What's New (in version 0.8.12-Beta)
New Experimental Feature
- Ability to open verses with nearly any app or website you choose!
Where to find the Bible.com version number
- You can now use nearly any of the 3,100+ Bible versions across any of the 2,000+ languages that YouVersion supports. Simply find the version number for the version you want to use and plug it in.
- Go to bible.com/versions (you'll need to open this in a web browser, not in the YouVersion app)
- Locate any version of the Bible in any language and tap on the title to go to the details page for that version.
- Once on that version's webpage you will see the version number in the URL
For example: - King James Version (KJV) is version number 1 and its URL is
bible.com/versions/1 - New International Version (NIV) is version number 111 and its URL is
bible.com/versions/111 - In the Random Verse app tap "Open With" then make sure that "YouVersion (Bible.com)" is toggled on as the default app to open verses with.
- Enter the version number you found in the "Version Number" field and you are all set.
How to use custom links
- In general you can use specific fields (these are keywords surrounded by brackets) to build the custom links that you need.
- Currently the only working fields are:
- {BookNameFullUnderscoreLowercase}
Examples: 1_kings, matthew - {BookNameFullUnderscore}
Examples: 1_Kings, Matthew - {BookNameFullLowercase}
Examples: 1 kings, matthew - {BookNameFull}
Examples: 1 Kings, Matthew - {BookNameShort}
Examples: 1KI, MAT - {ChapterNumber}
Examples: 3, 24 - {VerseNumber}
Examples: 16, 47 - Share a verse from your favorite app or site to get a link to an example URL for a verse.
For example John 3:16 from bible.com in the King James Version is
https://www.bible.com/bible/1/jhn.3.16 - Once you have that simply replace the book chapter and verse with the fields listed above as needed.
In that same example it would be:
https://www.bible.com/bible/1/{BookNameShort}.{ChapterNumber}.{VerseNumber} - You'll notice there are three different custom links you can set. One for books, one for chapters, and one for verses. In most cases for the chapter link you can use the same verse link and drop the verse number part off. For the Book link you'll likely need to link to the first chapter of the book. So you might need to drop the verse number and add "1" instead of {ChapterNumber}.
- If you get stuck use the "Contact Developer" option in the menu and an email to me will be populated with the current links you are trying to use and I can try to help out.
The following are known bugs for version 0.8.1. Update to version 0.8.12 or higher now for the fix:
 | In some cases back takes you to the same screen but with old values |
- When it happens: When trying to set the "Open With" settings, after a specific order of events and then hitting the back button or swiping to go back.
- Issue: Instead of going back you see the same settings screen again but with your previous values for the settings such as version number.
- Workaround: If you hit back again it will take you to the main screen and, even though you saw the old settings, your new settings will be applied.
- Solution: Update to version 0.8.12 or higher.
The following are known bugs for version 0.8.0. Update to version 0.8.1 or higher now for the fix:
| YouVersion links not working after having set custom links |
- When it happens: If you toggle YouVersion as the default off, then set some custom links, then toggle YouVersion back on.
- Issue: Links don't update to the proper YouVersion links, they stick with the last custom settings.
- Workaround: If you pick any version from the popular versions listed for YouVersion, then the links will update to that version. If you want a version not found in the list then pick any of the others first. After that you can manually replace the version number in the custom links if using the "Version Number" input box isn't working.
- Solution: Update to version 0.8.1 or higher.
| Custom link input boxes disappear |
- When it happens: If you are editing the text for the custom link settings and you choose to go to another app and come back. The input box and your changes will have disappeared.
- Issue: Probably a pretty common use case to need to look at another app and come back to finish editing.
- Solution: Update to version 0.8.1 or higher.
Please take note that currently the app is limited in that it only generates random verses from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible and all books names listed are in English from the KJV. Choosing any other version in any other language will not change that. However; choosing a different version will allow the app to attempt to open the verse in your preferred version/language. In some cases there is not a matching verse with the same verse reference and in those cases tapping on the reference will not correctly open in your selected version/language. Make sure you unselect any books which are not included in your selected version to help with this issue.
Android 4.1 and higher
- Devices running these versions of android should receive this app update as soon as it is approved for release in the Play Store and begins a rollout to all devices.
Android versions 4.0.3 and lower
- Devices running these versions of android will not see an available version of the app in the Play Store. If they already have an older version of the app installed it will remain playable but if uninstalled the app may be lost until a newer version of android is used. Android Studio and the Play Store are constantly requiring newer and newer versions of android and as such older versions are no longer supported. Upgrade your version of android to get access to this app. As of today >99.9% of all active android devices in the world run versions newer than this. As for this app specifically all current users are running newer versions of android than this.
Road Map
- Other Bible Apps
Needs improvements. Need to make and post some help/tutorial type information because it is not very intuitive at the moment.
Status: Part of this release! Fixed all known bugs. - More Bible versions and languages
Nearly all versions and languages are now available in some way. Though there is still the issue that everything in the app is based on the English King James Version, for now.
Status: Now possible with this release! - Stop converting between versions
Redesigning so that it no longer picks random verses from only the King James Version. Currently it picks those then tries to convert those to other Bible versions. Instead it needs to randomly pick from the other versions directly. In doing that, all selected verses will work and even the book names will appear as they do in those other versions.
Status: Long way out, if at all. - Public Domain Text
I would like to add the King James Version (KJV) so that the actual verse text will show up with the reference.
Status: Long way out. - Landscape Mode
Currently locked in portrait mode all the time, have had requests to build landscape mode. Would like to at least get that working on the main screen even if all the settings screens remain in portrait.
Status: Not started. - Custom Book Groups
Have had requests for the ability to make your own book groups to select from. The only complicated part about this is I need to also make it so that books themselves can be customized (thus allowing for more languages and more apps/sites to work with the links).
Status: Not started. - Recent History
I want to keep a small recent history list so that users can easily go back to verses they have gone to before from the app.
Status: Not started. - Widget
Add widget with an occasionally changing verse reference.
Status: Still dreaming. - Watch
Would love to get this running on an Android watch someday.
Status: Still dreaming.
