Friends

Overview

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.

Hebrews 10:24-25

The Bible reminds us again and again that we need relationships with people we can trust. You need close friends who will encourage you, inspire you, challenge you, love you, and pray for you. And they need you to do the same for them.

Add Friends

Android, iOS:

1. Bottom right: Select More (≡), Friends.
2. If you have any Friend Requests:

• Select Accept on the ones you want to be Friends with.
• Select Ignore on the ones you don’t want to accept.

1. Top: Select Add Friends. The Add Friends screen gives you four ways to add new Friends:
   1. Search for your friends who have a YouVersion account.
      1. Select 🔍, type a friend’s name, or a portion of their name, and Search on it.
      2. Select Add next to any friends you want to join in the Bible App.
      • They’ll see your request in their Friend Requests.
   2. Invite friends from your Contacts on your device.
      1. Select Contacts or Connect with Contacts.
         For you to search your Contacts, the Bible App may request access to them.
      2. Select Add next to any friends you want to join in the Bible App.
      • If they have a free YouVersion account, they’ll see your request in their Friend Requests.
      • If they don’t have an account, the Bible App will send them an invitation with a link.
   3. Invite friends from your Facebook account.
      1. Select Facebook or Connect with Friends next to the Facebook logo.
         You can select a name and view their profile to make sure you’re sending your request to the correct person.
      2. Follow the prompts.
   4. Request friendships from people on your Suggested Friends list.
      1. Select Add next to any friends you want to join in the Bible App.

Bible.com:

1. Top right: Select your Profile Picture or First Initial, then Friends.
2. If you have any Friend Requests:

• Select Accept on the ones you want to be Friends with.
• Select Decline on the ones you don’t want to accept.

1. Select Search by name, type a friend’s name, or a portion of their name, and select Find friends.
2. Select Add friend next to any friends you want to join in the Bible App.

Accept or Decline a Friend Request

1. Android, iOS:
   Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Friends.
   Bible.com:
   Top right: Select your Profile Picture or First Initial, then Friends.
2. If you have any Friend Requests:

• Select Accept on the ones you want to be Friends with.
• Select Ignore or Decline on the ones you don’t want to accept.

Engage with Friends’ Bible Activity

The Home screen displays recent activity in the Bible App from you and your Friends. (iOS splits this activity between two tabs, For You and Community.) Activity from your Friends—such as starting a Plan, highlighting a Bible passage, creating a Verse Image, etc.—displays on individual cards in your feed. You can engage with these cards by liking your Friends’ activity, encouraging them with comments, and more.

Post a Comment

1. Android, iOS:
   Select the Comment icon (a talk bubble).
   Bible.com:
   Select the Comment box.
2. Type your Comment.
3. Android, iOS:
   Select the Send icon (a paper airplane).
   Bible.com:
   Press Enter on your keyboard.

Delete a Comment

You can remove any Comment that you posted, and you can remove Comments posted on your Bible activity (such as Highlights, Bookmarks, Verse Images, etc.).

1. Locate the Comment you want to remove.
2. Android:
   Long-press on the Comment.
   iOS:
   Swipe left across the Comment, then select Delete.
   Bible.com:
   Select Delete underneath the Comment.

Adjust Friend Notifications

Android, iOS:

1. Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Settings, Notification Settings, then either Email Notifications or Push Notifications.
2. In the Friends section, switch each Friend event to On or Off, as desired.
3. Top left: Select ← or <.
4. Select either Push Notifications or Email Notifications, whichever one you did not choose in Step 1.
5. In the Friends section, switch each Friend event to On or Off, as desired.

Bible.com:

1. Top right: Select your Profile Picture or First Initial, then Settings.
2. Left: Select Manage Notifications.
3. Select checkboxes to turn On or Off each of the following, as desired:

• Notify me about friends’ activity
• Notify me when a Contact joins
• Notify me about comments on my activity
• Notify me about likes on my activity
• Notify me about friend requests

1. Bottom: When you finish adjusting notifications, select Update Notifications.

Remove a Friend

Android:

1. Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Friends.
2. Select the Friend you want to remove.
3. Top right: Select ⠇, Unfriend.
4. Select Unfriend to remove this Friend.
   OR
   Select Cancel to go back.

iOS:

1. Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Friends.
2. Top right: Select Edit.
3. Select the ⊖ (large minus button) next to the Friend you want to remove.
4. Select Unfriend to remove this Friend.
   OR
   Select Cancel to go back.
5. Top right: When you have finished removing Friends, select Done.

Bible.com:

1. Top right: Select your Profile Picture or First Initial, then Friends.
2. Scroll down to your list of Friends.
3. Locate the Friend you want to remove.
   Bottom: You may need to select Load more to advance to the Friend you’re looking for.
4. Under each friend’s name is the word “Friends.”
   Hover over that word, and it changes to the link, “Remove friend.”
5. Select Remove friend.

Block a User

Android, iOS:

1. Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Friends.
2. Select 🔍.
3. Type the name of the person you want to block, or a portion of their name, and Search on it.
4. Find the person you want to block, and select their name. Their profile displays.
5. Top right: Select ︙ or ⋯, then Block.
6. Select Block to block this user.
   OR
   Select Cancel to go back.

Unblock a User

Android, iOS:

1. Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Friends.
2. Select 🔍.
3. Type the name of the person you want to unblock, or a portion of their name, and Search on it.
4. Find the person you want to unblock, and select their name. Their profile displays.
5. Select Unblock.

Report a User

Android, iOS:

1. Bottom right: Select ≡ (More), Friends.
2. Select 🔍.
3. Type the name of the person you want to report, or a portion of their name, and Search on it.
4. Find the person you want to report, and select their name. Their profile displays.
5. Top right: Select ︙ or ⋯, then Report.
6. Select the Reason you are reporting this user.
   YouVersion Community Support will receive a notification and investigate the reported account for the reason given.
   OR
   Select X to go back.

Privacy for Bible App Friendships

This section addresses your privacy specifically with regard to your YouVersion Friends. Refer to YouVersion’s Privacy Policy for more details.

NO ONE besides you can see:

• Your Bookmark Titles and Labels
• Notes that you mark as Private or Draft
• Your activity from Plans that you start as By Myself, Private
• Your activity from Plans whose Settings you configure as Privacy > Private
  You can check Plan Settings under Plans, My Plans, select Plan, ⋮ or ⋯, Settings.

ONLY people who are on your YouVersion Friends list can see:

• Your YouVersion profile
• Your YouVersion Friends list
• Your Bookmarks, Highlights, and Verse Images, as well as Comments and Likes on those things
• Notes that you mark as Friends Only or Public
• Your activity from Plans that you start as Visible to Friends
• Your activity from Plans whose Settings are Privacy: Friends Only

People who are NOT on your YouVersion Friends list CANNOT see:

• Your Bookmarks, Highlights, and Verse Images, nor can they see Comments and Likes on those things

ANYONE on YouVersion CAN see:

• Notes that you mark as Public
• The name and image on your YouVersion Profile (so that friends can find you through search)
  If you would like to maximize your privacy:
  - Use a nickname that only your friends in real life know
  - Do not use a photo of yourself for your profile image
  Of course, people can see items that you post in spaces outside of YouVersion’s control (such as on social media).