Maximizing Outreach with an Android App

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By Ashley Parratore, Urantia Foundation staff, North Carolina, United States

When it comes to electronics, many people say it’s an Apple world. That may be true in the United States and other industrialized nations, but the fact is, 72% of the world’s population use an Android. That is a lot of phones and tablets!

There has been a successful Urantia Book app for Apple users since 2009, thanks to Dandelion Applications. Offering 13 languages of the book, it has averaged nearly 32,000 downloads per year over the past decade. We now have an opportunity to reach the other 72%.

Urantia Foundation has been developing an app that will give immediate access to a copy of The Urantia Book on the Android device of choice. The app will offer the option of selecting any or all of the 19 languages currently available, which in turn allows the user control over the amount of space the app uses on a device.

With permission from Dandelion, we used the Apple app for inspiration regarding functionality.

Key features include:

● Simplicity: an easy-to-use navigation system for seamless movement through the parts, papers, and sections of the book.

● Search engine: operates on- or offline to search the book in its entirety or specific parts.

● Language comparison: allows for viewing two language texts simultaneously.

● Bookmarking: preserves favorite passages, even in language comparison mode.

● History option: tracks your reading progress. Great for study and cross-referencing.

● Copy and paste function: transfers text to email, Word docs, or text messages.

It’s not surprising that many people are using electronic devices to read and study The Urantia Book. Cell phones and tablets are convenient, portable, and the way of the future. We already know that French-speaking UBIS students in Africa are successfully taking courses on their phones. Despite the lack of consistent internet, they have good cellular service.

The Pew Research Center reports that Android devices are preferred by almost every age group. They are also the most affordable. Over the past year, the prices of printing and shipping have soared, making book distribution even more cost prohibitive in many countries and most of continental Africa. While we always strive to place physical books in the hands of those who want one, this app will give them immediate access to the revelation.

The app will be launching by year-end, and we are confident that it will become the most successful book distribution program in a decade!