jw.org JW Web Add-on

[bvr]

JW Web Add-on
 

ANNOUNCEMENT

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The JW Web Add-on will be made available on iOS via Microsoft Edge to select publishers, with invitations scheduled to be sent within the next few months.

 

For those who are interested, please email support@jwpubs.org and include your interest in using the add-on on iOS, along with your JWTalk profile link, so we can evaluate your eligibility for an invitation.

 

Please note that not everyone who submits an email will be invited. Publishers who are selected should have a JWPUBS catalog account in order to receive more detailed information.

Edited January 18 by bvr

[fdhtx]

@bvr

 

Found this tool a couple weeks ago and wow! It is really amazing, I have been looking for ever how to easily get the transcripts off the videos without having to do F12, getting the captions file and doing the work manually haha. And the RSS feed is also cool. Really love this tool!

Quick question though, is there a way to request for an invitation to have access to the catalog? Or is it more private use? 🤔 

[bvr]

Testing the add-on in Safari

 

[bvr]

Still quite impressed, as a web developer, with how the performance of my various projects has improved from my old Windows computer to my new Mac Studio. It is just perfect! Although I have to do quite a bit of code migration because it’s a different OS, but so far it is doing well.

 

[bvr]

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JW Web Add-on update to version 11.5 will be available soon.

This update includes the following changes:

• Sticky Action Bar: The action bar now automatically hides and reappears when you scroll, making it easier to access the breadcrumbs and media buttons.

• Video Transcript: Transcript downloads have been redesigned with larger text, improved spacing, and a new footer. The page size has also been adjusted to better match the paper size used by most publications.

• UI Enhancements: The Second Display UI has been simplified to show only an icon on the screen. The Custom Media Player UI now uses a new layout based on the latest redesign from the official website. The Image Download copyright stamp now uses the website’s font instead of a generic font.

• Bug Fixes: Issues in several areas have been fixed, including problems with the Second Display and the Transcript Viewer.

• Deprecated Features: Video Ambient Light is no longer available and has been removed from the add-on.

For detailed instructions on every add-on feature, visit jwpubs.org/addon. Website updates may occasionally affect add-on functionality. If a feature becomes unstable or incompatible, temporarily disable it in Root Control until an update resolves the issue. If you encounter any problems, please provide feedback as soon as possible.

• Chrome Web Store:
  Download Here
  Supported browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, and other Chromium‑based browsers. Mobile support is available on Orion Browser for iOS.

• Firefox Browser Add-ons:
  Download Here
  Supported browsers: Mozilla Firefox, LibreWolf, Waterfox, and other Gecko‑based browsers. Mobile support is available on Firefox for Android, and Orion Browser for iOS support.

Edited April 27 by bvr

[bvr]

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Mozilla Firefox Notice

If you are using the add-on in Mozilla Firefox, the add-on may install successfully but may not work right away. This is because Firefox can require users to manually grant website access before an add-on is allowed to run on supported websites. If the add-on does not activate on jw.org or related sites, please check the permissions below.

 

Primary Method

• Go to a supported website, such as jw.org.
• Find the add-on icon in the Firefox toolbar.
• Right-click the add-on icon.
• Select Always Allow on This Site.

Alternative Method

• Click the Extensions icon in the Firefox toolbar.
• Click Manage Extensions.
• Select the add-on.
• Go to Permissions and Data.
• Under Optional, enable data access for:
  • *.jw.org
  • *.stream.jw.org
  • *.www.jw.org

 

Quote

 

Important

If these permissions are not enabled, the add-on may appear installed but will not function on jw.org or related sites.

 

 

[bvr]

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Affected Features Due to the Website Redesign

Due to the website redesign made on May 1, 2026, some features are currently unavailable.

• Paragraph Link
• Online Citation
• Read in the App

These features typically require data from the website that is no longer available. More information will be provided at a later date about whether some of these features will continue to be available or become deprecated, depending on the website’s capabilities.

[bvr]

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JW Web Add-on update to version 11.9 will be available soon.

This update includes the following changes:

• UI Improvements and Fixes: Due to a recent website update, some features have been fixed:

  • Online Citation has been fixed and now appears in the More Options dropdown menu in the action bar. In addition, the original reference and online citation can now be copied by clicking either one. This update also fixes an issue where the wrong document ID was displayed in some online citations.

  • Paragraph Link has been fixed and can once again open a paragraph in the app or online library.

  • Open in the App has been fixed and can once again open a publication or article in the app or online library.

  • Continue Watching now includes the time marker in the resume dialog box so users know which part of the video they will resume from. In addition, when a timestamp is defined in the URL, the resume dialog box will no longer appear, allowing users to play the video from the selected timestamp instead.

  • Control Panel now separates features that are not available for a specific website or device and shows a yellow N/A box to let users know they are not available, instead of showing a blank or unclickable OFF toggle. Features that are not available will no longer hide their feature information. In addition, some issues with the Control Panel have been fixed.

