Why Can't Searching Be Made Functional?

Mike Childs
Mike Childs Member Posts: 3,117 ✭✭✭
edited November 21 in English Forum

Why can't searching be made functional in the mobile apps? 

At least on the iPhone and iPad, when one searches, and then clicks on one of the results, the app does not open to that that search result.  It seems to open somewhere random.

In concordance searches of a Bible, it often even opens to the wrong book of the Bible, much less the wrong verse.  In basic searches it often opens pages from the resulting quote that one clicks on.  Then it is a matter of searching manually to find the quote.

I have occasionally complained about this to no avail.  I will therefore begin to complain more often.  This is not acceptable from the worlds most expensive Bible software.

Is no one else bothered by this?  Am I the only one experiencing this?


"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley

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Comments

  • Justin Gatlin
    Justin Gatlin Member Posts: 1,995 ✭✭✭

    My iPad takes me to chapter where the search result is, although without any kind of emphasis on the returned text. Bible searches also perform as expected, with the result being the first full verse on the screen.

  • Reuben Helmuth
    Reuben Helmuth MVP Posts: 2,485

    Am I the only one experiencing this?

    Probably not, but I dare say the group is small. Are you running the latest stable version? Have you tried a reinstall?

  • Francis
    Francis Member Posts: 3,807

    I only ever use the mobile version if I have no other option and often walk away frustrated. But repeated messages about the lack of functionality seem to have been largely ignored. The search feature and offline use are absolutely dismal.

  • GaoLu
    GaoLu Member Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭

    One thing I like that really works is the Bible Reference scanner. I use that.

  • Mike Childs
    Mike Childs Member Posts: 3,117 ✭✭✭

    In a Bible search I have often clicked on a search reference, and instead of taking me to that reference, I have actually been taken to a reference in a different book of the Bible.  This happens when the reference is in one of the shorter books of the Bible, and I am taken to a neighboring book.  

    Bible references, however, are not the most annoying because I then type in the right verse and find it easily enough.

    But frequently I search for a quote from Wesley, or Spurgeon, or Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  I click on the reference and land somewhere within a number of pages from the reference.  That is a problem.  Which direction in the book do I start looking for the reference?  That is most annoying and unacceptable to me.  Makes me detest the mobile app.


    "In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley

  • Reuben Helmuth
    Reuben Helmuth MVP Posts: 2,485

    I click on the reference and land somewhere within a number of pages from the reference.  That is a problem.

    I agree that is (would be) a problem. I experienced something like this about a year ago or so... Let me ask again, are you running the latest stable release and have you tried a reinstall?

  • tjebme
    tjebme Member Posts: 170 ✭✭

    I can confirm that selected search results are not differentiated from the rest of the text and are sometimes not displayed on the screen (never sure whether to go up or down then). I would agree that neither of these behaviors are “functional” for me. I am using the latest version and have reinstalled.

  • Mike Childs
    Mike Childs Member Posts: 3,117 ✭✭✭


    "In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley

  • Mike Childs
    Mike Childs Member Posts: 3,117 ✭✭✭

    Here are a few examples of my frustration.

    I just did a Bible search on my iPhone for the word "love".   I randomly clicked on three of the search results.

    I clicked on Genesis 24:67, and the app opened to Genesis 25:13.  Well, at least close.

    I clicked on Deuteronomy 13:6, and the app opened to Deuteronomy 18:1.  

    I clicked on Song of Solomon 3:10, and the app opened to ISAIAH 13:1.  NOT EVEN THE SAME BOOK OF THE BIBLE.  This is not an occasional problem or malfunction.  It is every search reference on my iPhone or iPad.  Drives me crazy, which I realize is a short trip.

    But the BASIC SEARCHES ARE EVEN WORSE because the search reference is not a specific verse to help one navigate to the reference.  Since the search word or phrase referenced is in no way indicated in the text, one must simply read forward or backward in the book until one stumbles upon it many pages away from where the app opened.  This is ridiculous.

    I was going to give an example of a Basic Search reference from Wesley's Works, but I never the found the search reference that I clicked upon and gave up.

    This has not always been the case, but it has been the case for some time before the Logos 8 upgrade.  However, it seems much worse after the upgrade to Logos 8.  When I first noticed the problem, I did not complain because I thought Logos would certainly soon have it corrected.  Then after a while I began complaining, but nothing changed.  It even got worse with the Logos 8 upgrade.

    Perhaps I should install Olive Tree on my iPhone and iPad so I could at least do mobile searches.  That may be the easiest solution. 

    Actually, I am a real fan of Logos Bible Software (except for the mobile app).  I have used Logos for decades and invested thousands of dollars in it.  I am not going to stop using Logos - at least on my computer. I have way too much money and time invested in Logos to give up on it.  It is a great company and a great product.  However, I am really surprised at how bad the search function is on the mobile app.  The app is virtually worthless for searches, at least for me.  Usually Logos is excellent software.  For me the Mobile App is a real loser.


    "In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley

  • Todd Diehl (Logos)
    Todd Diehl (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 322

    Michael, my guess is that the bible that is being opened is local to the device, but is an older version. I would suggest trying to remove and re-download the bible in question.