IPhone App Review: YouVersion Bible App

*Note: the following review comes from the writer's personal experience with the YouVersion Bible app for the Apple iPhone. The writer is not receiving payment from either Apple or YouVersion.

Referred to affectionately by over 25 million users as "the Bible app," the official YouVersion Bible application for iPhone, created and marketed by LifeChurch.tv, boasts over 140 versions of the Good Book in 44 languages, over 200 Bible-reading plans designed to help users track their progress, and even an audio feature (for select versions), allowing the app to literally read text right to you. The app is completely free and there are no in-app purchases required for the audio feature. What more could you ask for? Well, I'm so glad you asked.

For Bible software gurus familiar with other programs out there on the market, the YouVersion Bible app will be a quick and easy adjustment. The application's most recent iPhone update (version 3.5) now includes a handy sort-and-filter option for users who want to search through just the Old or New Testament, rather than the entire Bible. Users may also choose to search within a single book. How often have you been able to remember key words and phrases from a verse, but found yourself unable to recall the reference? With this app, you will never be without an efficient method for searching through any section and/or version of Scripture by keyword.

Want to keep all of your sermon or Bible study notes with you at all times without the hassle of lugging around a notebook or binder? With this app, attaching text notes to a specific Bible verse or chapter is easy and fun. Users have the option of setting their notes to public or private. Public notes can be shared via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.

And speaking of sharing features, the YouVersion Bible App is great for sharing verses through your Facebook and Twitter. The in-app share feature also includes the option to e-mail the verse to send it via SMS (text message). Of course, you can always use the copy/paste feature as well.

The app's settings options, designated by the small icon located to the far left at the bottom of the app, grants users the ability to swap from daytime reading (black text on bright white background) view to nighttime reading view (white text on black background). Here, you can also swap from small font to large font and even choose from four fonts: Helvetica Neue, Georgia, Verdana, or Baskerville.

There are additional settings available when viewing the app's home screen. In this settings menu, you can view your account's username, adjust the aforementioned light, font type and font size options, as well as turn on a "red letter" feature and a "show notes" feature. This "notes on" option is nice for users who want to view their personal Bible notes, sermon notes, etc. when they return to a passage later in the future and may not remember making the original notes.

In terms of features and user-friendliness, the YouVersion Bible App outranks competing Bible apps by far. It is no wonder that the app's iPhone version has received an astonishing 5/5 stars based on Apple iPhone App Store user reviews. Church technology web site geekrev.com says, "Occasionally there are those moments of inspiration that hit us in the weirdest of places. You reach into your bag and realize that you don't have access to a Bible. Fortunately you have your mobile phone with you. Now there is a way to have your Bible with you as long as you have your mobile phone."

The convenience factor of this app simply cannot be overstated. It's not just about having the Bible on your mobile device. It's about searching through the Bible, bookmarking passages for later reading, sharing your favorite verses with Facebook and Twitter friends, or texting them to your family and co-workers, even highlighting text (in multiple color options) that you want to study during the week as you follow one of the app's reading plans. It's everything you want in a good Bible application and so much more.