YouVersion is celebrating record Bible engagement worldwide as its Bible App becomes the first faith-based app to reach 500 million installs. In 2021, approximately 64 billion Bible chapters have been read or listened to, which is up 21% compared to 2020 and up 56% compared to 2019. As Bible engagement numbers continue to trend upward year after year, the YouVersion Community celebrates the fact that the Bible is alive and well.
“While some people claim the Bible is irrelevant and Scripture engagement is declining, these 500 million installs indicate otherwise. The Bible continues to be relevant and has the power to transform lives,” said YouVersion Founder Bobby Gruenewald. “That’s why we’re excited to celebrate this milestone. Not just because it’s a big number, but because each install represents a chance for someone to go deeper in their faith and grow closer to God.”
The Bible App was one of the first 200 free apps available when the App Store launched in July 2008. From day one, YouVersion’s focus has been to help as many people as possible gain access to the Bible and encourage them to incorporate God's Word into their daily lives. Since then, the Bible App has steadily added a variety of features that fit people's daily routines, ultimately helping them form a spiritually rich rhythm of seeking God. Based on frequency of use, some of the YouVersion Community’s favorite features include Bible Plans, Verse of the Day Stories, Verse Images, and simply highlighting and sharing verses with friends.
In addition to these features, the Bible App offers 2,600 versions of Bible text in 1,760+ languages, more than any other app in the world. With the help of publishers, Bible societies, and other partners, YouVersion is able to digitally distribute new Bible translations as soon as they’re completed, allowing people around the world to more quickly engage in Scripture in their first language.
Always positioned to move quickly with its community in mind, YouVersion pioneers technology that has applications in the church and beyond. As the global church learns how to foster community in this physical and digital hybrid-church world, YouVersion continues to create unique technology experiences for believers.
“Throughout the last several years, we have continually seen God do more than we could imagine through YouVersion. As the app has grown exponentially to reach people in every country of the world and change millions of lives, our faith has also grown to see new possibilities,” said Gruenewald. “We believe this is just the beginning for YouVersion. We have a fresh vision for where the Bible App is headed, and we’re excited to roll out new features in 2022 to better serve pastors and church leaders.”
About YouVersion: Created by Life.Church, YouVersion designs biblically-centered experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. The Bible App offers a free Bible experience in more than 1,750 languages and has been installed on 500 million unique devices. Developed in partnership with OneHope in 2013, Bible App for Kids has been installed on nearly 76 million devices and helps children engage with the stories of the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities. For more information about YouVersion, visit youversion.com.
