# JW Library Sign Language — user reviews > 183 indexed App Store user reviews of JW Library Sign Language by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., rated 4.80/5 from 1,055 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jw-library-sign-language/id682065789/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jw-library-sign-language/id682065789.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 978 · 4★ 24 · 3★ 16 · 2★ 6 · 1★ 31 ## What do users think of JW Library Sign Language? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🙏 Blessing for the deaf community - 👍 Amazing and helpful app - 🙌 Wonderful teaching tool - 🤟 Incredible and beautiful app - 🙌 Excellent for ministry and study - 🙏 Provision from Jehovah **Cons** - 🐛 Crashing and bugs - 🔍 Difficult to find content - 🔍 Visual issues with small text - ⏱️ Videos too fast for understanding **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes when downloading updates - Black screen when reopening app - Issues with downloading Bible books - Backup feature doesn't work properly **Most requested features** - Add dark mode option - Improve playlist management - Add a meetings tab like JW Library - Allow custom video clips in playlists - Add more sign language options (BSL, Auslan, etc.) ## Newest reviews (16 of 183) ### 5/5 — Crashing glitch *2023-05-31* Newest update has a glitch that causes app to crash when trying to click the Bible and Publications tabs. But overall an absolutely wonderful app, with regular updates and new features to help studying and prepping for meetings easier and more enjoyable 🙌🏼 ### 5/5 — Love the app but I notice a glitch *2023-05-18, version 5.0* Of course as a JW myself who is in an ASL congregation I LOVE this app and all the improvements that have been made such as the easy access to meetings etc. Recently I have noticed a problem when I try to send a link from JW.org/ase. I first test send it to myself and since I have the orange sign language app it will automatically try to open the link from JW.org/ase in my orange JW Library App. But sometimes I get a message box that says No Media, please download and try again. I’m trying to remember but I think the link would open if I did have the information downloaded already in my app. But that would be problematic if I’m sending a link from JW.org/ase to someone else who is a new user. Maybe they have this orange app but they get that “No Media” message. Is there a way to fix this? Thank you so much for all of your hard work!!! ### 4/5 — So useful, improving *2023-05-08, version 5.0* I note it’s still defaulting to American Sign Language, especially after an update. ### 4/5 — Visual Issues *2022-12-14* The app are great! One small issue is that visual issue on orange with white letters hard to see and too tiny. I wish the app would allow me to zoom in make it bigger to see on bible scriptures oranges tiles or tiny boxes lists with scriptures with white letters. Or can change white letters to black? Thank you appreciate all of your hard work! ### 5/5 — New Teaching Tool Box! *2022-11-02, version 5.0* Thank you for the update and adding a home page with the teaching toolbox! This is what we’ve been waiting for. Excited to implement this in our ASL ministry! ### 5/5 — Still Awesome and In Awe!! *2022-09-26, version 4.6* Thank you and loving this app again and again! I appreciate the updated app that include: —Adding photos and videos to the playlist!! —Saving the playlist in iCloud is a plus in case my playlist become blank and can re-download the recent saved playlist on my other device (iPad) that happen a few times. This save a lot of time!! —Able to crop photos and videos and resize it as well!! **One issue when upload the video sent to me via email and save it in the Apple files(IOS) then add to the playlist the video are automatically rotated to 45 degree angle and look sideway and after several attempts to edit and rotate in standard view in iMove application it still locked in the sideway when adding to the playlist.** It took a while to fix it and after figured it out, I forgot how I got it done!! Painstaking! Any simple solution that are easy to remember if this happen again? I have a suggestion for the playlist portion: —1) I love the playlist and use it frequently, I think we might benefit using the “search” icon inside the playlist to search for specific file that were created in the playlist. Question: I like the swipe gesture from one Bible book to next Bible book and same bible book chapter to next chapter in the JW Library(Purple App). (Example: Swipe from Matthew to Mark; swipe from Mark chapter 1 to chapter. 2) Will we have this swipe gesture for this app in the preference setting to allow user to decide turn it on/off? Again thank you for allowing us to add photos and videos to the playlist and is highly beneficial! Please don’t remove that part. This save time the meeting and the chairman to use the video to sign the Talk Title and Song Title easily. 