Terrific Rosary Apps for your phone or tablet

October is Rosary month! We have collected some of the better rosary apps out there in a variety of styles which cover many mobile formats, languages and price ranges. They are listed in no particular order. Some of these apps come at the recommendation of members in our Catholic Apptitude community!

You can read about the history of the Holy Rosary here.

Step-by-step instruction in praying the Holy Rosary is here.

Catholicer Beads (Free) Apple Finally! Someone re-thinks the digital rosary experience. This elegant 3-D animated user interface and thumb swipe operation is like no other rosary app out there. Give it a whirl. Regrettably, you have to sign up in their system with username, password, birthdate. Once you’re in, you’ve got both a digital and audio rosary to use.

This rosary app is loaded with useful features:

• vibration at Our Father breaks (Rosary praying needs some tactile markers)
• vibration self-activates after long idle to help you re-focus
• audio sound option with each bead stroke
• text option (explanations of the mysteries you’re reflecting on)
• chaplet options
• option to change background picture (to customize your meditation focus); two viewing options (really cool 3-D or static full Rosary.)
• option to change audio voice in audio mode (the default voice is the developer’s, and he is difficult to understand)
• option for right-hand or left-hand users
• voice recognition & dictation feature–the app will run by listening to your voice so you can pray with this Beads completely hands-free
• voice recording (you or anyone you wish to record)
• option to submit prayer requests

The beads are integrated to the Catholicer Global Prayer Network, enabling you to pray for specific intentions others have posted. They appropriately hold you responsible for taking on this task if you choose this option, so don’t be alarmed by the pop-up bubble warning you about the seriousness of your choice!

Here’s the link to the video walking you through the app.

This is a well-designed, very cool rosary for the particular 2-dimensional use on a phone screen. You will love the elegant simplicity of the animation.

iRosary ($2.99) Apple

Intuitive use of the traditional rosary. If you are going to purchase one rosary app, this has the most features that address practical needs of praying on a mobile device. It is designed for use right or left-handed so you can hold your device in one hand. Audio clicks and vibration are important because you cannot feel beads, of course, so you need tactile/audio cues to keep focused on your prayer while simultaneously keeping track of your beads if your eyes are closed or if your device is in your pocket. Other benefits that make this app worth the price:
•Create your own design from 243 cross, chain, and bead combinations
•Choose from two sets of classic artwork
•Resize text on the fly with two-finger pinch for easy reading
•Portrait and landscape modes
•English, Spanish, French, and Latin prayers
•Correctly recommends the Mystery to pray based on the liturgical calendar
•pleasing sound cues and vibration
•Use with either hand by moving the beads to the left or the right
•This app remembers your place for the next time you access it
•Uses the same set of prayers listed on the Vatican website
•The same number of beads as a standard Rosary (between bead prayers fold out)
•Push beads back to return to a previous prayer
•The Luminous mysteries can be turned on or off
•Includes the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Loreto Litanies
•A dynamic interface which moves, slides, and rotates to your gestures

RosaryPlusRD ($1.99) Apple

This is probably the prettiest rosary app on the market. It is also very easy to use–tap the shiny bead and it disappears. Simple. Its visual beauty is extended into the lovely reflections in text if you want that element added to your prayer experience. The effort the developers at St. Clement ePress put into their products is first-rate. Their Catholic apps by far exceed quality, beauty and ease of use of most similar apps in their categories. This rosary is no exception and makes one wish all apps were developed with this careful attention to dignity and beauty our devotions and the souls engaged in them deserve. TabView allows you to open an assortment of exquisit images for your meditation while you pray. In addition to the rosary, you get Dominican Scriptural Rosary, Devotion to Seven Sorrows of Mary and chaplet to St Michael devotion included in the package. Here’s another helpful review.

The Holy Rosary (Free) Android

This is primarily an English app but it is loaded with Latin options and Latin prayers (in audio and text) as well as French, Maylay and Spanish versions of the Rosary. The many Latin options really make this app stand out for those looking for this dimension in their prayer life. This option is included in the audio versions of the rosary and prayers offered.

