On this page
The listener page is where your congregation follows the sermon on their own phone. There is no app to install and no sign-up. This article walks through what a listener sees and does, so you can explain it with confidence on Sunday.
Who it's for#
- Church staff and volunteers who need to explain the listener page to visitors.
- Anyone answering "how do I use this?" at the welcome desk.
If you're a congregation member, the short version is in the Listener FAQ.
Before you start#
- Your church has a SermonWave account and at least one device set up (see Choose a device type).
- Your device has translation languages chosen in Device settings. Those are the languages listeners can pick.
- You know your church's listener link (see Share your listener link and QR code).
The listener link#
Every church has one listener page:
| Page | Address |
|---|---|
| Your church's listener page | sermonwave.com/listen/your-church |
| Same page with Spanish menus | sermonwave.com/es/listen/your-church |
| Same page with French menus | sermonwave.com/fr/listen/your-church |
| Straight to the service that is live now | sermonwave.com/listen/your-church/live |
your-church is your church's short name, which is based on your church name when you sign up. The /live address sends people to the live service, or to your church's listener page if nothing is live.
Most people arrive by scanning a QR code. You can print one or put it on a slide.
Step-by-step: what a listener does#
- Scan the QR code or open the link. The church's listener page opens in the phone's browser.
- Tap the live service. While a service is live, a LIVE NOW card appears at the top of the page with the words Tap to join the live transcription. It shows up on its own within a few seconds of the service starting, with no need to reload the page.
- Choose a language. The first time someone joins, a Choose your language window opens. They tap their language, or tap Continue in original language only. The phone remembers the choice for next time. If the page is open in Spanish or French and the service offers that language, it is chosen for them.
- Read along. The pastor's words appear as captions a second or two after they're spoken, with the translation alongside.
- On a phone, two tabs at the bottom switch between English (Original) and the translation. Tap the translation tab again to change language.
- On a tablet or computer, the original and the translation sit side by side.
- Listen (optional). Tap the speaker button to hear the translation read aloud by a natural-sounding voice. Tap it again to turn the audio off. Earbuds or headphones work best.
- Catch up. If someone scrolls back to reread something, the page stops scrolling for them. A Jump to live button takes them back to the newest words.
If the connection drops, a Reconnecting... bar appears and the page reconnects on its own.
Audio or text?#
Listeners can read, listen, or both.
- Text works for every language the church translates into.
- Translated voice is only available in the languages your church has turned on for spoken translation in Device settings. Captions still appear for every language either way.
- Original-language audio (the room microphone, for remote listeners who speak the pastor's language) only plays if your church turned on room audio for listeners on that device.
Starting audio, and iPhone notes#
Phones don't let a web page play sound until the person taps something. That's why audio starts off every time the page opens, and the listener taps the speaker button to start it. This is normal and the same on iPhone and Android.
- If nothing plays after tapping the speaker, check that the phone isn't on silent and that the volume is up.
- Audio follows the language chosen. Change language and the voice changes with it.
Locking the phone or switching apps#
The listener page is a web page, not an app. Keep it open and on screen during the sermon.
- If the screen locks or the listener switches to another app, the phone may pause the page, and audio and captions can stop.
- When they come back to the page, it reconnects and carries on from the current point in the sermon.
- For a long sermon, suggest a longer auto-lock time in the phone's settings, or keep the screen on.
Changing the page language#
The globe button marked EN (or ES / FR) in the page header changes the language of the page itself, meaning its menus and buttons: English, Español or Français. This is separate from the sermon language picked in Choose your language. On live and sermon pages, a second globe button shows the sermon language and reopens Choose your language.
There is also a button to switch between light and dark mode.
Switching the page to English also clears the saved sermon language, so the next visit starts in the original language.
When nothing is live#
Between services, the listener page is your church's home on SermonWave. It shows:
- your cover image, logo and church details;
- an About section, Service Times, and Frequently Asked Questions from your Church profile;
- Recent Sermons, with audio you can play right there, plus a Search sermons... box and topic filters;
- buttons to Share This Church or Copy Link;
- forms for prayer requests, contact requests and stories, which go to your church.
When your next service starts, the LIVE NOW card appears at the top by itself.
Opening a past sermon shows its audio player (skip back, playback speed), the Transcript, a Summary with scriptures, and Quotes. Listeners can tap a language to read it translated. See Sermon archive.
Troubleshooting#
The page doesn't show "LIVE NOW". The service isn't live yet. Check that your device has started (see Live monitoring). The card appears within a few seconds once it starts.
My language isn't in the list. Only the languages chosen on your church's device are offered. A church admin can add languages in Device settings.
I can read the translation but can't hear it. Translated voice is only on for some languages. Check the device's spoken languages, and make sure the speaker button is on and the phone isn't muted.
Captions stopped. Look for the Reconnecting... bar. If the phone locked, open the page again. If everyone lost captions at once, check the device in your dashboard.
FAQ#
Do listeners need an account?#
No. The page works without a name, email or app. The phone remembers language and theme preferences.
Can people listen from home?#
Yes. The listener page works anywhere with an internet connection, not only inside the church.
Is there a guided tour for staff?#
Yes. In the dashboard setup guide, the Listeners step has Take the listener tour, which opens your listener page with a short walkthrough.