’s beautiful screen. In landscape mode, with just one tap, you can display any two Bible versions you want side by side. Reading different versions in the Bible App—and now, even comparing them to each other—has never been easier. This feature is available only on iPad. (Well, and at YouVersion.com, as we shared with you several days ago.)

Of course, all of the features you’ve already been enjoying in the Bible App for iPad—like full-screen reading mode, audio Bibles, Bookmarks, Notes, Sharing, and YouVersion Live, to name just a few—are still there. But tap around and explore. And be sure you read yesterday’s announcement. As always, you can get learn more about most features at our Support website. Also, be sure you come and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Instructions for how to get yours are below the image:


Update Your Bible App on iPad Now:

If you already have the Bible App installed:

  1. On your iPad, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Updates icon.
  3. Tap Update for the Bible App.
    OR
    Tap Update All.


If this is your first time installing the Bible App:

  1. On your iPad, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Search icon.
  3. Search for “Bible”.
  4. Tap the Bible App from LifeChurch.tv.
  5. Tap the FREE button.

Updated Bible App for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Adds New Features

Today we’re excited to announce a dramatic new update to some core features of the Bible App™ for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch—available now in the iTunes App Store. We’ve been listening to your feedback. (And we’ve been experimenting some on our own.) We’ve poured a crazy amount of work into the latest enhancements for the Bible App for iOS. We think you’re really going to enjoy what you find here:

Slide Out Menu. (Pictured) Just tap the menu icon at the top for quick access to those Bible App features you use most: Bible, Plans, Bookmarks, Notes, and more. Just one more tap takes you anywhere you want to go, including the all-new Today view…

Today View. (Pictured) Right at the top of the new slide out menu, Today displays the brand new, easy-to-share Verse of the Day, the last passage you were reading, the new Profile viewer (described below), and links to today’s readings for all of your active Plans.

Profile Viewer. Now you can review and adjust most of your account settings on a single screen. Specify the name your account will display, change your profile picture, or update your contact information. Even browse your Friends’ profiles and the profiles of the people following you.

Bug Fixes. We addressed some specific issues related to audio Bibles and made a few other adjustments. And with this release (as always), we tweaked the Bible App to enhance performance wherever we could.

Offline WiFi Downloads. If new updates are available for any offline versions you’ve already downloaded, the Bible App checks to see if you’re connected to WiFi. If you are—assuming you have this handy feature activated—the Bible App will automatically update your versions for you, completely in the background. You don’t have to do anything, and you’ll always have the latest versions of all your offline Bibles.

You’ll find all of these features in the new Bible App update on all Apple devices we support: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. But tomorrow, we’ll share some sweet tweaks we added to help you get even more out of your Bible App experience on iPad. In the meantime, consider visiting YouVersion’s Support website to make sure that the Bible App on your device is doing everything it can. And once you’ve tried out the new Bible App, please let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter!

Whatever iOS (Apple) device you have, instructions for how you can get your Bible App update are below.


Get Your Bible App Update Now:

If you already have the Bible App installed:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Updates icon.
  3. Tap Update for the Bible App.
    OR
    Tap Update All.


If this is your first time installing the Bible App:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Search icon.
  3. Search for “Bible”.
  4. Tap the Bible App from LifeChurch.tv.
  5. Tap the FREE button.

2011: YouVersion’s Year in Review

2011: YouVersion’s Year in Review

2011 was another wild, wonderful year for the YouVersion community. At the beginning of January, the Bible App™ had been installed on almost 13 million unique devices. But by the end of 2011, it had well over 37 million installs. It’s clear that—together—we’re each part of a revolution in Bible engagement happening all over the world.

Even as we look forward to all that God will do through the YouVersion community during 2012, first we’d like to pause and look back on all we shared during 2011…


January: We launched 2011 with a challenge to read 1 billion minutes during January, suggesting Bible reading accountability with friends and online, and even offering practical ideas about times to read. The Mashable Awards named YouVersion as a finalist, and the Bible App was named in the all-time top apps on iTunes.

February: Although it took 46 days for us to hit one billion minutes, the YouVersion community saw a remarkable 172% reading increase during that time—and also reached more than 5 billion minutes read overall. Volunteers translated the YouVersion experience completely into Chinese, just in time for Chinese Lunar New Year, and the Bible App appeared on the prestigious The Sunday Times’ definitive The App List.

