Questions people ask first
Troubleshooting lives on the support page. These are the questions that come before installing - including the ones where the answer is no.
Do I have to switch Bible apps?
No, and that is the point. Firstfruits counts time in whichever Bible app you already use - YouVersion, Logos, Olive Tree, Dwell, your denomination's app, a Bible category rather than a single app if you prefer. It contains no Scripture of its own and is not trying to become your reading app.
Is it really free, or free until it isn't?
Really free. No ads, no subscription, no in-app purchases, no paid tier held back. Apple's own listing flag for in-app purchases reads No, which is not something a developer can fake - and it is worth knowing that most apps in this category read Yes.
There is no business model behind it. That is a real thing to weigh: an app with no revenue is an app whose future depends on one person continuing to care.
Does it see what I read, or report it to anyone?
It cannot. iOS hands the app an opaque token for your selection, not an app name, and reports only that a threshold of foreground time was crossed. Firstfruits has no account, no server and makes no network requests at all, so there is no channel through which anything could be reported - not to us, not to a spouse, not to a pastor.
If you want accountability software, this is deliberately not that.
What if I read a paper Bible?
Use the timer inside Firstfruits: every 5 minutes it runs earns one credit, the same as time in a Bible app. It is there for paper, for prayer, and for anything else that should count but does not involve staring at a screen.
Can I get around it?
Yes, easily, and on purpose. The emergency unlock is one tap and costs you nothing, and beyond that you can remove the shield in iOS Settings at any time. Firstfruits is a rhythm you agree to, not a cage. Anything strong enough to actually trap you would also be strong enough to trap you at the wrong moment.
Is there an Android version?
No, and there is unlikely to be one. The whole mechanism stands on Apple's Family Controls and DeviceActivity frameworks, which have no Android equivalent that works the same way. Saying 'coming soon' would be a marketing answer rather than a true one.
Does it need my Screen Time passcode, or a child account?
No. It asks for Family Controls authorization for your own device, which is a system prompt you approve once. It is built for an adult choosing this for themselves, not for a parent imposing it on someone else.
Why credits instead of just blocking apps at set hours?
Because a schedule is a rule, and this is meant to be an exchange. Giving the first part and then receiving the rest is a different posture from being locked out until 6pm - and it is the posture the name is about. What "firstfruits" means has the longer answer.
How long does five minutes of Scripture actually take?
Less than most people expect. We measured thirty-two well-known passages - Psalm 23 is about two minutes; the whole of 1 Corinthians 13 is under three.