(Oct. 6, 2026) – YouVersion, creator of the world’s most popular Bible App, is marking another year of growth with more installs, more daily engagement, and a wave of searches for comfort in the Bible App. As momentum builds, the ministry is preparing for the return of Global Bible Month this November, inviting even more people into Scripture.
After celebrating one billion installs last November, YouVersion added more than 160 million new installs across its Family of Apps in 2026. Daily engagement grew even faster than installs, a sign that people aren’t just downloading the app, they’re returning to it. Compared to 2025, daily use grew by over 13%, reaching 18.5 million people turning to the Bible each day.
This year, in Sub-Saharan Africa, daily use of YouVersion’s apps rose by 63%. There were notable increases in daily engagement in Ethiopia (52%), closely followed by Uganda (41%) and Kenya (36%). The number of people committed to completing a Bible in a Year plan also increased by about 50% in both Kenya and Ethiopia and by 38% in Tanzania. This growth demonstrates an incredible growth in hunger for God’s Word, as more Africans make Scripture engagement a daily rhythm.
Some of the reasons people continue to open the app every day are reflected in what they search for. Terms like “anxiety,” “hope” and “healing” were among the year’s most searched, with “Psalm 91” ranking as the year’s single most-searched term. The Psalm encourages readers to turn to God for refuge and comfort in difficult times. Together, these searches offer a glimpse into the personal questions and hopes people are turning to Scripture for.
Uniting the World Around Scripture
Global Bible Month is a movement bringing together churches, ministries, Bible societies and publishers to celebrate the impact of God’s Word across the world. At its heart is the 30-Day Bible Challenge, encouraging people to engage with God’s Word every day during November, whether through a favorite print Bible or digitally through an app.
Last year, nearly 3 million people across the world signed up for the Challenge in its first year. This November, YouVersion hopes its community will build on that momentum, with the Challenge returning with a new feature that lets users track their progress and see how their friends are engaging alongside them.
“This year, we’ve been encouraged by how many people are turning to Scripture for answers to their questions,” said Bobby Gruenewald, Founder and CEO of YouVersion. “Global Bible Month is our chance to celebrate that and invite even more people to experience it for themselves, whether that’s reading the Bible in their heart language for the first time or joining millions in the 30-Day Bible Challenge. It’s amazing to see how God is working through our global partners, local churches and individual believers to reach more people with His Word.”
In celebration of Global Bible Month, YouVersion will bring Scripture to some of the world’s most recognisable public spaces, including Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London and the Dotonbori District in Osaka, Japan. The activations will reach people in some of the world’s busiest locations, bringing Scripture into everyday life.
A Growing Global Network
YouVersion’s Family of Apps offers access to 3,800 different versions of the Bible in 2,400 languages, helping people around the world engage with Scripture in their own languages and cultural contexts. The organisation works with a global network of more than 45,000 churches and content partners, including Christian publishers, ministries and individual creators. Together, this network helps make Bible content available to people across countries and communities around the world.
In Africa, YouVersion works with more than 2,600 churches and content partners like Doxa Deo, Christian Art Publishers, Compassion International, Watoto Church, Soma Biblia and many other ministries, making it possible to offer more content that’s specifically designed for the African community. Across East Africa, partners participating in this year’s Global Bible Month include The Identity Project, the Bible Society of Kenya, ICC Nairobi, Mavuno Church, ACABA and CLC Kenya.
“We’re so excited that Global Bible Month is returning for a second year”, says Joseph Gachira, Leader of YouVersion’s East Africa Hub. “Since opening our Hub in Nairobi earlier this year, we’ve continued to strengthen relationships with the incredible ministries and churches across the region. Global Bible Month and the 30-Day Challenge give us a fresh opportunity to celebrate the Bible, and YouVersion’s apps ensure people can engage with Scripture in their heart languages, and in a way that reflects our lived realities. People have loved seeing faces they know, hearing voices they trust locally and finding contexts, and even accents, they can relate to.”
Hunger for Scripture transcends geographic and cultural boundaries, with some of the highest levels of Bible App engagement seen in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. In response to this momentum, YouVersion is creating a growing network of regional hubs to support local ministries and church communities. Alongside the East Africa Hub, YouVersion has a presence in the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico and more – with a Hub opening in Nigeria before the end of the year.
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