3) I just added the this suggestion(9/25/2022): I think it would be beneficial to add one feature to flip the screen in “mirror” format that will help us to mirror the sign and easy to follow instead of flip it mentally when we do Talk #3 bible reading for Tuesday night meeting. It is the most effective tools and easy to copy with little mental struggle to flip it. Thank you for reading many of the review and I know it will takes time to read many review to catch-up. Thanks again for making this app look awesome and glorify Jehovah. You’re the best!!! SCTBrooklyn ASL ### 5/5 — Wonderful App! *2022-09-23, version 4.6* Thank you for making this. I myself am not deaf but I am using this app to learn ASL. I have found it really helpful. With Jehovah’s help, you brothers and sisters are working very hard to spread the good news. I’m very appreciative! I like the playlist feature and the What’s new feature. It’s very encouraging to see Jehovah’s people at work! 🌼 Have a wonderful day! ❤️ ### 5/5 — Crashes doing backup and right-click doesn't work *2022-08-24, version 4.6* I love being able to have this app on my iMac. Thank you! :) However, 2 problems: 1. The app crashes when I try to save a backup to files. 2. Right-click behavior doesn't match the operating system. Basically, nothing happens. I can't get right click to give me options (download, import, add to playlist, share link) for individual files like a chapter from a Bible or a song from the song book. Instead, I accidentally discovered I have to long-press (press and hold) the *left* mouse button to get the pop-up to display. I haven't been able to find this primary mouse button behavior documented by Apple. Control-Click, yew, but not this. Since the operating system provides right-click pop-ups, could the orange app do the same? Thanks again! ### 5/5 — 🤟 the lff toc has improved enormously 🤗 *2022-07-14, version 4.6* I am hugely appreciative of this wonderful app. I use it everyday. Thank you! (Ruth 2:4) ### 5/5 — Helps me understand the Bible *2022-06-21, version 4.5.1* I don’t speak SL but I love to watch the scenes as I follow along with my Bible both in English and Colombian sign language… it’s really awesome! ### 5/5 — Dark Mode *2022-06-11, version 4.5.1* I would like to have the dark mode for this app. It can accommodate all people’s photophobia. ### 4/5 — Good *2022-05-21, version 4.5.1* All black I want study ### 5/5 — Incredible; Thank you! *2022-05-02, version 4.5.1* I can sum this app in two words; Absolutely Amazing. Thank you very, very much. Not only does it help the deaf, but it helps hearing Brothers and Sisters to learn sign language. Thank you Bethel, and thank you Jehovah 💜 ### 5/5 — Can’t open *2022-02-23* This app real good work fine since I use it. But there is one problem just come up when I try to open this sign language apps it stopped working every time I try open it for use ☹️. ### 5/5 — New language *2022-02-13, version 4.5* Sign language plzzz ### 5/5 — JW Library for sign language *2022-02-12* When I try to open the app. It kicks me off, However I try to open it again and I get on. This is happening to all my tablets and computer too. Can you look into the situation? Thanks for being there brothers and sisters. 🤟🏻 ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Too many bugs *2024-04-06, version 5.1.2* Without a doubt, the work to bring this information to the deaf is commendable, but the app has too many errors. From time to time the app becomes unusable and has to be deleted, losing all the saved data and the lack of synchronization with iCloud makes the work very tedious. It is not possible to share playlists. The backup method is only usable for the most expert. ### 1/5 — Don’t get this app *2022-12-21, version 5.0* It doesn’t have sound you can’t hear ### 1/5 — Bad *2019-10-13, version 3.1.3* Keeps closing app help ### 1/5 — Lacking refinement and features. *2018-09-20* I just reloaded iOS onto my iPad and needed to download all of the videos again. The app randomly crashes and frequently becomes unusable during this process. After restarting the app, the app will not open, it does not even get to the flash screen before crashing many times. My guess is that I am going to need to delete the entire app again in order for me to get the app functional (this has happened previously when I first set up the app.) If switching to another app and then trying to open JW Library again, I consistently see only a black screen and must force quit for it to work properly again. This is the only app out of 65 that I use that I see this problem with. App still has UI bug that has been present for many months. The pop-up menu at the bottom should disappear after a few seconds or when the video is one-finger tapped, but actually leaves a very visible and distracting grey box. The custom playlists do not allow for selecting anything other than a full chapter and won’t allow trimming. Also, playlists still do not support importing media. These features were present on third-party apps like Cienega almost 8 years ago. The songs take an inordinate amount of time to load. The load time is so exaggerated that students often press two or three times because they think the app is not responding. The extra touch inputs then interfere with the correct playback of the songs. Thank you for endeavoring to fix these issues. ### 2/5 — Pretty much 2 quick… *2023-04-30, version 5.0* The vids are to quick for me to understand the signs…pls update to slow it down or even just add to jw language ### 2/5 — Crashing *2020-03-10, version 4.0* Worked