Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Read & Preach? Read & Preach is a native iOS app for brothers that combines ministry service reporting with Bible reading progress tracking. It works fully offline and requires no account.

Is the app free? Yes. Read & Preach is completely free with no in-app purchases and no subscription.

What platforms is the app available on? iPhone and iPad only (iOS 16.0 or later). The app is optimized for both devices with an adaptive layout.

Is an internet connection required? No. The app works fully offline. An internet connection is only used if you tap a link to open a passage on JW.org or in JW Library, or if iCloud sync is enabled in Settings.

What languages are supported? English, German, and French. Change the language in Settings → General → Language.

Data & Privacy

Where is my data stored? By default, all data is stored locally on your device only. Nothing is sent to any server or third party. If you enable iCloud Sync in Settings → General → iCloud Sync, your data is also synced across your devices via Apple’s iCloud — still fully private, nothing shared with third parties.

What does iCloud sync do? When enabled, the app automatically syncs your data (ministry reports, Bible reading progress, and settings) across all your devices using the same Apple ID via Apple’s iCloud Key-Value Store. iCloud sync is optional and disabled by default. You can enable or disable it at any time in Settings → General → iCloud Sync.

Does the app collect any personal data or analytics? No. Read & Preach does not collect, track, or share any data.

How do I back up my data? Use the Export function in Settings → Export & Import. You can export Ministry Reports, Bible Reading progress (including streak and history), and Memorial Reading data to a JSON file. Store this file anywhere you like — iCloud Drive, email, or the Files app.

How do I restore my data after reinstalling or on a new device? Use Settings → Export & Import → Import and select your previously exported JSON file. All selected data will be restored.

What happens if I delete the app? All data on your device is permanently deleted. Export your data first if you want to keep it.

Report Tab

How do I set my monthly hour goal? Go to Settings → Report Settings → Recurring Role, select your role (Publisher, Auxiliary Pioneer, or Regular Pioneer), and set the start month. Each role has a defined monthly hour requirement.

Can I log data for past days? Yes. Tap any day in the calendar to switch to that day and enter or edit data.

What is a one-time assignment? A one-time assignment lets you set a temporary Auxiliary Pioneer month (15 or 30 hours) without changing your recurring role. Configure it in Settings → Report Settings → One-Time Assignment.

Ministry Timer

How do I start the Ministry Timer? Tap the timer button in the Report tab. Tap Start to begin timing. The timer continues running in the background even if you leave the app.

How do I save my ministry time? Tap Stop in the app, widget, or Live Activity. A save dialog appears showing your time rounded to the nearest 30 minutes. Confirm to add it directly to today’s report entry.

Can I control the timer from my home screen? Yes. Add a Ministry Timer widget (small or medium) to your home screen. Both sizes support Pause, Resume, and Stop without opening the app.

The timer is running but the Dynamic Island is empty. Make sure Live Activities are enabled for the app in iPhone Settings → Read & Preach → Live Activities. Live Activities require iOS 16.1 or later and are not available on older devices. On iPhone 12 and earlier (no Dynamic Island), the timer appears on the Lock Screen instead.

Bible Tab

How do I set up a reading plan? Open Settings → Bible Reading Settings, choose a reading mode and duration, then tap Generate Plan. Your daily chapters will then appear in the Bible tab.

What reading modes are available?

What happens if I miss a day in my reading plan? Missed chapters are automatically rescheduled into upcoming days while keeping your target daily pace. You do not need to do anything manually.

How does the streak work? The streak counts consecutive days on which you read at least one chapter. A 2-day grace period applies — if you miss a day, the streak does not reset immediately. You will receive a reminder notification on the first and second missed day (if Daily Reminder is enabled). The streak resets on the third missed day.

How do I see which chapters I have already read and when? Tap View History in the Progress card on the Bible tab. The history sheet shows a daily log of all chapters read (grouped by date) and a log of every time you completed the entire Bible.

What is the Reading Quiz? After reading today’s chapters, a Quiz button appears in the Today’s Reading section. It presents comprehension questions based on the chapters you read. The quiz works in all reading modes, including Free mode.

Can I change the quiz difficulty? Yes. Go to Settings → Bible Reading Settings → Quiz difficulty and choose Mix (all levels), Easy, Medium, or Hard. The setting applies immediately.

How many questions does the quiz have? You can set the maximum number of questions per session in Settings → Bible Reading Settings → Max quiz questions (1 to 10).

What is the Memorial Tracker? The Memorial Tracker appears during the Memorial season (approximately 7 days before Nisan 14). It shows the assigned Bible passages and chapters from Jesus — The Way, the Truth, the Life for each day. It resets automatically each year after the Memorial date.

Troubleshooting

The app shows Jeremiah chapters after I just started reading Genesis. This can happen if you had a previous reading plan from an earlier version of the app. Go to Settings → Bible Reading Settings and tap Recalculate Plan to regenerate a clean schedule based on your current progress.

My streak reset even though I read yesterday. The streak allows up to 2 missed days before resetting. If it reset, it means 3 or more consecutive days passed without a chapter being marked as read.

The Daily Reminder notification is not showing today’s chapters. Make sure you have granted notification permission to the app in iPhone Settings → Notifications → Read & Preach. Also check that the reminder is enabled in Settings → Bible Reading Settings → Daily Reminder.

The app is crashing on launch. Try force-closing the app and reopening it. If the issue persists, try reinstalling (export your data first).

Contact & Support

Found a bug or have a question? Contact us via our support form by visiting contact page.