As the screenshot depicts, this uses a lit-bead format as you pray through the rosary with the tactile vibration on the Our Father beads– so useful in digital rosaries. But in addition you’ll have access to:

– Catechism of the Catholic Church: Compendium
– Papal documents (encyclicals, letters, etc.)
– Many prayers including Latin version of Veni Creator Spiritus, Litany of Loreto, Angelus, Regina Coeli, Benedictus and Magnificat
– Chaplet of Divine Mercy with audio version in English and Spanish
– audio passages of the Bible

We appreciate the fact that this app will also pause audio recitation if you receive a call.

Touch Rosary (Free) Android

As its name implies, this digital rosary displays a full set of beads that glide as you move your finger from one bead to another–an attempt at simulating using real rosary beads. This rosary is impressive for the price given all its many features.

• Prayers for each bead are displayed to the side. Probably easier to use if you’re right-handed.
• Mysteries can be chosen automatically based on the day.
• Each mystery has an image and corresponding Bible verse to help your meditation on the mysteries.
• Audio recitation of the prayers and mysteries can be played
• Bead highlight to track your progress.
• Ability to change the font size, background images, locations of the beads
• bead clicking sound and vibration (We appreciate those tactile cues since real beads cannot be felt. These electronic substitutions are helpful.)
•  Fifteen Promises of our Lady and how to pray Miraculous 54 Days Rosary Novena.

Virtual Rosary (Free) Android

As the name says, it’s a virtual rosary in the sense that you tap the screen to move the digital count. This is not a graphic rosary bead version. To help you meditate and keep count while your eyes are closed, it will vibrate after every decade. It is clunky and inelegant in design, but it is ideal if you’re going to keep your phone in your pocket while you’re praying or if you are sight-impaired.

Catholic Rosary Quick Guide (Free) Android

A rosary with a guide to help you pray this devotion. Includes Scriptural meditations. This is not very fancy, and does not include a virtual rosary, but it does include a decade tracker. Ideally used with a real rosary in your hand as this app is primarily a helpful guide. Divine Mercy Chaplet is included too.x

Rosary Pro (Free) Apple

Available in Spanish, English, Italian, French, Catalan, Rosary Pro allows you to pray the rosary in different ways–reading, scrolling through beads or listening. Looking for a rosary that will chime or vibrate in your hand as you advance through the prayers? This one has a rich tactile/audio option so you can pray without looking at your screen. It vibrates when your iPhone is set to silent mode (so you can use it in church or while it is in your pocket). The Our Father beads vibrate and chime differently, so you can tell where you are without peeking at the screen. To make it really custom, this app offers you the ability to record the prayers yourself for playback during the automatic audio rosary. Some of  the languages offered come with pre-recorded audio. English does not. So, you can make up your own (or use your children or others to record themselves praying). Its scrolling through beads option is a little odd. Don’t look for virtual beads that advance in some way. This is a text-based visual presentation that counts your swipes on the screen as you advance through the rosary. It is not meant to be a virtual rosary bead experience as other apps offer. Enjoy an assortment of configuration options to choose from including setting a reminder alert to pray at a particular time and the option to include various prayers and other traditional elements people add to their Rosary. Also, you can send a tweet or post to your Facebook account a message when you are going to pray the Rosary.

Here’s a tablet screenshot:

Holy Rosary Deluxe ($1.99) Apple

This has a pleasing, somewhat realistic interface with 5 different modes of counting including your choice of bead versions. Intuitive slide of your finger over the bead image to keep track of your prayers. Divine Mercy Chaplet included. You can switch to right or left-handed bead counting for your thumb. Full text of all prayers included. Audio option for clicking sound and background music. Interface makes it easy to pray with your eyes closed because of the sound and vibration options available for each bead or just the decades. You can customize this by changing the photos for each mystery using photos in your collection. Resumes where you left off when you return. Adjust the font size. English, Spanish, Italian, French and Latin. There is a “Lite” version of this available for $.99. Lacks some customizable features. Includes option to turn off Luminous Mystery.

