Answer
Offline Hindi Bible app: how it works without internet, and where your data goes
The यीशु वचन (Yeshu Vachan) app carries the entire Hindi Bible inside the app, all 31,102 verses, so nothing is downloaded when you read and it works with no internet at all. Your bookmarks, notes and reading progress are saved only on your phone. There is no account, no advertising and no analytics. When a connection is available, the app fetches only the verse-of-the-day schedule and its photo from yeshuvachan.com.
Why the whole Bible fits on a phone
Text is small. The complete Hindi O.V., 66 books, 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses, is about 9.5 MB. Many Bible apps download books on demand or stream verses from a server; this one ships every verse in the install so that a chapter opens instantly on a train, in a village with no signal, or in a church basement. Hinglish needs no download either: it is generated on the phone.
Search is offline too, in Hindi and in Hinglish.
What is stored on your phone
- Bookmarks and notes: the verses you save and anything you write about them.
- Reading progress: which chapters you have finished, the days you read, your streak and the badges you have earned. See how streaks and badges work.
- Settings: Hindi or Hinglish mode, text size, light or dark theme, the last chapter you read.
All of it lives in the app’s private storage on the device, and it survives app updates: an update can add to your progress but never remove from it, and a badge once earned is never taken away. If you delete the app, the data is deleted with it. There is no cloud sync, so notes do not follow you to a new phone unless your phone’s own backup restores them.
When the app uses the internet
When a connection is available, the app fetches a small schedule file from yeshuvachan.com that says which verse to show on which day, and, for days given one, that day’s background photo. It makes no other requests. Without a connection it falls back to its built-in verse list and its 16 built-in photographs.
These requests send nothing about you, what you read or what you have saved. The server does not store your IP address or anything that identifies you or your phone; it only counts how many requests arrive each day from Android and from iPhone.
What leaves your phone
Nothing, unless you send it. When you tap Share on a verse, the app renders an image card and hands it to WhatsApp or whichever app you choose. The image contains the verse, its reference and the website address, and nothing about you.
The app has no login, no analytics, no ads, and no third-party SDKs for advertising, analytics or crash reporting. It does not ask for camera, microphone, contacts or location access. The details are in the privacy policy.
Why it can be free without ads
Two reasons. The Hindi O.V. text is public domain, so there is no licence fee to pay. And an app that runs almost entirely on the device has only a tiny server bill. With nothing to recoup, there is no reason to sell your attention or your data. The app is a personal project offered free.
Updates
New versions will come through Google Play and the App Store like any other app. Updates keep your bookmarks, notes, streak and badges exactly as they were.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Hindi Bible app work without internet?
Yes. Every verse is inside the app and search runs on the device, so reading, searching, bookmarks and notes all work offline. With a connection the app fetches only the verse-of-the-day schedule and its photo; without one it uses its built-in list.
How much space does the Bible text take?
The complete Hindi O.V., 31,102 verses, is about 9.5 MB of text. Hinglish is generated on the phone, so there is no second copy.
Where are my notes and bookmarks stored?
Only on your phone, in the app’s private storage. There is no account and no cloud sync. Deleting the app deletes them.
Does the app collect any data or show ads?
No. There is no login, no analytics, no advertising and no tracking. When it fetches the verse-of-the-day schedule, the server only counts the request; it stores nothing that identifies you, and what you read or save is never sent.
Will an update erase my reading progress?
No. Progress, streaks and badges are stored so that updates can only add to them. A badge once earned is never revoked.
When will the app be available?
Yeshu Vachan is coming soon for Android (Google Play) and iPhone (App Store). Until then the whole Bible can be read free at yeshuvachan.com/bible/.