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YouVersion for Brazilian Portuguese Speakers—No Matter Where You Live

Bible App­­™ Icon and Portuguese Flag Over World MapTo speakers and readers of Brazilian Portuguese, no matter where in the world you choose to call home, the YouVersion community is happy to welcome you to the Bible App™ and to YouVersion.com. Partnerships with generous publishers of Bibles in Português now make it possible for our community to steadily add popular versions in Português like ARC Tradução Revista e Corrigida de João Ferreira de Almeida, as well as easy-reading translations NTLH Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje and NVI-POR Nova Versão Internacional.

But Bibles are just one aspect of the YouVersion experience. YouVersion’s community of awesome volunteers work hard to continually bring Português speakers improved versions of everything YouVersion has to offer, entirely in their own language. More than just menus and buttons, this includes email exchanges, conversations on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, reading plans, and full technical support.

  • Brazilian Portuguese Speakers in Brazil. Speakers and readers of Brazilian Portuguese represent the potential to contribute to the YouVersion community in a truly dramatic way. The World Factbook reports that Brazil (also known as the Federative Republic of Brazil) is the fifth most populous nation in the world, home to more than 200 million people. And according to Wikipedia, most Brazilians speak and write in Brazilian Portuguese, a language all its own, unique from European Portuguese by as many as 15% of its words.
  • Brazilian Portuguese Speakers elsewhere. While the majority of people who count themselves as Brazilian Portuguese live in Brazil, of course millions more also live abroad, in places as far-flung as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Paraguay and of course, even Portugal.

Fortunately, no matter where you live, the Bible App is as close as your mobile device. It runs on all major platforms, ready to bring you full access to all its Bible engagement tools in Português the moment it completes downloading.

We’re thrilled to formally welcome all of our Brazilian Portuguese speaking friends into our ever-growing global YouVersion family. We look forward to hearing your stories about all the ways God is using our worldwide YouVersion community to reach more people than ever before with the life-changing story of His love.

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The Entire YouVersion Experience: Now in Brazilian Portuguese

The Bible App™ Now in Brazilian PortuguêsFor the first time, now you can participate with the YouVersion community and use the Bible App™ entirely in Brazilian Portuguese! If you follow language developments at YouVersion, then you may remember that Português has already been offered at YouVersion.com for some time now. But what we’re announcing today is so much more than that. With the official launch of Brazilian Portuguese across YouVersion, now every way you can connect with YouVersion—whether you’re participating in community or using tools to engage with the Bible—you can do so entirely in Português! Brazilian Portuguese is our eighth complete language, after English, Norwegian, Spanish, both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Russian and, most recently, Korean.

But what does all of this mean to you? Well, specifically, here are all the ways you can now connect with God’s Word in Brazilian Portuguese:

  • Great Português Bibles. Publishing partners generously provide the YouVersion community with many high quality, widely read Português versions of the Bible. (For the full list, look for Português on the Versions page or, in the Bible App, select the Bible version you’re already using to see a list of alternatives, including several excellent Português ones.)
  • Entire User Interface. YouVersion’s incredible community of volunteers continues to change the world. Thanks to their efforts, now when you select Português as your default language, whether you’re at YouVersion.com or using the Bible App on your mobile device—iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, or BlackBerry—all of the controls and menu options display for you in Português.
  • Communication in Brazilian Portuguese. You’ll find blog posts relevant to you in Português, courtesy of translation by YouVersion volunteers. And if you send us an email in Português, or post a question on Facebook or Twitter in Português, Português-speaking volunteers will respond to you—in Português!
  • Support in Brazilian Portuguese. For the first time, now you can even get help with the Bible App and YouVersion.com in Português. Check the Português version of our all-new Tech Support site for details. Ask your questions in Português, and Português-speaking volunteers trained in YouVersion support will gladly assist you.

YouVersion’s simple vision is to help people connect easily with God’s Word, for free, no matter where you live or what language you speak. If you have friends whose heart language is Português, please share this great news about YouVersion.com and the Bible App with them. And be sure to come visit with us on Facebook and Twitter. We love hearing what YouVersion means to you!

Keep checking back… If you’re a Brazilian Portuguese speaker just joining us: Welcome to your YouVersion family. We’re thrilled you’re here! Right here on our blog, we’ll be sharing more about this exciting Brazilian Portuguese launch in the coming days. We can’t wait to show you all that your new community has to offer you!

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Addressing an Issue in the Bible App for BlackBerry

Do you use the Bible App for BlackBerry? If so we want to give you a heads up about a problem that is popping up for a small segment of our BlackBerry community.

We’re very sorry for the frustration some of you have experienced with an unstable app. We have been battling a tricky error that causes the app to freeze for some people, but not for everyone. This bug has been challenging to find, but it appears to be related to how we have integrated BlackBerry Messenger into the Bible App.