Rosary for Blackberry  ($4.99)

Features: – Each mystery has an image that helps to reflection of his events. – There is a scripture for each mystery that helps you to meditate about the Jesus Christ life. – Remember the mystery and the prayers that have been prayed the last time. – You can modify the size and font. – Choose Beads. – Choose Crosses. Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Latin and Italian.x

Holy Rosary Audio (99 cents)  Apple

An audio version of the rosary comes in handy when you need someone else to help keep you focused on your prayers…or when you just feel like praying with another voice…or need to pray hands-free (like when you’re driving). But this app comes with more than just the Rosary. Besides a complete Rosary with Text and Audio, you get:
* Complete Devine Mercy with Text
*Mysteries for each day of the week
* Background pictures fitting the Mystery that is being prayed
* Five different animation themes
* Five different background music
* Support selecting by day, default as Today
* Easy and fast jump to any Rosary bead position

Once installed, an internet connection is NOT required

Mary App (Free) Apple

The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception who brought you the Divine Mercy app have produced a full-resource Marian app. Our Blessed Mother is a big topic, so developers broke the subject of Our Lady into three categories: Doctrine (Church/Scriptural teachings about her and reasons for our devotion with FAQs); Devotion (rosary, chaplets, prayers, feasts, consecration to Mary, sacramentals) and Mary Plus (pilgrimage sites, images, info on apparitions, info on the Marian Fathers). As one reviewer put it, this app is comprised of three great apps rolled into one. The rosary in this app is terrific if all you want is a nice virtual bead experience with vibrations (iPhone only) at each bead so you can have tactile cues when advancing through your prayers. The vibration does not change with the Our Father beads, so you still need to peek every now and then. There is an audio option with this rosary.

Screenshot from Holy Rosary -Spanish Edition app

Holy Rosary–Spanish Edition (Free) Android

You’ll like the fact that when you launch the app, the appropriate mystery automatically loads for the particular day. You also have the option to manually choose which mysteries you would like to pray along with. A Spanish audio version of the Rosary is also available within this app for hands-free use.

Relevant Radio (Free) Apple  | Android  | Kindle Fire (1st generation and up)

Various audio rosaries are imbedded in this app so that you can listen and pray hands-free with a rosary lead by a Catholic priest. Get your rosary with our without music; 17 minutes or 28 minutes (with reflections added).

Relevant Radio provides calm, clear and charitable discussion of matters of our Catholic faith broadcast on dozens of stations across the United States. Producers characterize the station as “Talk Radio for Catholic life. ” With this app, you can access their broadcasts on live stream. Plus…broadcast shows are available on demand via podcast which they archive for the period of one month. As an additional feature, Relevant Radio serves up audio recordings of various prayers which add considerable value to the app on your mobile device: Rosary (all mysteries with or without music); Chaplet of Divine Mercy; the Memorare; Angelus and Regina Coeli; Prayers to St. Joseph. A separate tab allows you to send in your prayer requests which producers say are prayed for individually in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Daily Mass readings are also available in text format only.

 My Parish App (Free) Apple | Android Audio Rosary
Among its many resources, this app contains a terrific audio version of the rosary. Simply download the app, open it and select any parish in the listing (if your parish does not participate in this app). Select the rosary icon and then choose the day from the listing. You can also get separate reflection on each of the five mysteries by Fr. John Riccardo. A mini reflection is also offered for each decade in the audio rosary for each day.  Fr. Ricardo’s reflections offer brief yet insightful messages which help to open each mystery up to you, helping you to better reflect on the theme as you pray. Audio helps to corral your thoughts so your mind doesn’t wanter quite so effortlessly.

Rosary Audio (Free) Android Here’s an audio Rosary that includes text and illustrations to help you better meditate on the mysteries. Options to change the fonts. Unfortunately, counting is up to you a there are no counting aids. But the audio side is fine.

Finally…to avoid disappointment, we encourage you to visit the links provided to read up on the details of the apps you are interested in. We include apps in this site because they contain certain functions or elements worthy of consideration. But the individual apps may not exactly fit your needs. The more information you look up, the less likely you will be disappointed in your purchase.