Getting Started
What is this app?
The Bible Scripture Flash Card app helps you and your family memorize scripture using digital flashcards. It comes pre-loaded with 60 official FBCC scripture memory verses and works on any device — iPhone, Android, tablet, or computer.
Opening the App
- Open your browser (Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android).
- Navigate to the app's URL link shared with you.
- The app loads immediately — no installation needed.
Add to Home Screen
iPhone (Safari):
- Tap the Share button (□↑) at the bottom of Safari.
- Tap "Add to Home Screen".
- Tap "Add" — the gold cross icon appears on your home screen.
- Launch it for a full-screen, app-like experience.
Android (Chrome):
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in Chrome.
- Tap "Add to Home screen" → "Add".
Main Screen Layout
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Bible Scripture Flash Card │
│ COMMIT TO MEMORY │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Card:1 Known:0 Total:60 🔥0 │
│ Progress ────────────── 0% │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ✦ ✦ ✦ │
│ SCRIPTURE REFERENCE │
│ │
│ 2 Corinthians 5:17 │
│ ───────────────── │
│ Tap to reveal │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ ← SWIPE TO NAVIGATE → │
│ [✗ Still Learning][✓ Got It]│
│ [← Prev] [Next →] │
│ [🔊][📢 Speak All][⏹][⚙️] │
│ [+ Add][⬆ Import][⬇ Exp][?]│
└─────────────────────────────┘
Compatible Devices
| Device | Browser |
|---|
| iPhone / iPad | Safari ✅ Chrome ✅ |
| Android / Pixel | Chrome ✅ Firefox ✅ |
| Mac | Safari ✅ Chrome ✅ |
| Windows | Chrome ✅ Edge ✅ Firefox ✅ |
| Chromebook | Chrome ✅ |
Flashcard Navigation
Navigating Between Cards
| Method | Action |
|---|
| 👆 Swipe left | Next card |
| 👆 Swipe right | Previous card |
| Next → button | Next card |
| ← Prev button | Previous card |
| → key | Next card (desktop) |
| ← key | Previous card (desktop) |
💡 Tip
The Card counter at the top always shows which card you're on (e.g., "Card: 5" = card 5 of 60). The deck wraps around — going past the last card returns to card 1.
Flipping a Card
Each card has two sides:
- Front (dark) — Scripture reference (e.g., "John 3:16")
- Back (cream) — Full scripture text
Tap anywhere on the card to flip it. Tap again to flip back. On desktop, press Space or Enter.
🧠 Study Tip
Try to recall the verse from memory BEFORE flipping. Active recall is the most effective memorization technique!
Got It / Still Learning
After flipping a card, two buttons appear:
| Button | What it does |
|---|
| ✓ Got It (green) | Marks card as Known. Streak +1. Auto-advances. |
| ✗ Still Learning (red) | Keeps card in rotation. Streak resets. Auto-advances. |
On desktop: ↑ = Got It, ↓ = Still Learning (card must be flipped).
Progress Tracking
- Card — current card number
- Known — cards marked as Got It
- Total — total cards in deck
- Streak — consecutive Got It answers
- Progress bar — % of Known cards, updates in real time
Completion Badge
When every card is marked Got It, a 🏆 trophy badge celebrates your achievement! After 2 seconds, all cards reset to Still Learning for another round.
Your Progress is Saved
All progress saves automatically to your device. Close the app, come back later — everything is right where you left it. Each device/browser has its own independent progress.
Speech Features
Speech Buttons
| Button | What it does |
|---|
| 🔊 Speak | Reads the current card aloud (reference, then scripture text) |
| 📢 Speak All | Reads ALL cards in a continuous loop until stopped |
| ⏹ Stop | Stops speech immediately (appears only while speaking) |
| ⚙️ | Opens Speech Settings (voice & speed) |
How Speak Works
- Card shows the reference on the front.
- App speaks the reference aloud.
- Card flips to the back automatically.
- App speaks the full scripture text.
- Done! Card stays on the back.
How Speak All Works
- Starts at the CURRENT card (not always card 1).
- Reads each card's reference then scripture, one by one.
- Screen advances automatically as it reads.
- After the last card, loops back to card 1 and repeats forever.
- Tap ⏹ Stop at any time to halt.
💡 Tip
If you stop on card 20 and tap Speak All again, it resumes from card 20 — not card 1.
