Next month, YouVersion, the world’s most widely used Bible app, will celebrate a landmark moment - its one billionth download.
The app began as an idea from Bobby Gruenewald, a pastor at Life.Church in Oklahoma, who was inspired while standing in a long security line at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in October 2006. Wondering how technology could help people read Scripture more often, he immediately registered the domain name YouVersion.com.
With support from Mart Green of Hobby Lobby, Gruenewald developed the project into a website that launched in September 2007. It allowed users to read and make notes on the Bible online and attracted about 20,000 visitors in its first three months, though few became regular users.
YouVersion took off when it moved to mobile. After Apple opened its App Store in July 2008, the team released YouVersion on launch day as one of the world’s first 200 mobile apps, and the only Bible app at the time. Available in fifteen English and Spanish versions, it was downloaded 83,000 times in its first weekend.
Over the following years, YouVersion grew rapidly. In 2011, it partnered with the United Bible Societies’ Digital Bible Library, giving it access to a wide range of licensed texts in standardized digital formats. This partnership helped accelerate the addition of new versions and languages.
By mid-2013, the app had reached 100 million downloads, surpassing 1,000 Bible versions in more than 700 languages the following year. By the end of 2015, downloads had exceeded 200 million.
Two key trends powered that growth: the global spread of smartphones and the addition of local-language translations, many digitized by volunteers from MissionAssist and partner agencies.
In 2021, YouVersion hit 500 million downloads. Four years later, it is preparing to mark its billionth, a remarkable milestone for any app, and especially for a Christian one. While the figure includes repeat installations across multiple devices, it still represents an extraordinary global reach.
Today, YouVersion offers Scripture in more than 2,300 languages and dialects, with over 3,500 text and audio versions available. The app’s interface is translated into 70 languages and includes popular features such as the daily verse, reading plans, and devotionals.
Headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, YouVersion employs more than 200 full-time staff and collaborates with over 3,000 volunteers worldwide. It carries no advertising and is funded entirely through donations.
To celebrate the milestone, Life.Church will host a special event in Edmond on November 17, broadcast live around the world. Amazon Prime will mark November as Bible Month, and landmarks across several cities will be illuminated to honor the achievement.
For many of its users, YouVersion has become far more than an app, it is their primary way to read, listen to, and share the Bible in the digital age.
Adapted from Christian Today UK.
