Good Christian apps for teens include the YouVersion Bible App and BibleProject (both free), Lectio 365 for daily guided prayer (free), Glorify for short devotionals, Hallow for Catholic prayer, and Prayer Latch, which locks distracting apps each morning until your teen prays. For safety, parents often add Covenant Eyes, Canopy or Bark.
We make Prayer Latch, a prayer lock app that keeps a teen's chosen apps closed each morning until they pray, so read this with that in mind. Facts about other apps come from their US App Store and Google Play listings and websites as of October 2026. Prices change, so check before you subscribe. Every app below runs on iPhone and Android.
Which kind of app does your teen need?
| If your teen wants to… | Look at |
|---|---|
| Read the Bible and follow plans with friends | YouVersion Bible App |
| Understand the Bible's big story | BibleProject |
| Pray each day with guidance | Lectio 365, Hallow, Glorify |
| Listen to the Bible | Dwell |
| Pray before scrolling | Prayer Latch |
| Stay safe online (set up by parents) | Covenant Eyes, Canopy, Bark |
Bible apps
- YouVersion Bible App (Life.Church): the Bible in thousands of versions and languages, reading plans, audio, and a Friends feature for reading plans together. Free, with no in-app purchases. Rated 13+ on the App Store and Teen on Google Play, because of its community features.
- BibleProject: short animated videos, podcasts and classes that explain each book of the Bible and its themes. Completely free. Rated 4+. Great for teens who find the Bible confusing.
- Dwell: an audio Bible with 20+ voices and 14 translations. Free sample, then $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
Prayer and devotional apps
- Lectio 365 (24-7 Prayer): a guided Bible prayer for morning, midday and night. Completely free. Rated 4+.
- Glorify: a daily devotional with a Bible passage, guided "Daily Walk" and prayer. Free, with Glorify Plus from $6.99 a month.
- Hallow: Catholic audio prayer and meditation with thousands of sessions, including the Rosary. Free tier; full access $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year. Rated 4+.
- Abide: Christian meditations and bedtime stories. Free tier; Premium from $4.99 a month.
- Pray.com: prayer plans, Bedtime Bible Stories and audio Bible dramas. Free tier with paid upgrades. Rated 13+ / Teen.
An app for phone habits
- Prayer Latch: locks the apps your teen chooses, like TikTok, Instagram or games, each morning at their wake-up time. To open them, they pray, with a short guided prayer or their own words, and hold to say Amen; the apps open until the next lock time. It includes an offline Bible in 24 languages, a private prayer journal, and Latch, a padlock companion who walks a 90-day journey as they pray. Free for 7 days, then $4.99 a month or $24.99 a year; prayer, the Bible and the journal stay free. Your teen sets it up and can always use the free emergency unlock, so it builds a habit rather than enforcing a rule.
Prayer Latch tip: Let your teen pick the apps to lock and the wake-up time themselves during setup. A lock they chose is one they're far more likely to keep.
Safety apps for parents
These are set up by parents, not teens, and work best alongside honest conversation.
- Covenant Eyes (Victory app): blocks pornography and shares screen activity with chosen "Allies" for accountability. $18 a month or $198 a year on its website, covering a family of up to 10 people.
- Canopy: an AI filter that blocks explicit images and video in real time, with sexting alerts and app blocking. From $8.33 a month billed yearly for one device.
- Bark: not a Christian company, but popular with Christian parents. It monitors texts, email and 30+ apps for risks like bullying and predators, with screen time limits. $14 a month or $99 a year for Bark Premium.
Which app should a teen start with?
One Bible app and one prayer habit. YouVersion or BibleProject for Scripture, plus a daily prayer time, whether that's Lectio 365 or Prayer Latch's morning lock. Two apps used daily do more than ten that sit in a folder.
Should parents choose the apps or the teen?
Both. Teens are far more likely to use an app they chose. Offer two or three options, try them together for a week, and let your teen pick. For the bigger question of first phones, see what age should a Christian kid get a phone?
Are these apps safe for teens?
Most of the Bible and prayer apps above are rated 4+. YouVersion and Pray.com are rated 13+ on the App Store, and Pray.com's free tier shows ads. Check the settings together, and review privacy options before your teen signs up.
Pray before you scroll
Prayer Latch locks your chosen apps each morning until you pray. Your first 7 days are free, no card needed.
Updated October 27, 2026 by the Prayer Latch team at Janus Works LLC.