What it does
Ascension is a comprehensive Catholic faith app designed to be an all-in-one resource for study and prayer. The app combines the full text of the Bible and Catechism with a rich library of audio and video content. It features popular podcasts like 'The Bible in a Year,' guided Rosary prayers, daily Mass readings, and video reflections from Catholic speakers.
Where it shines
The app excels by transforming passive reading into an active, integrated study experience. While reading any Bible passage, users can long-press text to access a powerful suite of tools (02:45). This contextual menu allows for highlighting, creating notes, generating a shareable verse image (03:37), and even launching a guided prayer session based on the selected verse. Another standout feature is the interactive Rosary (10:41), which visually guides users by illuminating beads as the audio prayer progresses, making it accessible for beginners.
UX highlights
- Integrated Tools: A single long-press on scripture reveals options for highlighting, note-taking, guided prayer (Lectio Divina), and creating a verse image. This keeps the reading screen clean while making tools highly accessible.
- Multi-Format Home Screen: The main dashboard (01:17) effectively blends text-based daily readings with playable video and audio reflections, serving as a central hub for various content types.
- Bible Timeline: The app offers a unique, color-coded Bible Timeline view (08:32) that helps users understand the chronological context of different biblical periods, a feature from The Great Adventure Bible.
- Interactive Prayer: The Rosary feature (10:41) isn't just audio; it provides a visual representation of the beads, which light up to track progress, preventing users from losing their place.
- Dynamic Social Proof: During onboarding, user testimonials rotate on each sign-up screen (00:13), keeping the social proof fresh and reinforcing trust at every step.
- Content-Rich Search: The search functionality (04:38) queries across all content types, including Bible verses, Catechism paragraphs, podcasts, and study plans, delivering comprehensive results.
Monetization & growth
The app funnels new users through a mandatory paywall immediately after a brief onboarding quiz (00:51). It presents standard monthly and annual subscriptions, with the annual plan framed as a lower monthly cost. A key tactic is the 'See Trial Options' toggle (00:54), which switches the offer to a 7-day free trial or a paid 90-day trial. This effectively recaptures users who may be hesitant to commit to a full subscription upfront. Growth is also encouraged through the 'Create Verse Image' feature (03:37), which allows users to easily share branded, visually appealing scripture on social media.
Who it’s for
This app is clearly designed for practicing Catholics or those exploring the Catholic faith who want a single, high-quality resource for daily prayer and study. It caters to a wide audience, from beginners who need guidance (like the interactive Rosary) to more advanced users who want deep study tools (like the Bible Timeline and integrated note-taking). It's ideal for anyone who follows Ascension's popular podcasts and wants a more integrated experience with their content.
Notes & opportunities
While the content is rich, the immediate, mandatory paywall before any value has been demonstrated could be a significant drop-off point for some users. The app asks for notification and tracking permissions back-to-back (00:48) without any warm-up screens, which can feel abrupt. An opportunity exists to refine this by providing more context for these permissions or by showcasing a key feature before hitting the user with a payment request.