# Tov: a Bible without noise — Just you and God's word

> Minimalist Bible app with cross-references and reading history. (iPhone/iPad app by Trent Cowden.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tov-a-bible-without-noise/id6482045395 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Trent Cowden](https://appshunter.io/developer/1739699286)
- Category: Reference, Books
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.95/5 from 19 App Store ratings · 13 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 28 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2024-08-15
- Data updated: 2026-07-20
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tov-a-bible-without-noise/id6482045395/reviews.md

## What is Tov?

Read Scripture in its purest form with Tov, a Bible app that brings focus and depth to your reading with its minimalist design and insightful cross-references.

Tov’s not just another Bible app. See why it’s different:

- Just you and God's word: In a world of endless digital noise, Tov creates a quiet sanctuary for Scripture with its beautiful, minimalist, and distraction-free design.
- Never lose your place: As you jump around the Bible through quiet time, sermons, or studying cross references, Tov's reading history allows you to always return to where you left off.
- Discover new connections: Easily explore over 30,000 cross-references that reveal the beautiful connections woven throughout Scripture.
- Interruption-free: No feeds, ads, notifications, paywalls, popups, or other interruptions.
- A reliable translation: Tov uses the Berean Standard Bible; authentic, accurate, and elegant.

"Most Bible apps try to emulate all the latest apps. Tov emulates the simplicity of God's word." - Adam (5/5)

"Seamless usability combined with a minimalist aesthetic. I highly recommend this app." - Samuel (5/5)

## Key features

- Minimalist, distraction-free design
- Reading history to save your place
- Over 30,000 cross-references
- Interruption-free experience (no ads, notifications)
- Berean Standard Bible translation

## Recent user reviews (10 of 13)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tov-a-bible-without-noise/id6482045395/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Simple and authentic. Great distraction-free Bible app

*2026-01-23*

I love the thoughtfulness of every detail— intentionally designed to connect with the Scriptures in a direct, distraction-free way.

### 5/5 — Wow

*2025-10-15*

Seriously the coolest, most beautiful Bible app out there. Wish it was paid so the developer could make some money from it, but he’s probably too passionate to. Maybe just like $3 for a special theme?? Could be like a nice background gradient, maybe even adapts the colors based on the emotion of the given passage?

Anyway thank you Trent!

### 5/5 — Simplicity & Beauty

*2025-06-03*

Tov’s minimalistic approach results in an intuitive, well-functioning, and incredibly beautiful app for reading The Bible. The care it’s been crafted with is immediately evident and it’s an utter joy to use. 

I especially enjoy the bookmarks and being able to hide verse numbers for a readers bible experience.

### 5/5 — It is very Tov

*2025-04-03*

This app and encapsulates its title, “good” in Hebrew language. I have been so frustrated by Bible apps, trying to become Instagram, with stories and distracting notifications. This app has really blessed me, and given me a renewed joy for approaching scripture on mobile device. Two feature features I wanna highlight for those thinking about downloading this app: 

1) it keeps a history of where you read - it’s intuitive and it blows my mind that more apps haven’t done this. 
2) you can remove the verse references from the text, making it a much more seamless reading experience more again to the original text (but of course in English)

I’d love to see more translations added in this style, but I understand the difficulty around copyright, etc. This app is worth your time.

### 5/5 — Beautiful in Warmth

*2025-02-17*

I don’t normally experience apps to be warm, but the beauty of this Bible app is its warm esthetic. The simplicity, the black background and white font and the font itself have a pure feeling and warm esthetic, which I’m finding to be really perfect for my reading and reflection time in God’s word.

### 5/5 — Just His Word

*2025-02-13*

If you’re looking for a minimal, no distractions Bible app, this is it. Easy to use, with some great features like cross references. Might be the closest thing to a physical Bible I’ve used. Great work!

### 5/5 — The Bible app we needed!

*2025-02-13*

A Bible app that is simply the Bible in an app! This app leaves behind all the “extras” and truly has only the functions you need to read scripture while you may be away from your physical Bible! Worth downloading, worth sharing with your friends and churches!!

### 5/5 — All you need a Bible app to be

*2025-02-13*

It’s simple and lets you see the storyline of the Bible with more ease through intentional features, plus some top notch design!