To get this fixed, we are pushing as hard as we can to get a new release out to you. This new release will not have the BBM integration, but there is a lot to look forward to: highlights, improved bookmarking, and a few other speed enhancements that should really improve your experience within the app. We look to bring back BBM integration as soon as we are able to solve these issues.

We are finishing up the app and will be testing it rigorously before it gets submitted to RIM for approval. That means the new build with improved features should be in your hand in about two weeks. That really does seem like a long time given how long you’ve had to wait, but it is 100% necessary to give everyone the stable release you’ve been waiting for.

Again, our apologies for the problems you’ve encountered in using the Bible App for BlackBerry. Thank you for your patience and for working with us to troubleshoot the issue. We¹ll keep you informed as much as possible and we’ll certainly have a post here on the blog when the new update is available!

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Bible App for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: New Features Debut, Others Improved

Version 3.4 of the Bible App™ for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch) introduces some exciting, brand new features, as well as enhancements to existing tools. You can update yours right now in the iTunes App Store! (You can learn how at the end of this post.)

All-New Features:

  • When you’re listening to audio Bibles, now volume control displays on the screen, right where you’re already listening. We’ve also added a button for AirPlay, which lets you listen through speakers you’ve set up on your wireless network. (AirPlay requires Apple TV.)
  • For the first time ever, if you’ve downloaded offline Bibles to your iOS device, the Bible App lets you know when one of them has been updated. So now you can always maintain the most current version of every translation—even in those times you don’t have access to the Internet.
  • The Bible App now takes advantage of Apple’s great built-in VoiceOver features, using sounds to make it easier for visually impaired people to engage with Scripture.

Updates:

  • YouVersion Live is easier than ever, with an updated interface designed specifically to help you quickly find Live events close to where you are.
  • The Bible App’s connection to Twitter is streamlined, making it even easier for you to connect your free YouVersion account to share with your social media followers.
  • Each time YouVersion introduces a new update, we try to take that opportunity to bundle standard bug fixes and performance enhancements to save you time.

Onscreen Audio Controls in the Bible App™ Offline Version Updates in the Bible App™ Updated YouVersion Live Interface in the Bible App™
Please help us get the word out. If you have friends with Apple devices, a new release of the Bible App represents a great opportunity to share YouVersion with them. Please consider helping friends new to iOS install the Bible App from the iTunes App Store. And remember: The YouVersion community on Facebook and Twitter loves hearing your stories about spreading the Bible App!

Get Your 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.
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Volunteers and Publishers Help Build YouVersion’s Thriving Korean Community

YouVersion’s simple mission remains the same: To make it as easy as possible for people to engage with the Bible and to connect with each other, no matter where they live or what language they prefer. We’re thankful to team up with people around the globe who share this goal.

Publishers. Through partnerships with key Bible publishers, YouVersion is thrilled to announce the immediate availability of these great Bibles in Korean:

Volunteers. The YouVersion community is literally worldwide, made possible only by volunteers who graciously offer their time and talents, whether from the United States, South Korea, Canada… or wherever you are. Volunteers are ordinary people—people just like you—who want to help others experience God’s Word in the same personal, meaningful ways that they have themselves. And it’s easier than you may think; if you can help us translate new features and services—whether into Korean or other languages—you can make a difference. Please get in touch with us through our volunteer sign-up form and let us know how you can help.

Volunteering with YouVersion offers you the unique opportunity to impact millions of other people with the story of God’s love. Read what just a few of our amazing Korean language volunteers have to say about their experiences working on the Bible App™:

Korean Language Volunteer Ingu from Gilbert, Arizona, USA

“As I had been richly blessed by the Words of God and the free Bible App from YouVersion, I felt that I should let those blessings flow to others. I wanted to practice the principle of ‘Freely you have received, freely give,’ so I decided to volunteer using the natural talent the Lord freely gave me—my mother tongue! I was enjoying working on the Korean project so much that eventually I realized I was no longer giving freely: the Lord has blessed me back much more in getting to be a part of the YouVersion team, with such great people!”
—Ingu in Gilbert, Arizona, USA

 

Korean Language Volunteer Jason P. from Missisauga, Ontario, Canada

“The Bible App from YouVersion was the first Bible app I put on my iPad. I found the Korean version wasn’t perfect. I also noticed that YouVersion was asking for volunteers to help translate it better. I used to work developing software, and I had been pursuing the Words of God during the last twenty years in church in Korea and in Canada, so when I realized I could probably help with the Bible App, I decided to volunteer. What we’re doing together now is so much more than just translating—we’re answering God’s calling to expand His church.”
—Jason P. (박영호) in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

 

“I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to get to work together with many other Christians on the Bible App—most of whom I have never met. The intentions we share, together with the strong (yet humble) leadership from YouVersion, makes our important work run smoothly. I truly believe that the Bible App from YouVersion is the best app, both in functionality and content (of course!). I am so happy to be able to tell my children that I got to participate in this great ministry, no matter how small a part I may get to play.”
—Sung (성희) in Denver, Colorado, USA