Olive Tree Blog
App Tips

7 Reasons to Use Olive Tree’s Mac App

Who doesn’t love a good Top Items list? I know I do! Here are seven (7) reasons why you should use the newly updated Olive Tree Bible app for Mac alongside your mobile. Ready. Set. Go!

1. Multiple Windows in the Mac App

One limitation of working with the Bible app on mobile is you can only have two resources open at a single time, three if you count pop-ups. This limitation exists for various reasons, ranging from screen size to processing power. This isn’t a problem on your Mac. Open multiple windows to your heart’s content and resize them however you’d like. The possibilities are endless. This is a perfect way to maximize your study time.

Screen Shot 2016-06-28 at 7.03.31 AM

2. Universal Search with Olive Tree’s Mac App

Have you ever wanted to search your entire library for a topic or word? The Resource Guide helps with this to an extent, but it only works with enhanced resources. With the Bible app for Mac you can type anything you want in the search field and get hits from your entire library. This alone is a time saver or reason to get lost in rabbit trails, you decide.

Screen Shot 2016-06-28 at 7.06.42 AM

3. Multitasking

Do you like using Pages or Google Docs to write your sermons or notes? That’s easy with the Bible app for Mac. If you have multiple monitors, have the app open on one screen and Pages open in the other. Don’t have two monitors? Resize your windows and you can still do the same. Try doing that on your phone!

Screen Shot 2016-06-28 at 7.17.14 AM

4. More Text on the Screen

Given the fact my phone is 5.5″ (iPhone 6s Plus) versus the 13″ screen of my Macbook Pro, I can fit a lot more text on my Macbook’s screen than I can on my iPhone. This means I can study a lot easier than I can on my iPhone. I can read more with less scrolling, which saves time and effort.

Look how much more text you can fit on a desktop (iMac) versus a tablet (iPad Mini 4).

IMG_0321
mac_esv_interlinear

5. Merge Floating Windows

The next two reasons are exclusive to the Mac version of the Bible app. First is the ability to merge multiple floating windows into a single window. This is a convenient way to organize your work space & to move windows around, especially if you have multiple monitors. You can achieve this one of two ways: 1) Go to Window, and select “Group Floating Windows into 1 Window,” or 2) the keyboard shortcut ⌘(Cmd)+Y. Presto! You’ve grouped your many pop-ups into a single window!

Screen Shot 2016-06-28 at 7.19.28 AM
Screen Shot 2016-06-28 at 7.20.22 AM

6. Quick Details

There are lots of things you can get to with a tap or mouse click in the Olive Tree Bible app. A few of these include: original language parsing data, Strong’s definitions, verse links, and footnotes. In the Mac version of the Bible app you can get to this information even faster. At the bottom left of the main window is a Quick Details pane. As your pointer hovers over text, such as a Greek word in the screenshot below, the Quick Details window is populated with information about that word. Now you can quickly get information without the need to tap/click on the word to open its pop-up.

Want to see the full entry? Hold the “Control” key (to freeze the Quick Details pane) & move your pointer to that area. Now you can scroll and read all the data, such as the dictionary definition that is not currently visible in the shot below. This pane can also be resized by clicking & dragging on the “Quick Details” title bar.

Screen Shot 2016-06-28 at 7.56.55 AM

7. Distraction Free Studying

The refreshed user interface of the Olive Tree Bible app for Mac was designed to get out of the way so you could focus on studying. How often have you tried reading the Bible on your phone only to get distracted by a call, text message, or notification? Happens to me all the time, and sometimes I don’t have the luxury of turning on Airplane mode to keep it from happening. The simple gesture of sitting at a computer often implies that it’s time for serious work, which can make it easier to focus and get studying done distraction free. Plus, it’s far easier to “unplug” your computer from the Internet without feeling like you’re cut off from the world.

What Are Yours?

What are some of your favorite features and tips when using Olive Tree’s Mac app? Leave a comment and share them with us and other Olive Tree users.

Related Posts

22 Comments

    • Richard

      i would like to have it because it looks good to use for me

  2. Marc

    Hi Richard, the app is free and there are various titles and bibles that are free. First you gotta download the software from http://www.olivetree.com and then you can download things in the app itself. Enjoy

  3. Steve

    Looks great. When will the new version be available in the UK?

  4. Brent

    Great App. I use it as a pastor quite often. What I can’t fine anywhere is how to copy and paste multiple verses. I’ve tried everything I can think of.

    • Nicole

      Brent, The copy feature, for multiple verses, is different on the OT mobile version. The mobile version allows you tap the verse number, tap copy, and then choose the verse range by tapping the “up” arrow. However, on the Mac you simply tap the first verse number and drag down holding the left side of your mouse. This will highlighted all the verses you want. Next you right click, tap copy, and paste in pages, notes, or wherever you want the verses. One great feature is that the source (verses and translation) will automatically populate when you paste the verses.

      • Renier

        This method copies the text and shows the translation and verse numbers but not the book and chapter of the bible.

  5. Scott Schaffer

    I tried to update my Mac version of the Olive Tree apt but it does not require an update at this time.

    • Steve

      I’ve got the same issue. I’m running version 5, and while the App store shows the latest version is version 6, I do not have an option to update.

      • Paul

        If you installed the application from Olive Tree’s website you cannot update from the App Store. If you want to update from the App Store, uninstall the application and install from the App Store. Otherwise download and install from the website.

  6. Shayne

    Does Olive tree work on the new ipad pro 12.9 inch..

    • Joe carter

      Hi Shayne,

      yes – it does – you just have to download the app from the App Store. We have an iPad Pro 12.9 in here that we use for testing and I LOVE our app on that big screen! (Joe – QA Tester with Olive Tree)

  7. Chris Perks

    I’m so happy to have this new update. I love being able to use Olivetree on my Mac, but a lot of my favourite titles weren’t available to download. I love all the new features. I’ve been with Olivetree for about 6 or 7 years, have a fairly extensive library now and the app’s design just makes all the content come together seamlessly. I’m still constantly learning new things I can do with the software. Kudos guys. Brilliant job. Keep up the good work

  8. Dan Francis

    Love all the new features, really need a citation feature this is standard in all other Bible apps. A app with a publisher behind it should realize the importance of this.

    • John Maggs

      Agreed! I just spent 30 mins hunting down citation info (some of it I gave up and looked it up online!) and copying it manually, whereas with Logos I was able to just click on the info link and copy the citation in Turabian (or other) format directly into my research. Huge time saver! Please add in a subsequent update…? : )

  9. Raymond Els

    With the previous version I could select multiple verses, and a + would pop up allowing me to copy the verses with the book and translation abbreviations. With this update the + no longer pop up, so I cannot copy multiple verses as previously.

    • joe carter

      Just use your mouse to select the text you want to copy, then “Rt – Click” or “Ctrl-Click” and select copy – or hit “⌘-C” to copy.

  10. Raymond

    Thanks Joe, but the Book and translation abbreviations are no longer displayed when you paste, or am I missing something?

    • Donald Keiffer

      I can do this on my iPad. Go to App Settings/Copy Verse Options and then choose Include Verse Numbers or Include Translation in Citation.
      Hope this helps

  11. Fiona Manonn

    i appreciate the way you are sharing the information about olive tree’app.. I am happy to find such an informative post after so long. Hope more to come as I’m an avid reader. I tried to educate myself as much as possible.You’ve been sharing really insightful posts and I’m an avid reader of your posts.