HisWords Bible App Gains iPhone 6/6+ Support, Full Screen Mode, and iOS 8 Sharing

I spent an afternoon tinkering in Xcode to get the Bible app HisWords up to scratch with the latest goodies from Apple. I unfortunately couldn’t spend more time than that since work keeps me in Xcode long enough during the week, and it has been a particularly busy few weeks.

HisWord 2.1 is a modest update in terms of appearance, but incorporates some nice new features. I know I know, I didn’t have time to get rid of those skeumorphic ribbons. If you’re artistically-inclined and want to help me out, let me know!

iPhone 6/6+ Compatibility

First up is iPhone 6 and 6+ support, so you can refer to the text in beautiful, clear, native resolutions on those big screens (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Of course, this maintains compatibility with all other devices, iPads included.

iOS 8 and above

I’ve also made sure that the app works reliably on iOS 8, and as a result of wanting to use the best APIs out there, I’ve made the app iOS 8+ only. Hopefully this won’t affect too many people, but I feel it’s for the best moving forward.

Full screen reading

HisWords 2.1 adds a full screen mode when viewing the text. When you’re reading a chapter, just tap once anywhere on the text and the navigation and status bars will slide away to give you the maximum screen real estate to see what’s most important: the text! Tap again to bring the bars back onto the screen. Lots of people have requested this feature, so I hope this is useful!

iOS 8 Sharing

Another addition to this new version is the ability to share any selected text using iOS 8's sharing extensions feature. So if you read a passage you particularly like, select (highlight?) it with the text carets, hit the share button at the top right, and you can clip it to Evernote (shameless plug), or share it on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Share your favorite verses with your friends and family, and save it for your own memorizing! The screenshot below shows I have an Evernote notebook called “Bible Verses” where I keep all these little clips!

Last but not least, I rewrote the animations and some transitions in the app to make them prettier, more reliable, and perform better overall. Oh and, we have a simpler icon!

Download HisWords for iPhone and iPad for free on the App Store today, and help spread the word to friends and family if you like the app!

As always, feedback and suggestions are most welcome.