Auto Language Detection
The app automatically detects the language of each card:
- English cards → reads in English 🇺🇸
- Chinese cards → reads in Mandarin Chinese 🇨🇳
- Mixed deck → switches language card by card automatically
Setting Up Chinese Voice on iPhone
- Open iPhone Settings.
- Tap Accessibility → Spoken Content → Voices.
- Tap Chinese → tap ⬇ next to Tingting or Meijia.
- Wait for download to complete.
- Return to app — Chinese cards now speak in Mandarin.
Screen Lock During Speak All
The app plays a silent audio loop to keep iOS's audio session alive when your screen locks. This means Speak All continues reading even when your iPhone screen turns dark.
🎧 Usage Idea
Use Speak All while cooking, exercising, or driving. The app will cycle through all 60 verses automatically in the background!
Speech Settings (⚙️)
Tap the ⚙️ gear button to open Speech Settings:
- Voice Picker — choose from all voices on your device, grouped by English / Chinese / Other. ☁ = cloud voice (needs internet).
- Speed Slider — drag 🐢 (slow) to 🐇 (fast). Default is Normal (0.88×).
- ▶ Test Voice — hear a sample scripture in your selected voice and speed.
Your voice and speed choices are saved automatically.
Adding & Searching Scripture
Adding a Card Manually
- Tap "+ Add Card" (bottom left of controls).
- Type the reference (e.g., "Romans 8:28") in the Reference field.
- Either fetch scripture automatically (Get Scripture), search the Bible (🔍), or type the text manually.
- Tap "Save Card".
✦ Get Scripture
Automatically fetches the ESV verse text for any reference you type:
- Type a reference in the Reference field.
- Tap "✦ Get Scripture".
- The scripture text fills in automatically.
- Tap "Save Card".
| Format | Example |
|---|
| Single verse | John 3:16 |
| Verse range | Romans 8:28-30 |
| Multiple verses | Psalm 119:9,11 |
| Entire chapter | Psalm 23 |
🌐 Note
Get Scripture requires an internet connection. If offline, type the text manually.
🔍 Scripture Search
Tap the 🔍 button next to the Reference field to search the ESV Bible:
- Type a word or phrase in the search field.
- Select a scope from the dropdown (Entire Bible, Old Testament, New Testament, or any individual book).
- Tap 🔎 Find (or press Enter).
- Results appear with matched words highlighted in gold.
- Scroll down to load more results automatically.
- Tap any result to select it — reference and text fill in automatically.
- Tap "Save Card" to add it.
Search Tips
- Plain word — "hope" finds all verses with "hope"
- Phrase — "love one another" finds that exact phrase
- Wildcard * — "lov*" matches love, loved, loves, loving
- Wildcard ? — "tr?st" matches trust, tryst
🌐 Note
Scripture Search uses the ESV Bible API (English only). Searching Chinese characters will not return results.
Import & Export
⬆ Import Cards from Excel
Load a whole set of scripture cards from a .xlsx file:
- Tap "⬆ Import .xlsx".
- Choose import mode:
- Replace all cards — removes existing cards, loads the file's cards.
- Add to existing cards — keeps current cards, appends new ones.
- Tap "Choose .xlsx File" and select your file.
- Cards load immediately. A toast confirms how many were imported.
Required Excel Format
Row 1: Reference | Scripture Text
Row 2: John 3:16 | For God so loved...
Row 3: Psalm 23:1 | The Lord is my...
Row 4: Romans 8:28 | And we know that...
- Row 1 must be the header row
- Column A = reference, Column B = scripture text
- Chinese characters are fully supported
- Commas and quotes in text are handled correctly
- Empty rows are skipped automatically
💡 Tip
Import works completely offline — it reads the file from your device without needing internet.
⬇ Export Cards to Excel
- Tap "⬇ Export .xlsx".
- A file named "scripture_cards.xlsx" downloads automatically.
- Open in Excel or Google Sheets to view or edit.
💾 Backup Tip
Export your cards before importing a new set to keep a backup of your current deck.
Offline Capabilities
| Feature | Offline? |
|---|
| Viewing & flipping cards | ✅ Yes |
| Got It / Still Learning | ✅ Yes |
| Speak / Speak All | ✅ Yes |
| Import from Excel | ✅ Yes |
| Export to Excel | ✅ Yes |
| Get Scripture | ❌ Needs internet |
| Scripture Search | ❌ Needs internet |
| First time loading app | ❌ Needs internet |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will my progress be saved if I close the app?