### 4/5 — Great app, but missing one feature…

*2024-11-03*

As a developer myself, I appreciate this app due to it being free, open source, and committed to putting God’s Word into the hands of ordinary people for free.

I love the NET for the same reasons the developer does: no copyright red tape. However, the biggest benefit of the NET are the translator notes, which are strangely omitted from this app. I would love to see these added in the future!

**Developer response:** Hi Phillip! Thanks so much for your review and feedback--it's so valuable to me!

I learned while adding the NET that the translator's notes are actually not open-source. While you can use the text of the NET for free, you can't include the translator's notes without a license. That's why I didn't include them. On another note, I decided to switch to using the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) instead of the NET as I actually like it better among the open-source translations.

Hope you're enjoying using the app!

### 5/5 — Tov is the first Bible app that makes me feel like I’m reading the Word of God.

*2024-09-02*

It seems like most Bible apps are trying to emulate all the latest apps. But when I come to scripture, I am usually trying to escape from a fast-paced, tech-driven world, not emulate it. Tov, instead, emulates the simplicity and shalom of the word of God, and that is why it is my favorite Bible app.

## Frequently asked questions about Tov

### What translation does Tov use?

Tov uses the Berean Standard Bible, which is described as authentic, accurate, and elegant. This translation is chosen to provide a reliable reading experience.

### Is Tov available on Android?

Based on the provided information, Tov is currently supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Android compatibility is not specified.

### How often is Tov updated?

The app was last updated on April 14, 2025, with version 2.2.0. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and maintenance.

### What makes Tov different from other Bible apps?

Tov differentiates itself with a minimalist, distraction-free design, focusing solely on scripture. It avoids common interruptions like feeds, ads, and notifications, creating a quiet sanctuary for reading.

### Can I track my reading progress with Tov?

While Tov doesn't explicitly mention progress tracking features, its reading history allows users to easily return to where they left off, aiding in consistent engagement with scripture.

### What is the age rating for Tov?

Tov has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. This rating suggests content appropriate for young children and older individuals alike.

### Does Tov offer offline reading?

The provided description does not explicitly mention offline reading capabilities. However, its focus on a distraction-free experience suggests it prioritizes core reading functionality.

### What do users like most about Tov?

User reviews highlight the seamless usability and minimalist aesthetic as major strengths. One user praised its emulation of the simplicity of God's word, contrasting it with other feature-heavy Bible apps.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.2.0 — 2025-04-14

This update introduces new color themes available in the settings! Additionally, you can now also customize the size of your Bible text. And, as always, bugs were fixed.

### 2.1.2 — 2025-03-05

- Added back double tap to bring up table of contents
- Now long press to view cross references
- Added a few helpful tutorial messages
- Highlight starting verse when going to cross reference chapter
- New overlay design with dedicated buttons for opening reading history and adding a bookmark
- Typography updates

### 2.1 — 2025-03-04

- Added back double tap to bring up table of contents
- Now long press to view cross references
- Added a few helpful tutorial messages
- Highlight starting verse when going to cross reference chapter
- New overlay design with dedicated buttons for opening reading history and adding a bookmark
- Typography updates

### 2.0 — 2025-02-13

Welcome to Tov 2.0! Here's what's new:

- Bring up cross references by clicking on the whole verse, not just the number
- Switched to the Berean Standard Bible
- Verse numbers are now in the margin and removed Bible scroll bar
- Ability to hide verse numbers
- Updated colors and typography
- Better animations
- Chapter selector now hides when reading
- Restarting the app will save your place in your current chapter
- Many many bugs and bible formatting errors fixed
- Capitalized Tov

### 1.0 — 2024-08-15

No release notes.

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [SparkBible: Bible Study](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkbible-bible-study/id1483326425) | 4.8 (1,615) | Free | Reference |
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| [NET Bible (Formerly Lumina)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/net-bible-formerly-lumina/id687558432) | 4.1 (146) | Free | Reference |
| [Literal Word: Bible & Lexicon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/literal-word-bible-and-lexicon/id1439010388) | 4.9 (1,158) | Free | Reference |
| [Ecclesia Bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecclesia-bible/id6503206328) | 4.9 (23) | Free | Reference |

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*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 2026-07-20.*