How to Use the JW Library App Part 2: Publications, Music, and Videos
The JW Library app is the main official app developed by Jehovah’s Witnesses for use on the iPad and iPhone. It includes a number of tools for use at the meetings, during personal study, and in the field ministry. The primary tool is, of course, the Bible but JW Library includes other excellent reference publications, music, and videos.
The following video is part of a series which takes you through the JW Library app. Here, Part 2 explains how to use all these awesome research tools and media along with a few tips to make you an expert. These include:
- Navigate the publication categories by type, newest publications, and downloaded files
- Learn how to download publications, music, and videos to store local copies on your device
- Read scriptures cited in study publications without leaving the current view
- Search for a keyword or phrase only in the publication you’re currently reading
- Look up Topics based on words you select while reading a publication
- Download music including the new Kingdom Songs
- Download video content from the JW Broadcast program and other areas of JW.org
- Determine the file size and resulting quality of downloaded videos
- Check the latest available videos in the “What’s New” tab
- Sort downloaded files by size, frequently used, and rarely used
- Learn how to delete locally stored files to save space
Now, on to the video…
The JW Library app keeps getting better and better with each update and is definitely the first app you’ll want to download to your new device. Check out the other videos in this series now:
Other great apps by Jehovah’s Witnesses are JW Library Sign Language and JW Language.

You might also like our JW Language app series:
April 16, 2015 @ 8:38 pm
What apps would you recommend for typing notes into the new interactive 2015 convention program posted on JW.org? I prefer typing and not writing them out.
April 16, 2015 @ 8:41 pm
Hi. I would definitely recommend PDF Expert. It my favorite document organizer app. And it works great with the new interactive program: http://appchasers.com/2013/12/04/best-file-management-reader-annotation-app-for-ipad-pdf-expert-5-review/
August 11, 2015 @ 9:30 am
Do these instructions apply also to Samsung and android products?
August 12, 2015 @ 3:29 pm
I believe so.
August 25, 2015 @ 7:59 pm
Great video! Is it possible to download the exact same publication several times into the jw library app? I ask in anticipation of the time when the highlighting and note-taking features will be added. My CO says that we must study the Teach Book differently each time in order to cater to the unique needs of each individual student. Thanks for any help you can give!
August 26, 2015 @ 5:05 pm
Hi Cheryl. That’s a great idea from your CO. I don’t think that will be possible in future versions of JW Library. But it is possible right now in PDF Expert. You can store as many copies of documents as you’d like and annotate them all separately. More on that here: http://appchasers.com/2013/12/04/best-file-management-reader-annotation-app-for-ipad-pdf-expert-5-review/
October 28, 2015 @ 2:17 pm
These videos are very instructive! Thank You…
I was hoping you could help point me in the right direction: I am having a problem (Android 5.0 Lollipop) with the JW Library app recognizing the videos I moved onto my SD card. For whatever reason the entire video folder I moved on the SD card is not read by the app which I left on the tablets internal memory. I was looking for a folder that the app would recognize but so far I am not being successful. Please help.
October 28, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
Hey Mike, unfortunately I’m not too familiar with Android devices. But let’s see if anyone else can help here.
October 28, 2015 @ 2:52 pm
Ok, thanks.
I appreciate the site and will be spending more time here since I have both android and ios products.
February 3, 2016 @ 10:39 am
Hi. Just cannot figure this out. Wondering if you have an answer. When using the new Life and Ministry Workbook at the meeting, I had the chart with pictures in the week of Feb 1-7. The sister next to me had only a chart of the dates with no pictures. I tried to figure out how she could get the picture. Then I lost my page with pictures and cannot get it back no matter what I try. I just have the chart of dates also. We are both using iPads. It has happened with other Workbooks pages also. Any idea?
February 4, 2016 @ 6:37 am
Hi. Thanks for the question. Hmm, have you tried swiping left and right to change pages in the Workbook?
May 26, 2016 @ 7:02 pm
Can I use the downloaded music videos from jw.library for ringtones, or is that a violation of their licensing agreement? If not, how would I get my Android Samsung Galaxy T399 to convert the videos from my external SD card? I’m not tech savvy at all.
June 6, 2016 @ 2:25 pm
I can not see new publication like,meeting workbook,watchtower in my language yoruba @jw library app
in my android
June 12, 2016 @ 12:42 pm
How do I copy songs that are not in the song book like song #149??
July 22, 2016 @ 12:17 pm
Do we have to purchase this app for each device, or purchase once then DL it to all the household devices? Thank you.
July 22, 2016 @ 12:18 pm
Hello. The JW Library app is free.
July 23, 2016 @ 2:54 pm
I guess I should have been more precise in which app I was asking about, I am so sorry. I was asking about the PDF expert app. Is it pay one time for all devices?
July 23, 2016 @ 11:15 pm
Hi oh yes I see. PDF Expert is able to be downloads for free on any device using the same iTunes account.
July 25, 2016 @ 1:50 am
thank you
July 27, 2016 @ 3:31 pm
can I ask some more please?
My friend has on her device JW library app, and she can write notes as she studies while using the JW library app. She does not know how that was installed as someone else installed it for her. And I use android devices, can you please tell me, if you know what app or app category that was installed for her? Thank you so much.
July 27, 2016 @ 3:50 pm
Hi. Is she using an iPhone or iPad? She could be using the Split View feature to use the Notes app on the side which using the JW Library app.
July 27, 2016 @ 9:04 pm
I think hers is anroid, and there is no split view.
July 28, 2016 @ 8:27 am
Oh I see. Maybe someone here will be able to tell you. Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with Android.
June 14, 2017 @ 11:14 am
I’m having trouble downloading videos in app. It acts like it is downloading but at the end it says “Publication not available at this time try again later.” I try later and says same thing. Books and Audio download fine, just videos.
January 13, 2018 @ 4:42 pm
“The publication is not available at this time, please try again later”. A brother asked me to help him with that error beneath his meetings page on the Jw library app. Most publications, videos etc were not available. I tried downloading an older version (APK) online. I don’t know if it worked for him or not, I moved. Few days later (early this year) I opened my Jw library_(meetings), I saw the same error. I updated it, downloaded older versions, cleared the data and chache but still doesn’t work. Please help, what do I do? I’m struggling