Bible App Daily Use Climbs to 18.5 Million Ahead of Global Bible Month

People opening the world’s most downloaded Bible app this year are searching less for abstract theology and more for relief. “Anxiety,” “hope” and “healing” rank among the most-searched terms in the YouVersion Bible App in 2026, and “Psalm 91” is the single most-searched term of the year, the ministry said Tuesday.

The Oklahoma City-based digital ministry, part of Life.Church, released the figures as it prepares for Global Bible Month in November. Daily use of its Family of Apps is up more than 13 percent from 2025, to 18.5 million people a day. After crossing one billion installs last November, YouVersion added more than 160 million new installs in 2026. Daily engagement grew faster than installs, a sign, the ministry said, that people are returning to the app rather than downloading it once and leaving it.

Psalm 91 is a passage about refuge. It opens with the image of dwelling “in the shelter of the Most High” and is widely read as a promise of protection in hard times. YouVersion said the year’s search terms together show the questions people are bringing to Scripture: worry, the need for hope, and a desire for healing.

“This year, we’ve been encouraged by how many people are turning to Scripture for answers to their questions,” founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald said. “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.”

Global Bible Month brings together churches, ministries, Bible societies, publishers and retailers including Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Mardel. Its centerpiece is a 30-day challenge to read the Bible every day in November, in print or in an app. Nearly 3 million people signed up for the first challenge in 2025. This year’s version adds a feature that lets users track their own progress and see how friends are reading alongside them.

YouVersion also plans public displays of Scripture in Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London and the Dotonbori district in Osaka, Japan. Partners including The Chosen, BibleProject and 24-7 Prayer will be part of those activations.

The apps offer about 3,800 Bible versions in 2,400 languages and work with a network of more than 45,000 churches and partners. Some of the highest engagement is in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. YouVersion is building regional hubs, including in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Kenya and Mexico, to support local churches and ministries.