Bible App for Kids Celebrates 100 Million Downloads in 10 Years

Bible App for Kids
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One decade since its launch, the Bible App for Kids is celebrating the milestone of 100 million downloads. The free app, which resulted from a partnership between YouVersion and the faith-based organization OneHope, helps children learn and engage with Scripture.

In a social media post about reaching the mark, YouVersion describes the Bible App for Kids as “a tool that helps children all around the world fall in love with God’s Word through interactive stories and activities.” The post also encourages people to make financial donations to “help us bring God’s Word to everyone, everywhere.”

The app features 41 key Bible stories, allows users to share Scripture with friends, and offers resources for parents and church leaders. The Bible App for Kids has been translated into numerous languages, from Spanish and French to Mongolian and Swahili.

Bible App for Kids Sets a ‘Foundation’ for Faith Growth

YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald said, “We know that the most important influence in a child’s life is their family. With that in mind, we’re really encouraged to see millions of families around the world choose to turn to the Bible and learn about God together.”

Rob Hoskins, president of OneHope, addressed the app’s role in spiritual growth and outreach. “Through this Bible experience, we’re seeing children in every country fall in love with God’s Word,” he said. “We’re passionate about equipping the global church to engage the next generation with interactive stories from the Bible and help lay a foundation for future spiritual growth.”

As an example of the app’s impact, YouVersion quotes Melissa Glynn, children’s ministry director at Life Valley Community Church in San Jose, California. “We love using Bible App for Kids and the matching curriculum,” she said. “Just recently, I had a mom tell me that her 5-year-old ran through the house quoting Joshua 1:9! These resources are making a difference in our children’s lives, and they’re such a blessing to our congregation.”

Safety Expert: Some Kids Misuse YouVersion’s Original Bible App

In related news, a precaution is being raised for older children and teens who have graduated to YouVersion’s original Bible App. Some users apparently use workarounds to turn the platform into an unintended form of communication.

On the Instagram account Protect Young Eyes, family digital-safety expert Chris McKenna recently described how some kids are misusing the Bible App. A mother contacted him to warn that it can become a type of “shadow social media.”

When the mom logged into the school email account of her seventh-grader (who doesn’t have a cell phone), she noticed his notifications “started going off like crazy…all from the Bible app.” She realized “it was essentially Instagram within the app.”

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Stephanie Martin
Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! and pro football.

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