perfectly on iPad 4 mini. Now have iPad mini 5 and app keeps crashing also fails/stalls to download bible books Have reinstalled app but problem continues ### 2/5 — Sign *2013-09-19, version 1.0* This app will be fantastic for the ministry but cannot get app to open ### 3/5 — Crashing *2024-01-31, version 5.1.1* The app keeps crashing each time I try to download the update. I’ve tried in different devices and the same thing keeps happening. When I go to the Bible it shows a pop up window that says there is an update available. As soon as I hit “download” the app shuts down and doesn't allow me to updated the app. ### 3/5 — Ok, but not Complete! *2021-06-12, version 4.2.1* Japanese Sign Language doesn’t teach you Japanese Sign Language with English and Japanese Subtitles! ### 3/5 — Great but missing something.... *2021-02-20, version 4.2* This app is amazing and well organized! One big thing missing... well actually two. It would be more helpful to have a HOME tab, and a MEETINGS tab. This is a pretty big drawback and makes studying and favorites for ministry and prepare for meeting difficult. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — A Blessing for the Deaf Community! *2024-07-01, version 5.1.2* I have used this app on several occasions to preach to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. I don’t know sign language, so this app has been invaluable for me and for so many others. I thank Jehovah for this app! ### 5/5 — What amazing app *2024-06-25, version 5.1.2* Your brothers and sisters are doing lots of hard work help all these people I really like it this app is amazing it’s going to save lives and help people who are deaf to go to the Paradise and there’s somebody in my Kingdom Hall who is deaf and I think I’m going to really help her I love you guys so much Bye-bye ### 5/5 — JW Library Sign Languages *2024-02-14, version 5.1.1* This really awesome, help you understand clear. Who created this earth? Jehovah your God! I got a baptized in April 25, 2009 at Michigan Belleville Jehovah s Witnesses Assembly building. Jehovah created first Jesus Christ, that his son. Jehovah s son Jesus Christ. ### 5/5 — Publications *2024-02-05, version 5.1.1* not showing publications on my Mac ### 5/5 — Nice :) *2024-01-13, version 5.1.1* Very useful in ministry ### 5/5 — Dark Mode? *2023-11-24, version 5.1* It’s excellent! Thank you for your hard work. I just wondering will there have dark mode on this app? I have a difficult to see when it’s light mode. I enjoyed this app so much. Thanks ### 5/5 — 🤟 please add accessibility 🤗 *2023-09-21* I am hugely appreciative of this wonderful app. I use it everyday. Thank you! May Jehovah bless you (Ruth 2:4) We would also greatly appreciate the addition of accessibility for those who need it For example, respect the system setting for light and dark mode. As it is, the app always shows a bright-white splash screen and backgrounds, forcing my 88-year-old Bible student to shield his eyes while he tries to navigate to what he wants to study. Again, thank you! ### 5/5 — Beautiful App for Sign Language Field! *2023-08-31* Thank you so much for the refinements over the years. We appreciate the efforts to make such a versatile app to match the needs of the foreign language fields. One thought: would it be possible to have the option to "bulk download" an 'update' for the individual books of the Bible similar to the way you can bulk download the books for the first time? That may make it more streamline and efficient for friends to update on the go, or at the local congregation level for friends in the media and video depts. So far there have been many new additions and updates, we really look forward to the continual improvements of the app. Thank you brothers for all your hard work. ### 5/5 — I love having this on my Mac 😄 thank you! *2023-08-07, version 5.0* One minor problem: When I create a backup, the spinning/loading icon never goes away. That's not so bad if the backup is small. I can assume it's done quickly. But, if it's multiple gig, I don't know if it's finished. Also, would be nice if we could get a pop-up that says "backup successful" just as restore gives one that says "restore successful". Thanks again! ### 5/5 — Meeting Prepare *2023-07-04, version 5.0* We appreciate and love all you are doing thank you so much. Please do you think you can add easy links to research materials like watch towers or research material. As it’s so hard for deaf to read the English references like which number means month or date , what does wt or the other abbreviations mean, which books etc. Even to find those is so hard for deaf. it’s really hard to first work that all out then go try to find the material. Sorry to ask. Many deaf don’t understand what research means, and how to do research. Also in our sign language we don’t have much material online, so many deaf have learnt asl or use British or auslan. It’s still hard sometimes . I guess we’re asking for more research material with easy tap links to take you there . For meetings so deaf can prepare more fully. We just love all you do for us and this would just add to what you already have. Like the other half to what deaf need to prepare well for meetings. Thank you so much . --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*