Faith Daily Guide

How to put a Bible verse on your lock screen or home screen

On iPhone (iOS 16 or later), touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap Add Widgets and pick a verse widget from a Bible app. On Android, touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen, tap Widgets, and drag a verse widget into place.

5 min read. Updated October 21, 2026. By EASYTECH.

The verse you read at 7 a.m. is gone by 9. You pick up your phone many times a day, and a widget turns each pickup into a small reminder of what you read, or what you meant to read. It takes less than a minute to set up.

iPhone: put a verse on the Lock Screen

Lock Screen widgets need iOS 16 or later. Apple's steps:

  1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen until the Customize button appears, then tap Customize.
  2. Tap Add Widgets.
  3. Tap or drag the widgets you want onto the Lock Screen.
  4. Swipe down from the widgets list, then tap Done.

If there is not enough room, tap the minus button on a widget you do not need and try again. Lock Screen widgets are small, so a Bible app that offers a Lock Screen size is better than one that shows a Home Screen tile only.

iPhone: put a verse on the Home Screen

  1. Touch and hold a widget or an empty area of the Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
  2. Tap the Edit button (the paintbrush icon) in the upper-left corner.
  3. Tap Add Widget.
  4. Select the widget, choose a size and tap Add Widget.
  5. Tap Done.

A medium or large widget can hold the whole verse and its reference, which a Lock Screen widget often cannot.

Android: put a verse on the home screen

Google's steps:

  1. Touch and hold an empty area of the home screen.
  2. Tap Widgets.
  3. Find the app and tap it to see its widgets.
  4. Touch and hold the widget you want.
  5. Drag it to the spot you want and release.

Menus differ a little between phone makers, but the shape of the steps is the same. You can also touch and hold an app icon and tap Widgets.

Choose a verse that survives a thousand glances

A widget shows a few lines, and you look at it while you are doing something else. That changes what makes a good verse:

  • Short. A dozen words or so.
  • Spoken to you. Verses with "I" and "you" read better than lists.
  • For this season. Swap it when your week changes.
  • From one translation. Mixing styles on the same screen is distracting.
VerseWords (WEB)Good for
Psalm 46:112A rattled morning
Psalm 56:311A fearful moment
1 Peter 5:711Worry that follows you around
Psalm 119:10514Starting a reading habit
Psalm 27:1415A season of waiting

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 (WEB)

For more short options grouped by moment, use the verse finder. If you want one verse to stay put for a month, the memorizing method uses the same short verses.

A four-week rotation

Changing the verse on a schedule keeps you from tuning it out. One plan you can copy:

WeekThemeIdea
1PresenceA verse about God being near
2CourageA short verse about not being afraid
3GratitudeA verse of thanks to say in the afternoon
4RestA verse for the evening, to read before you sleep

Pick the verses from the verse finder, which groups them by moment.

If the widget does not appear

Check that your iPhone is on iOS 16 or later for Lock Screen widgets. Open the Bible app once, then try adding the widget again. If there is no room on the Lock Screen, remove one you do not need. On Android, if you cannot find the app under Widgets, make sure the app is installed and up to date.

What to look for in a Bible widget app

Many apps offer verse widgets. Before you pick one, check these four things:

  1. Which translation does it use? Make sure it is one you can read comfortably.
  2. Does the verse change on its own? A widget that never updates stops being noticed within a week.
  3. Does it work offline? You do not want a blank tile on a flight.
  4. Is there a way to tap through to the reading, a reflection or a prayer?

How HolyVerse does it

HolyVerse's widgets come in two styles, Parchment and Vespers. The verse turns over at midnight, even if you do not open the app, so it is fresh each morning. On iPhone you can place it on the Lock Screen or the Home Screen, and on Android on the home screen. The verse is the same one waiting in the app, with a short reflection and a prayer, and the whole Bible is offline in the King James Version, the World English Bible and the Bible in Basic English. Premium adds painted art styles and a Praying for widget.

Keep the habit behind the widget

A widget reminds you. It cannot read for you. Pair it with a ten-minute reading habit, as laid out in how to start reading the Bible, and choose a translation you enjoy with the help of our guide to free public-domain translations.

Questions people ask

How do I put a Bible verse on my iPhone lock screen?

On iOS 16 or later, touch and hold the Lock Screen until Customize appears, tap Customize, tap Add Widgets, choose a widget from a Bible app, then tap Done. The app you pick decides which verses appear.

Does a Bible verse widget work on Android?

Yes. Touch and hold an empty area of the home screen, tap Widgets, find the app and drag its widget into place. Steps vary slightly between phone makers.

Will the verse change every day?

That depends on the app. HolyVerse's verse turns over at midnight, even if you have not opened the app. If you choose a different app, check how and when its widget changes.

Which verse works best on a widget?

A short one. A widget shows only a few lines, so verses of about a dozen words, such as Psalm 46:1, are a comfortable fit. Longer passages are better read in the app.

Can I use any translation in a widget?

It depends on the app. HolyVerse includes the King James Version, the World English Bible and the Bible in Basic English, all public domain.

Sources

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Made by EASYTECH, who also make HolyVerse.