How to Let Visitors Read the Sermon in Their Language With a QR Code

Why a QR code works better than asking visitors to sign up

A first-time visitor who speaks Spanish, Korean or Farsi will not create an account, pick a plan and learn an app five minutes before the sermon starts. Most people will, however, point their phone camera at a code on the screen. That single step is the difference between a visitor who understands the message and one who sits politely through words they cannot follow.

A shared projector screen already helps a whole room read one or two caption languages. A QR code goes further: each person chooses their own language on their own phone, reads at a comfortable text size, and does not need to sit where the screen is easy to see.

How QR Code Join works during a service

1. The preacher's device runs Sermon Translate in Live mode or Multiple mode, listening to the sermon.
2. Someone presses Share with congregation. The app creates a new private code for this share and shows it as a QR code and a short link.
3. The QR code goes on the projector full screen before the sermon, or on a printed card in the pews for that service.
4. Each person scans it with the phone camera. The captions open in the phone's browser, with no sign in and nothing to install.
5. They pick a language and read along. The text is large, follows the sermon automatically, and reads right to left for Farsi.

Listeners also see a clear message when the service has not started yet and when sharing has ended, so nobody wonders whether their phone is broken.

Which languages can people choose?

Listeners read what the preacher's screen is already translating. In Live mode that is the translation language you picked, or the original words. In Multiple mode it is any of the up to 5 languages the screen is translating at the same time.

So plan the languages before the service. If your congregation includes Spanish, Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese readers, run Multiple mode with those three languages and every scanner can choose among them. Sermon Translate reads 11 languages in total; the full list is on the languages page.

What it costs

The add-on does not use extra hours because listeners only receive captions the preacher's device is already producing. Fifty people scanning costs the same as five. The only hours counted are the ones the preacher's device spends translating, exactly as it would without sharing. Full plan details are on the pricing page.

Without the add-on: two other ways to serve visitors

QR Code Join is optional. A church on any plan can still serve visitors in two ways.

• One shared screen: put captions on the projector or TV with the Subtitles screen, in up to 5 caption languages at once. Nobody needs an account to read a screen.
• Their own account: a member who wants captions in their hand opens Sermon Translate on their own phone and signs in. Each person needs their own account, and a subscription after the free 15-minute trial.

Tips for a smooth first Sunday

• Keep the preacher's device plugged in, online, and on the Live or Multiple page for the whole time you are sharing.
• Show the QR code for a minute before the sermon and again after the announcements, when latecomers sit down.
• Anyone with the link can read the captions, so share the code in the room rather than posting it publicly online.
• Use a clean audio source, ideally a feed from the sound desk. Our step by step guide covers microphone setup.
• Tell visitors in their language, on a slide or a card, that the code shows the sermon in their language.

People who want to keep a transcript or read AI sermon notes after the service still need their own account, because those are saved to an account. For a visitor who only wants to understand today's sermon, the QR code is enough.

Honest limits to know before you rely on it

• It needs internet on the preacher's device and on each listener's phone. It does not work offline.
• Captions are text only. There is no spoken audio, so listeners who cannot read well may still prefer a human interpreter.
• Speed: in our recorded demo, words reached the caption in about 1.5 seconds, and translations typically followed 3 to 4 seconds after each sentence.
• Songs are harder to recognize than speech, so expect fewer captions during worship music.

Next step

Start with the free 15-minute trial on the device you will use on Sunday, test the audio and the languages your visitors need, then add a paid plan and QR Code Join from the Share with congregation button. The QR Code Join page has the full feature details.

Frequently asked questions

Do visitors need an account to read the captions from the QR code?

No. People who scan the QR code read the live captions in their phone's browser without signing in. The church needs a paid plan and the QR Code Join add-on.

Does QR Code Join use more translation hours when more people scan?

No. Listeners receive captions the preacher's device already translated, so the hours used are the same whether nobody or everyone scans the code.

How much does QR Code Join cost?

It is a $10 a month add-on on top of any paid plan. Basic starts at $19.99 a month.

Can each person choose a different language?

Yes, among the languages the preacher's screen is translating: the chosen translation language or the original words in Live mode, or any of up to 5 languages in Multiple mode.

Try Sermon Translate at your next service

Start with a free 15-minute trial, no credit card needed. Plans start at $19.99 a month.