2019-09-30
Great App
My favorite Bible reading tool.
Updating
Re
#80 in Top Free iPad Apps > Reference
+14
#38 in Top Grossing iPad Apps > Reference
iPhone Screenshots
iPad Screenshots
Description
The ESV Bible app was designed to be the most beautiful and intuitive Bible app available. The app includes free resources such as interactive reading plans, audio streaming, and free access to the full ESV Global Study Bible.
• Read. Dig into the English Standard Version via an elegant interface designed specifically for mobile devices. Quick access to cross-references, split-screen reading, and a distraction-free reader’s mode make it easy to engage with God’s Word on a deeper level.
• Free Reading Plans. Make Scripture reading a habit with 60+ Bible reading plans featuring content from well-known Bible teachers such as Jen Wilkin, Paul Tripp, Charles Spurgeon, Nancy Guthrie, Kevin DeYoung, Gloria Furman, and more. New reading plans are added every month.
• Study. Read the ESV Global Study Bible alongside the biblical text for free. Subscribe to one of our paid plans at ESV.org to unlock additional study resources, like the ESV Study Bible, ESV Archaeology Study Bible, Preaching the Word commentary series, and more.
• Audio. Stream a free audio reading of any passage (internet connection required).
• Search. Search the Bible by reference, keyword, or phrase with lightning speed.
• Write. Capture your ideas and reflections while listening to a sermon or during Bible study in personal notes attached to specific passages.
• Highlight. Highlight and bookmark favorite verses with just two taps.
• Sync. Sync your highlighted verses, personal notes, and bookmarks with ESV.org—giving you access to all of your personal content from any device.
• Share. Share verses with friends and family via text message, email, Facebook, and Twitter.
What's New in Version 3.5.1
• Now includes 60+ free reading plans featuring content from well-known Bible teachers such as Jen Wilkin, Paul Tripp, Charles Spurgeon, Nancy Guthrie, Kevin DeYoung, Gloria Furman, and more
• Library resources now organized in categories (Study Bibles, Commentaries & Sermons, Devotionals, and Other)
• Theme options (White, Sepia, and Black) now mirror the web version
• Improved and refined the design and animations across the app, especially on iPad
• Improved text readability across the app, especially on iPad
• Fixed several bugs affecting navigation from links within library content
• Fixed a bug where notes and answers to questions in Knowing the Bible were not able to be saved
• Fixed a bug causing certain readings to be missing from several reading plans
Seller
Name
Crossway
Information
Developer
Categories
Version
3.5.1
Size
79.2 MB
Game Center
No
VPP Device Licensing
Yes
Rating
Rated: 4+
Compatibility
iOS 9.0 or later
Devices
iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPad 2 (Wi-Fi), iPad 2 (3G), iPad (3rd Generation) (Wi-Fi), iPad (3rd Generation) (4G), iPad (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi), iPad (4th Generation) (4G), iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro, iPad Pro (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPad Pro (9.7-inch) (Cellular), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5-inch), iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch), iPad Pro (11-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air (Cellular), iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 (Cellular), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (Wi-Fi), iPad mini (4G), iPad mini Retina, iPad mini Retina (Cellular), iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 (Cellular), iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 (Cellular), iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad mini (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (5th generation), iPod touch (6th Generation), iPod touch (7th generation), Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5
Languages
English
App Store: Customer Ratings
Ratings & Reviews
4.0 of 5 (64 Ratings)
App Store: Customer Reviews
2019-05-20
Notes from ESV Study + did not transfer
I called and emailed them regarding this problem and I have not heard from them since. 3 years of notes from ESV Study + is supposed to sync and transfer to the new ESV app when you first it but it didn’t. Disappointing
2019-03-26
Needs fixing
I love having the ESV bible app, however have been disappointed to find the ends of verses missing multiple times. Please fix these problems.
2019-03-23
Possible updates
Love the app. Would love to see the ability to highlight/underline only certain parts of a verse instead of the whole verse. Also the ability to save the reading plan so that it’s the first one on the list instead of having to scroll.
2019-03-15
My favourite bible app
Love the font and design and commentary.
My only complaint is all the new buttons you have to scroll through to reach the commentary.
2019-03-14
Great app!
Thanks for the fixes! But there’s still a problem with the highlighting
2019-03-06
ESV Now not reading
The app is longer reading correctly. It is starting at genesis 1:1 and reads audio from there instead of reading from where ever you have the bible open.
2018-10-30
Great app overall! // Don’t bold body text! :)
I love the app, especially for the Study Bible Commentary and following threads of in-verse-referencing.
The body text was a normal, thin weight at first, then bold, then months later back to a normal weight. Now it’s back to bold! Body text should be a regular weight—it is much easier to read than reading large chunks of bolded text. Can you change the body text back to a normal reader-weight? Or at least make that an option?