 

Please note that some add-on features will soon be deprecated. More information will be provided in the near future.

 

For detailed instructions on every add-on feature, visit jwpubs.org/addon. Website updates may occasionally affect add-on functionality. If a feature becomes unstable or incompatible, temporarily disable it in Root Control until an update resolves the issue. If you encounter any problems, please provide feedback as soon as possible.

• Chrome Web Store:
  Download Here
  Supported browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, and other Chromium‑based browsers. Mobile support is available on Orion Browser for iOS.

• Firefox Browser Add-ons:
  Download Here
  Supported browsers: Mozilla Firefox, LibreWolf, Waterfox, and other Gecko‑based browsers. Mobile support is available on Firefox for Android, and Orion Browser for iOS support.

Edited May 5 by bvr

[bvr]

There will be a significant update to the add-on soon.

 

[Hanna]

On 2026/5/13 at AM10点03分, bvr said:

该插件即将迎来重大更新。

 

Hello, may I ask if there is a way to batch download all the books and videos?

[jwhess]

6 hours ago, Hanna said:

Hello, may I ask if there is a way to batch download all the books and videos?

This doesn't answer your question, but you can sometimes 'batch' download a bunch of 'updates'.

 

In the JW Library, go to <library>, click on <books>, and look at the top menu bar.  Does it say "pending updates"?  If it does, click on the <pending updates> selection an when it opens, there should be the 'cloud' or 'hamburger' or whatever you call the download icon.  If you select that, it will show all of the things waiting for download and begin installing them.  If there are a lot, make sure you have room for them.

[bvr]

On 6/2/2024 at 6:07 PM, bvr said:

There is also a plan to add features such as resizable study pane and dark mode, which are both in very early development and not expected to be available anytime soon due to its complexity.

 

 

 

Back in early 2024, early development of Dark Mode for WOL began. Two years later, a brand-new live preview of the feature is now available while development continues.

Watchtower Online Library Dark Mode is coming soon to the add-on.

 

 

 

Edited August 9 by bvr

[bvr]

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NOTICE

Due to the ongoing website redesign, some features are temporarily unavailable as they rely on data that’s no longer accessible. Additionally, certain features will be deprecated in the next version of the add-on. More details about these changes will be shared at a later date.

[bvr]

JW Web Add-on
Version 12

 

This upcoming update introduces new appearance options for Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™, adds direct navigation between the Audio and Video Libraries, strengthens reading and sharing tools, and makes media features more dependable as website pages and players change.

 

Version 12 is scheduled for release within the next few weeks.

 

New Features and Capabilities

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• WOL Dark Mode. This new feature provides System, Light, and Dark appearance options throughout Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY. System follows the device's appearance, while Light or Dark can remain selected between visits when WOL is permitted to save preferences. Supported outline icons are also easier to see in Dark mode.
  The website's privacy policy must be accepted before the appearance preference can be saved.
   

• Media Library Buttons. Direct shortcuts now connect the two JW.ORG® media libraries. An Audio button appears in the Video Library, and a Video button appears in the Audio Library. Each button opens the corresponding library in the current language.
• Alt Text View. Image descriptions now appear alongside the image in the full-screen JW.ORG gallery on desktop and mobile, with the text direction matched to the language of the description. The description changes when the gallery moves to another image and disappears when the current slide is a video or has no description, preventing outdated text from remaining visible.
  
   
• Expand Width. The saved wider layout now applies as the page opens and reapplies whenever website content changes, reducing visible resizing and flickering. Issues that caused embedded videos to overlap with nearby content have also been fixed.

 

 

Bug Fixes and Improvements

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Reading, Searching, and Sharing

• Paragraph Link. This feature now remains connected to the paragraph or Bible verse you selected and uses the correct title, publication, language, and text direction from that page. Links are generated more safely, and the WOL option appears only when the selected item is confirmed to be available there. The menu also updates correctly when another paragraph is selected, and an unnumbered first Bible verse now uses the same numeral script displayed elsewhere on the page.
• Read in the App. An issue that caused this feature to stop working altogether has been fixed. It now uses the latest infrastructure available on the website. It verifies the exact publication and language before offering JW Library® or WOL options, displays only confirmed destinations, keeps titles and language labels correct when the page and publication use different languages, and avoids adding an outdated button after a publication card changes or disappears.
• Play Media in the App. The JW Library button now reliably connects to the audio or video currently being viewed. Duplicate, misplaced, and outdated buttons are removed correctly, and the current media is verified again when the button is selected.
• Copy Text. Copy Text now preserves useful formatting, working web links, line breaks, and pronunciation guides more reliably when copying paragraphs or Bible verses. It falls back to plain text when formatted copying is unavailable, and a failed copy attempt no longer affects the next unrelated copy action.
• Advanced Search. Advanced Search now handles publication mnemonics and dated issues, document IDs with an optional paragraph number, audio and video citations, standard JW.ORG searches, and WOL searches more reliably. Its options remain connected to the current search box as pages change, and special characters are handled safely so that each option opens the intended destination.
• Online Citation. Online Citation now displays the correct information for the current page, including the document ID or publication mnemonic when required. The website reference and any appended number are copied more reliably, duplicate citation components are removed, menu divider and link styling issues have been fixed, and numbers remain in the correct order on pages read from right to left.
• Language Count. Language Count now works more reliably for articles, Study Bible content, and audio and video items. They update when the content changes, and an issue that allowed a total from one page or media item to carry over to another has been fixed.
• Daily Text. Daily Text is now more dependable on the Library page. The date is checked again each time the shortcut is used. This ensures that it still opens the current day's text after the page has remained open overnight. Failed label requests also no longer disrupt the page.

