You may be wondering, "What is a Progressive Web App"? In short, it is just a fancy name for a web application that is platform independent, completely installable on a user's system, and can fully run offline. As you know mobile users have been pretty much locked into the apps that their respective web stores offer for their platform. This is especially try for Apple's "App Store." Apple has their "walled garden" locked up so tight that it is nearly impossible to install an app on your phone apart from their store and approval. With Google's Android system it is possible, but without "jumping through some hoops." PWAs change all of that. If you can access the website that hosts the app, you can install it on your system and bypass the "app stores."
MyKJV is one of the very first of its kind. As far as we know it is the first Bible app with its own domain to be built as a true PWA. MyKJV is fully installale on nearly any modern system that is running an up-to-date browser. If you are using Chrome, Brave, the new MS Edge, Firefox, Safari or nearly any other current browser you can install MyKJV on your desktop/laptop system and it will run online or offline. If you are using an Android phone or tablet with the newest version of Chrome, you can install MyKJV as well and it will actually put an icon on your "Home Screen" just like an app from the Play Store! MyKJV will fully run offline and is uninstallable like any other app. Furthermore, when MyKJV gets updated on the website, it will update on your device automatically! With an Apple iPhone or iPad the installation process is much the same but with a couple more steps.
Progressive Web Apps have a very promising future. Some even think they may largely replace the current App Store model. With web technology (HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc.) becoming more robust and capable every day, more developers are using it to build their applications. The greatest benefit is PWAs are essentially universal. They can run or nearly any device that has access to the internet.
How To Install
Desktop
After a user navigates to https://mykjv.com, when the page is fully loaded an option will be available to install the app on the user's system. On a desktop system there will be a "+" on the right side of the address bar (Chrome, Brave, Edge, etc.). Click the button and the app will be installed with an icon placed on the user's Desktop. From there the app can be accessed at anytime, offline or online.
Android
On an Android mobile device, upon first visiting the site a popup is normally displayed at the bottom of the screen giving the option to install the app on the user's Home Screen. The install option is also found under the browser's three-dot overflow menu at the top of the screen. Once installed the app icon will be placed on the Android Home Screen where it can be accessed like any other app.
iOS
Navigate to https://mykjv.com in Safari. Then tap the 'Share' button, scroll down and tap 'Add to Home Screen.' Enter the name for the app then tap "Add." MyKJV should show up on your home screen like a native iOS app. This capability will likely soon be added to other browsers on iOS such as Chrome.
Navigation
Desktop
Navigation on the desktop should be fairly intuitive. The tabs and buttons are self-explanatory. When the cross-references are displayed and the cursor is over a reference, the Bible text will display in a popup window. On click the Bible display will be updated and scrolled to the reference.
Mobile
On mobile touch devices the screen will look slightly different. Chapter navigation will be by left/right swipe instead of buttons. A single tap on a reference will display the text popup; tap anywhere else to close. A double-tap will display the reference in the Bible.
MyKJV Application
As its name suggests, MyKJV is a web app built upon the King James Bible. Some of its features include,
- Easily navigate to any Bible reference
- View the Bible in verse or paragraph format
- View the top four cross-references from the TSK for each verse
- Quickly search the Bible with words, phrases, and wildcards.
- Search has a compact bar chart showing the frequency of hits
- A "Catalog" tab that has several Bible lists fully reference linked
- The capability to mark any number of verses with a click or double-tap for copying to the clipboard or adding to a user verse lists
- The user verse list can be selectively copied and modified
- ...and more