Thanks,
– Chad
2018-10-10
Missing bible verses?!
Great app, except it’s missing bible verses! That’s rather alarming as I never thought to question the authenticity of the bible! Example: Matt 18: 11 ?!
2018-06-29
Review
App can not jump to different books when trying to listen to different sections during same listening session
I phoned Crossway to report problem but they have not corrected problem. I now use gateway and it works fine.
The people at crossway must not use their own app
Signed by a disappointed user
2018-03-01
Keeps crashing
It keeps shutting off and crashing, please fix this issue.
2018-01-22
Design
Love the app - would like to see the ability to change text size and more font options, as well as iPhone X support.
2017-10-13
Best. Bible. App. Ever.
Love how easy the reading plans are to use. Accessing extra works perfect. I am finally pulled away from the original ESV study bible plus app. because this is the Do Everything bible app the ESV deserves.
2017-07-28
Please fix bug!
I've never had any issues with this app before. I love having it on my phone and all the features it comes with for free. In the past few days though, when I open the app, it shows the last page I was on for a second or two, then the screen goes black and the app automatically closes. Can you please fix whatever bug is causing this? I really miss being able to use this app!!
2017-06-15
Solid.
A very good choice for anybody looking for a Bible app. 10/10
2017-05-07
Perfect
I have been waiting for a bible app like this! It's perfect - not too complicated, modern and accurate! Love it!
2016-06-23
New ESV Bible app
Difficulty in finding library and study notes on iPhone 6. Disappointed in the access. The ESV study provides more. Waste of money and resources
2016-02-25
Tuff to send a text message
This is a great app,at times I want to send some people who need a word from the holy book because their down & I find it really hard to do
2016-02-09
Good
So far this app is good. I tried to provide feedback through the app but it doesn't even pre fill an email address to send to. Notes could be much, much better. Also. They need to give the user more options in highlighting colours. Underlining in various colours would be nice too. They can learn a lot from You Version and make a good app great! I really appreciate the fact that they put Christ's words in red in ESV. Please add more colours, people want to personalize their Bibles.
2016-01-04
Generally good
It's easy to find my way around on it. But the reading plans are slow to be updated, reflecting 2015 dates in 2016.
2015-10-05
Favorite Bible App!
It's very functional and easy to use. I love the daily reading plans and how you can read at your own pace which other apps don't have. Thanks Crossway!
2015-08-06
Great bible app!!
Tons of resources, quick to load, no annoying lag or anything. It's a great user experience and a huge blessing.
2015-07-29
Great app! Thanks.
Very well made Bible reader app and very easy to use. The free audio Bible is amazing. The reading plans are wonderfully integrated. Search is simple in a good way. I always recommend this to others. And it's free.
2015-05-15
Keeps jumping out of program
I have to delete, re down load, lose all data and hope it works next time. 3 or 4 times so far. Use it as my main Bible.
2015-05-15
Norwie
Continues to frustrate 👎had to delete the app would not stay open crashes,downloaded again, not impressed with the NEW !!!!
2015-05-10
Amazing
Love this app and recommend it to all my friends with phones/iPods/media devices!
2015-05-05
Esv app
Improving all the time but has bugs. The background information on the text remains stuck on 1.Corinthians after I used it the first time. Excellent and important feature but needs work.
2015-04-27
Pretty, but needs polishing
The text display and layout is beautiful, with black on white, brown on cream, and grey on black. I love readers mode with no verse numbers. It gives an enjoyable minimalistic reading experience that scrolls smoothly or swipes page by page.
Still, screen rotation has hiccups where the text doesn't conform to the width and of the new orientation until you shake it or half swipe the page. On landscape, you cannot access the bottom menu. The read aloud function is buggy too, with the voice stopping suddenly in the middle of reading, and you cannot get past much more than one or two chapters. There are some locations where it cannot advance past.
2015-04-21
Great update
The style and features of this up-dated app are fantastic! Font is clean looking and features are easy to use. Thrilled that my own notes, and all the study notes are available across my devices, especially the Gospel Transformation Study Bible (because of a previous purchase). Well done, Crossway!
2015-04-19
Best bible app!
Two thumbs up! Great app. I recommend it to anyone who wants to study God's word. It has cool features like cross referencing to other scripture verses. You can also makes notes and hight verses. Makes it easy to study as you commute, travel or whatever! Great app! Thank you ESV bible app. Its a blessing being able to listen to scripture through audio !
2015-04-15
Cross reference
Disappointed that you can not just tap on the verse to see the cross reference.
2015-04-14
Amazing
Such a great update. Overall very simple to use, comprehensive improvements, and the features are killer, especially the way the study notes are now incorporated (also, thank you for making the global study bible free!). I also love the reader mode.