Appearance and Page Layout

• Sticky Action Bar. The action bar now maintains the correct size and position while scrolling, resizing, opening menus, and changing pages, including on layouts with a mobile header. Issues that caused it to disappear, move incorrectly, or appear more than once have been fixed.
• Custom Table View. Custom Table View has moved to its new location under the View menu in the action bar. The controls and sorting also recover when tables or page content change.

Media

• Video Transcript. Transcripts are now more reliable and work properly for videos with available download options. A recurring issue that prevented the transcript Copy or Download options from appearing or functioning has been fixed. Transcript windows now close and clean up more reliably, and Copy includes a fallback when the standard method fails. PDF downloads are available for supported languages, and long transcripts are handled more smoothly. For languages that do not support PDF downloads, the transcript viewer, TXT download, and Copy options remain available.
• Second Display. Startup, synchronization, and media switching are now more reliable. Issues involving first video frames, rapid media changes, and switching between audio and video have been fixed. The second window can recover after being reloaded or temporarily losing its media, and old captures are cleaned up correctly. When a video is already paused, a placeholder remains visible until playback is ready instead of showing an incomplete or outdated frame.
• Customize Subtitles. Subtitle customization now recovers when the player or its menus load late, are replaced, or change during navigation, without creating duplicate controls. The menu remains within the available player and page space on desktop, smaller screens, and full-screen video. Subtitle sizing also adapts to the current video area, and activity associated with old players is cleaned up. An issue that sometimes prevented custom subtitle styles from loading or caused the feature to fail altogether, has also been fixed.
• Continue Watching. Saved progress and resume prompts now remain tied to the current video when players are reused or pages change, and progress shared across tabs is handled more consistently. An issue that caused the resume prompt to display the length of a different video has been fixed, along with the random flickering of a "0."
• Image Download. Image downloads are now much more reliable. The button follows the current gallery item, disappears on video slides, returns on image slides, prevents duplicate downloads, and opens the original image in a new tab if a download cannot be created.
• Custom Media Player UI. The custom player appearance is now limited to JW Stream and can be controlled only from the add-on Control Panel. The button that previously appeared in the media player has been removed. When enabled, the feature automatically applies the custom appearance to the video controls. When disabled, it cleanly restores the normal appearance.
• Media Player Control Keys. Keyboard controls are now available only on JW Stream. They follow the visible player even when it is replaced. An issue that caused a single key press to produce duplicate responses from the player has been fixed.

Add-on Control Panel

• Control Panel. The add-on Control Panel now displays N/A instead of OFF, when a feature is unavailable.

 

Deprecated Features

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• Subscribe Buttons. This feature is no longer available and has been removed.

 

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Usage Instructions

For detailed instructions on how to use all the add-on features, please visit jwpubs.org/addon.

Reviewing these instructions is highly recommended to understand exactly how each feature works.

Download Information

Chrome Web Store:

• Download Here
• Supported browsers: On desktop, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, and other compatible Chromium-based browsers; on mobile, Orion Browser and Gear Browser on iPhone and iPad, along with other compatible mobile browsers that support Chrome Web Store extensions.

Firefox Browser Add-ons:

• Download Here
• Supported browsers: On desktop, Mozilla Firefox, LibreWolf, Waterfox, and other compatible Firefox-based browsers; on mobile, Mozilla Firefox for Android, along with Orion Browser and Gear Browser on iPhone and iPad.

Please note that some features may behave differently, offer limited functionality, or not work as intended because of browser and operating system limitations.

Notes

• If official website functionality overlaps with an add-on feature, or if a feature behaves unexpectedly after an update, disable only the affected feature in the Control Panel.
• Add-on features are temporary and may be phased out as the official websites introduce equivalent functionality.
• For any issues or feedback concerning the add-on, please send a direct message.

 

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I hope this new update will further benefit publishers in their study and research.

 

Edited 18 hours ago by bvr

[fdhtx]

I’m exited about dark mode in WOL, it looks amazing!