March: Three new Reading Plans launched for Lent, just one part of an initiative that saw us more than double overall Reading Plans. Volunteers played a critical role in reaching the world with God’s Word, and for our part, we added new Bible translations.

April: Just as the Bible App was installed on its 5 millionth Android device, the Bible App for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch) got its largest overhaul since its launch. We made available twice as many versions and almost doubled the number of languages. Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional launched, and we encouraged the community to spend time in God’s Word for Easter.

May: Our global flash mob to read the KJV in 400 seconds was so successful that together we read through it… 8 times! A special live webcast celebrated 20 million installs and more than 150 Reading Plans in 10 languages. The brand-new YouVersion Technical Support website launched, and we shared how the community could help.

June: People just like you were reaching others through the Bible App, and another story from the YouVersion community encouraged even more to share. The entire YouVersion experience launched in Simplified and Traditional Chinese. YouVersion users together bookmarked more than 20 million Bible passages.

July: Russian was the next complete YouVersion language launch, and the YouVersion community shared more stories about how the Bible App continued to change lives.

August: The next complete language launch was in Korean. Rewritten from scratch, the all-new Bible App for Windows Phone released with a full feature set comparable to YouVersion’s other major platforms.

September: Brazilian Portuguese became the next language to receive the YouVersion-wide experience, and YouVersion celebrated its fourth anniversary.

October: The Bible App had been installed on more than 30 million unique devices. The Bible App for Java was completely rewritten, bringing its features more in line with YouVersion’s other platforms, and German became the next complete language launch.

November: 7 billion people on Earth represented profound opportunities. Dutch was the tenth complete YouVersion language launch. Joyce Meyer’s Daily Devotional, Promises for Your Everyday Life launched, and a special infographic helped illustrate how much happens across YouVersion during just one minute. A special live webcast covered The Other 16 and YouVersion’s need for more volunteers.

December: YouVersion’s next complete language launch was French. The Bible App appeared in iTunes’ “best-of” Rewind 2011, both for iPhone and for iPad, and the YouVersion community completed 1 million Reading Plans. Our annual Global Share the Bible Day tradition continued.


Thank you for your part in the YouVersion community’s success during 2011. If you compare this year to last year, it’s immediately apparent that the Bible App and the YouVersion community are healthier than ever. And we’re convinced that it’s still just the beginning.

It’s a joy and an honor to get to do what we love… making God’s Word freely available to as many people as possible, no matter where they live or what language they prefer.

Won’t you join us?

YouVersion Community Shatters Christmas Day Records

What’s a great way to celebrate the birth of our Savior? According to the worldwide YouVersion community, the answer for Christmas Day 2011 was, “Share the Bible!” Together we gave away more free Bibles and helped more people connect to God’s Word through free YouVersion accounts than on any other single day in YouVersion’s history.

The November webcast was the first time we mentioned The Other 16 — that 16 out of 17 iOS and Android devices hadn’t installed the Bible App. Then together we shared the Bible on Christmas Day, telling others our favorite things about God’s Word, even helping friends and family install the Bible App™ on their devices. And the results are in:

 

December 24:

December 25:

  • Android shattered its record—set just the day before—with 130,605 new installs.
  • The Bible App for iPad set a record of 43,000 new installs, more than doubling its previous record of 20,000 (set on Christmas Day 2010).
  • Overall, the Bible App was installed on 300,877 new mobile devices, breaking its previous one-day record of approximately 165,000 (also set on Christmas Day 2010).
  • Users created 53,000 brand-new free YouVersion accounts, besting the previous record of 37,000 accounts in a single day (back in October, when we made the offline NIV available for download).
  • The Bible App for iPhone nearly reached its previous record (114,000), within just 3,000 installs.

December 24–29:

  • It took just 5 and a half days for the Bible App to be installed on 1 million new devices. (During this same Share the Bible period in 2010, it took us 11 days to reach 1 million.) By the end of December 28, we were already at 940,000, accumulating our next 60,000 in the first half of December 29—almost exactly half the time it took to reach a million during that same period in 2010.

Many apps for mobile devices won’t see 300,000 installs total — let alone on a single day. But because of you, more and more people are discovering God’s Word, joining with us in a revolution of Bible engagement. Thank you for your part in making Global Share the Bible Day such a record-breaking success!