Only 2 glitches that I've noticed - in the study notes, when there's a reference to multiple verses in another chapter or book, tapping ANY of the verses always takes you to the last of the list (for example, if it's referencing Jer. 31:3, 5, 8-9, tapping any of those verses takes you to Jer 31-8-9). Also, when you go to a referenced verse in the study notes, the pop up window begins at the second line (approx) of that verse, and you've got to scroll up to get to the beginning of it.
Great update, love it!
2015-04-14
Not as good as previous app
Please don't discontinue supporting the previous version of ESV Study +. It's much more user friendly than this version!!
2015-04-13
Awesome
New update is awesome. Thx crossway
2015-04-11
Simple, excellent
There's no reason not to download this if you're looking for a clean, easy to use bible app. Making notes and highlighting is easy too.
2015-01-22
Best bible in App form
ESV for free! Audio bible built in. Take notes on bible verses while you listen to your favourite podcasts. Just all around awesome.
2015-01-20
Awesome
Great version of the Bible in a great app.
Thanks Crossway.
2015-01-12
My go to Bible
This is a wonderful app. I use it regularly, both for school and for personal reading and studying. Fantastically easy to use. Wholehearted recommendation!
2014-12-13
Reading of text broke this version
Only the first verse of any chapter is read... Then it stops. Otherwise the applies great.
2014-11-24
amazing
I'm so thankful for this app. it reads to you!! so helpful for family devotions.
2014-11-03
good!
I love to use this instead of bringing my bible to places like camping or whatever. great for highlighting key verses, but I'm not fond of the new overall layout. preferred the other one!
2014-11-02
Great app
Thank you so much for providing an easy, usable app for free in a great version. It is perfect for high school students who want an accurate, easy to read version of the bible.
2014-10-29
Please bring back previous extra small font.
The app is ok. But the letters are much too big. Desperately wish for extra small font back, as the previous version. Wonderful for small retina screens to see more passage as a real bible, wheras in the new update, I have to scroll far more often and keep phone further away in order to read big letters that are called small font. Plus itd be nice to have an option to disable (esv audio) bar that takes up too much space below. Hard enough with new large small letter font plus the bar now. Aside from those, its a decent bible app. I have iphone 5s and the tiny font is sorely missed. Please bring it back.
2014-10-27
Was great; now terrible!
The app store is *full* of badly-designed bible apps, and ESV Bible was a wonderful oasis. Not any more.
As everyone points out, this release has been marred by crashes on both iPhone & iPad – but crashes can be (and now have been) fixed. The real tragedy (apart from the data loss reported by some) is the app’s new design on iPhone. (Apart from changes to the passage navigation, the iPad design has not been changed much, yet.).
This app used to be a shining example of why simplicity in design leads to a great experience – and I recommended this to everyone as the best and most usable bible on iOS – but they’ve released a horrendous new UI that is both ugly and bewilderingly complicated. This isn’t a bug that can be fixed in the next release, it’s a major design overhaul that probably took them a few months to conceive and implement, which means they won’t easily “fix” it.
What’s wrong with it? The passage navigation, which used to be slick, now feels clunky – and they’ve opted for a grid of numbers instead of a vertical list, which I find makes it harder to quickly find what I’m looking for. Also, why is there a non-retina arrow under the passage headline after a major redesign? And the colour scheme is gold. Gold! This app is like the gold iPhone of bible apps. Tacky :(
Please get back to basics on this once-excellent app. Simplicity is what we want! Fix the layout. Fix the nasty colour-scheme. Focus on simple navigation and readability! Until you do, there are no beautifully designed bibles on the app store.
Update October 27, 2014: The iPad app has now been updated with the same awful design. UGH. They’ve also now put a giant black bar across the bottom of the screen on both iPhone and iPad that has two buttons: “Listen” and “ESV” (an unclear label, since it actually means “Read”). This is awful design. Why would I want these prominent buttons constantly in view ALL THE TIME?? I never listen, I only read. Tuck these settings away in the prefs somewhere. On iPhone the monstrosity disappears when you begin to scroll, which is a minor relief, but on iPad they stay fixed in place all the time. Whoever made the decision to add this just does not have good taste or understand how people want to use the app. Please make the app good again :( And for crying out loud – at least fix the grainy non-retina arrow under the view’s title!
2014-10-21
Won't even open
This used to be one of my absolute favorite apps, by far. But for the past year or so, it won't even open before it crashes. No updates have fixed this in over a year. Very disappointing.
2014-10-19
Love it
Other then logos' this is my favourite bible app. Very functional modern app.
2014-10-14
Great app!!!
ESV Bible is a great app, but as soon as I got the new update it just crashes on startup.
2014-10-11
Quality bible app
Of all the apps I have used to read the bible. This has been the easiest to use as well as very clean and easy to read. The esv is a tremendous modern version that already has wide acceptance.
2014-06-29
It used to work...😧
It was good in the past...but now it crashes on startup. Every time.