Quick Start
This is a tour of the main window. If you haven't installed the app yet, see Installation. Help → Take a Tour shows a similar tour inside the app.
The main window
The app opens to John 3 by default. The window has three parts:
- Header (top): the Layout dropdown, the search bar, and icons for the Module Manager, Preferences, and Help.
- Bible pane (left): the Bible text. Its toolbar holds the back and history buttons, the bookmark menu, the translation selector, the display mode selector, Parallel, the text settings (gear) button, and the previous and next chapter buttons.
- Study side (right): by default, the Study, Commentary, and Dictionary tabs. The + button adds a tab for another kind of pane, such as Notes, Prayer, Books, or Topics.
1. Go to a passage
Click the chapter heading at the top of the text ("John 3") to open the book and chapter picker. Choose a book, then a chapter.
Other ways to navigate:
- Type a reference such as
Romans 8:28in the search bar and press Enter. - Alt+Down and Alt+Up go to the next and previous chapter.
- Alt+Left goes back to the previous passage. The history button in the toolbar lists the passages you have visited.
2. Choose a translation
The translation button in the Bible pane toolbar (it shows the current translation, such as KJV) lists your installed translations. Changing it keeps you on the same passage. Translations in a language other than the interface language have a language prefix, such as [ESP] for Spanish if your interface is in another language like English.
3. Try the display modes
The display mode selector in the Bible pane toolbar has three modes:
| Mode | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Standard | Each verse gets its own line, and any footnote markers, cross-reference indicators, and section headings are also displayed (depends on what the Bible module has). |
| Reading | Continuous paragraphs, without verse numbers. |
| Study | Adds check boxes to show interlinear Greek or Hebrew, footnotes, cross-references, and commentary links. Click a word to look up its Strong's definition. |
Interlinear data is shown only for modules which contain this information. See Study Tools.
4. Select a verse
Click a verse to select it. The study side follows the selection: the Study tab shows "Studying" and the reference, with the cross-references and topics for that verse, and the Commentary tab shows entries for it.
5. Mark up the text
Right-click a verse to open the verse context menu. From there, you can copy the passage (Copy Passage...), add a note (Add Note), add a bookmark (Add to Bookmarks), apply a color or underline (Highlight/Underline...), or clear markup that you applied previously (Remove Highlight/Underline).
6. Write a note
Right-click a verse and choose Add Note. The first time, the app asks where to keep your notes (Set Up Your Notes Folder); choose a folder and click Use This Folder. The note opens in the Notes pane. Notes save automatically as you type. Verses with notes show a note icon in the Bible pane.
7. Search
Click the search bar or press Ctrl+L, and type a word or phrase. Suggestions appear after three characters. Press Enter to open the full results, below the Bible pane by default. The results include a graph of which books the matches occur in. Click a result to go to that verse.
8. Rearrange the window
Right-click a tab to split it right or down, pop it out into its own window, or close it. To drag tabs between groups, turn on the Advanced Pane Manager (see Sessions & Layout). The Layout dropdown restores one of four built-in layouts: Study Mode, Reading Mode, Writer Mode, or Study Mode (Quad).
9. Close the app
The current passage, open tabs, and layout are saved automatically as a session. When you reopen the app, it restores them.
Next steps
- Installing Modules: add translations, commentaries, and dictionaries.
- Personalizing: text size, fonts, and themes.
- Backup & Restore: back up your notes and highlights.