Yes! All progress saves automatically to your device's browser storage. Closing the app or turning off your phone does not erase anything.
Q: What if I clear my browser history or cookies?
Clearing browser data will erase your saved cards and progress. The app reloads with the default 60 FBCC cards. Export your cards first if you have custom cards you want to keep.
Q: Can I use the app on multiple devices?
Yes, but each device has its own independent data and progress — there's no cloud sync. Use Export on one device and Import on another to transfer your card set.
Q: Can I add cards in Chinese?
Yes! Chinese text displays correctly. Chinese speech works if a Chinese voice is downloaded on your device. Note that Scripture Search only searches the English ESV Bible.
Q: Why does speech stop when my screen locks?
Make sure you have the latest version of the app deployed. The app uses a silent audio trick to keep the audio session alive. Always start Speak All before locking the screen.
Q: "Get Scripture" shows "Network error" — what do I do?
Check your internet connection. If it's working but the error persists, the ESV API may be temporarily unavailable. Try again in a few minutes, or type the verse text manually.
Q: How do I delete a card?
Export your deck to Excel, delete the unwanted rows in Excel, then re-import with "Replace all cards". A future version will include a delete button.
Q: What does the Streak counter do?
It counts consecutive "Got It" answers without any "Still Learning". It resets to 0 whenever you tap "Still Learning". It's a motivational tool for consistent recall practice.
Q: Does the app work in group Bible study settings?
Absolutely! Project it on a screen and navigate manually, or use Speak All to have the app read verses aloud for the whole group.
Q: Scripture Search returns no results for a specific book — why?
The ESV API returns results in Bible order (Genesis first). The app pages through results to find matches in your selected scope. If a word is rare in a specific book, there may genuinely be no results — try a broader scope like Old or New Testament.
Complete Feature List
Flashcard Core
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Default Cards | 60 FBCC official scripture memory verses pre-loaded |
| Flip Card | Tap card to reveal scripture; tap again to return to reference |
| Swipe Navigation | Swipe left/right on card to navigate |
| Button Navigation | ← Prev / Next → buttons |
| Card Index | Stats bar shows current card number at all times |
| Got It / Still Learning | Track known verses; auto-advances after marking |
| Completion Badge | 🏆 celebration when all cards marked Known; resets for next round |
| Progress Bar | Gold bar showing % Known; updates in real time |
| Streak Counter | Consecutive correct answers counter |
Speech
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Speak | Reads current card aloud (reference then text) |
| Speak All | Loops through all cards continuously; starts from current card |
| Stop | Halts speech immediately |
| Auto Language Detection | Switches English/Chinese voice per card automatically |
| Screen Keep-Awake | Silent audio prevents speech stopping on lock screen |
| Voice Picker | Choose from all voices on your device |
| Speed Slider | Adjust reading speed from 0.4× to 1.6× |
| Test Voice | Hear sample before committing to a voice/speed |
Adding & Searching
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Add Card Manually | Custom scripture cards with any reference and text |
| Get Scripture | Auto-fetches ESV verse text from typed reference |
| Scripture Search | Search ESV Bible by word/phrase with scope filtering |
| Search Highlighting | Matched words highlighted in gold in results |
| Infinite Scroll | Scroll down to load more results beyond first 10 |
| Wildcard Search | Use * and ? wildcards in search phrases |
Import / Export / Data
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Import Excel | Load cards from .xlsx (replace or append) |
| Export Excel | Download all cards as .xlsx file |
| Auto-Save | All data saved to device automatically |
| Version System | App updates push new default cards to all devices |
Accessibility & Platform
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Home Screen Install | Add to iPhone/Android home screen for full-screen experience |
| Cross-Device | Works on iPhone, Android, iPad, Mac, Windows, Chromebook |
| Offline Core | Cards, speech, import/export work without internet |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Desktop navigation and marking via keyboard |
| Chinese Support | Chinese text display and speech fully supported |
Keyboard Shortcuts (Desktop)
| Key | Action |
|---|
| Space / Enter | Flip card |
| → | Next card |
| ← | Previous card |
| ↑ | Got It (card must be flipped) |
| ↓ | Still Learning (card must be flipped) |