In its annual review of usage trends, YouVersion reveals that people remain highly engaged with Scripture. The free Bible app, which last month reached 500 million unique installs, also announced its Verse of the Year for 2021. During the past 12 months, the Bible verse that users have highlighted and shared the most is Matthew 6:33. It reads: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald says, “We’re encouraged to see high levels of Bible engagement again this year because it means people are turning to God and the Bible for answers to their questions. Even our Verse of the Year points to the heart of the YouVersion Community to seek God and know him more.”
YouVersion Users Seek Community During the Pandemic
With pandemic-related shutdowns affecting churches during much of 2020, YouVersion usage spiked, especially on Sundays. Interestingly, despite a return to in-person worship in most locations now, the app reports increased engagement on Monday through Saturday during 2021. Usage is up 24 percent on those days compared to levels before the pandemic.
Another trend is the apparent desire of app users to seek community with other Christians. During lockdowns, YouVersion’s “Plans With Friends” feature was very popular—and this year, subscriptions to it remain 50 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Gruenewald, who came up with the idea for the app while on staff at Craig Groeschel’s Life.Church, says, “Coming off a record year in 2020, we’re excited to see that so many people are continuing the daily Bible engagement habits they created last year. They’re engaging past that initial moment of need and digging deeper to strengthen their relationship with God.”
Other 2021 YouVersion Highlights: Guided Prayer, Global Expansion
Throughout the past year, YouVersion users read 55.8 billion chapters of the Bible and completed 1.4 billion “Bible Plan” days. A new Guided Prayer feature, added to the app in 2021, was completed more than 38 million times.
