YouVersion is expanding its presence across Latin America through new partnerships with churches, ministries and Christian media organizations, as leaders gathered in Mexico City last week to discuss ways to make Scripture more accessible across the region.
The Aug. 18 gathering at the Más Vida CDMX auditorium brought together representatives from several prominent Christian organizations and ministries, according to Diario Cristiano Internacional, the Spanish-language edition of Christian Daily International. Participants included leaders connected with Banda Más Vida, The Chosen, The Bible Project and Alpha, while Christian artist Fermín IV also took part in the event and performed.
YouVersion CEO Bobby Gruenewald recalled that the idea that eventually became one of the world’s most widely used Bible apps began with an unsuccessful project in 2007. While at an airport in Chicago, he envisioned creating a website that would encourage people to read the Bible regularly, but the concept did not initially gain traction.
“That failure led us to try another idea: putting the site on a mobile phone, and that did work. In early 2008 we decided to build a Bible app when the App Store boom began. A 19-year-old boy was the one who helped us,” Gruenewald said.
Today, the YouVersion Bible App provides Scripture resources in about 2,300 languages and gives users free access to numerous Bible translations. The app also offers audio Bibles, devotionals and reading plans, along with tools that allow readers to save passages, make notes and share biblical content.
Its library of reading plans covers a broad range of subjects, including faith, prayer, marriage, family, leadership, hope, youth and Christian living. Users can also highlight verses, record personal reflections and share selected passages through social media platforms.
Mexico and Colombia are among the 10 Latin American countries with the highest levels of YouVersion usage, according to the organization. In 2025, YouVersion also established a Hub in Mexico designed to connect pastors, ministries and Christian content creators so they can exchange resources and develop new collaborative efforts.
The Mexico City event also featured testimonies from individuals who said their faith journeys had been influenced by the app. Organizers highlighted YouVersion’s partnership with the Sociedad Bíblica de México, or Mexican Bible Society, particularly its contribution to Bible translation and efforts to increase access to Scripture.
Gruenewald told Diario Cristiano Internacional that the Bible app has now been downloaded on more than 1 billion phones and tablets worldwide, while the platform has accumulated more than 260 million registered accounts.
“It took us 17 years to reach the first 1 billion devices. We believe the next billion will come in the next 5 years. There is a hunger for the Word of God at a global level,” Gruenewald said.
