Help – Using the Control Panel

1. Getting Started

From the Home page, click Get Started – Open Control Panel, or navigate directly to /control. The Hub status badge at the top of the panel should turn Connected once the real-time connection is established. If it stays gray, refresh the page.

2. The Display Window

The top of the Control Panel has two button groups. The first is the large, color-coded Display controls group that manages the audience-facing window; the second is a smaller Share display URL group (covered in Sharing the Display URL).

Open Display Window — Launches a new browser window that shows the content. Drag it to your second monitor or projector and put it in fullscreen (F11).
Close Display Window — Closes the display window from the Control Panel.
Show Idle Screen — Immediately switches the display to your configured idle content (see below).

Tip: Your browser may block the popup the first time. Allow popups for this site so the display window can open reliably.

3. Sharing the Display URL

Every Control Panel is tied to a private session id, which is baked into the display link. Anyone who opens that link joins the same session and sees whatever you push from your Control Panel or iPad Remote. Use the Share display URL button group at the top of the Control Panel to hand that link off:

Copy Display URL — copies the link to your clipboard (the button briefly changes to “Copied!”). Paste it into a browser on the projector PC, a smart TV, a phone, or any other device you want to mirror the display on.
Email Display URL — opens your default mail client with the link pre-filled, ready to send to a co-operator or the setup crew ahead of time.
The link only shows the display — it does not grant control of your Control Panel or account.

4. Idle Screen

Expand the Idle Screen panel to configure what's shown when no chapter is selected — for example, a welcome message before a service.

Enter optional Text / HTML to display (basic tags like <p>, <br>, and <strong> are supported).
Pick an Image from the dropdown, or upload a new one (up to 10 MB). You can also delete the currently selected image with the Delete image button.
Choose a Background color and Text color using the color pickers (or type a hex value like #000000). The Reset buttons return to the defaults (black background, white text).
Check Display image full screen to letterbox the image across the whole display (text is hidden in this mode).
Click Save & Show to persist the idle content and immediately display it.

Saved Idle Screens

Logged-in users can maintain a library of named idle screens (for example, Welcome, Announcements, or a holiday greeting) and switch between them with a single click. Saved screens appear both inside the Idle Screen panel and as quick-access buttons in the panel header, so you can swap idle content without expanding the panel.

Click any saved-screen button to load and show it. The active screen is highlighted in solid blue; other saved screens use an outlined style.
Click + New to start a brand-new idle screen. This clears the name, editor text, selected image, full-screen checkbox, and resets the background/text colors to the defaults (black background, white text).
While creating a new screen, a Cancel button appears next to Save As New. Click it to back out without saving.
Type a name in the input box and click Save As New to store the current settings as a new saved screen. Names must be unique per account.
When a saved screen is loaded, an Update "<name>" button appears so you can overwrite it with your latest edits, and a Delete button lets you remove it.

5. Showing Chapters

Type part of a book name (for example, John or Gen) into the search box.
Matching books appear below with a row of chapter buttons.
Click a chapter number to show that chapter on the display. The active chapter is highlighted.
Use Clear to reset the search.

The Currently displayed line always tells you what the audience is seeing right now (for example, John 3, or John 3:16 when a single verse is active).

6. Showing a Single Verse

After you select a chapter, an optional Verses card appears with a button for every verse in that chapter. Click a verse number to display just that verse on the audience screen, centered vertically and horizontally.

Click Whole chapter at the top of the Verses card to return to the full chapter view at any time.
The Verse font size slider (32–200 px) controls the size of the single-verse display independently of the chapter font size. Changes apply instantly if a verse is already on-screen.
Your verse font size and font family are remembered between sessions. If you're logged in, they're saved to your account and follow you to any browser or device. If you're browsing as a guest, they're saved in your browser's local storage on the current device.
A small dimmed reference (e.g. John 3:16) is shown beneath the verse text.

7. Scrolling, Font Size & Font Family

Use the Up / Down buttons to scroll the display in 500-pixel steps. The current pixel position is shown next to the buttons. You can also use Page Up / Page Down (or Ctrl+↑ / Ctrl+↓) on the keyboard Keyboard Shortcuts.
You can also scroll the display window directly with the mouse wheel or touchpad — the Control Panel's position indicator updates to match.
Drag the Font Size slider (24–96 px) to make chapter text easier to read at a distance.
Pick a Font from the dropdown just below the Font Size slider to change the typeface used for both whole chapters and single verses. Each option previews itself in the list, so you can compare serif, sans-serif, and monospace choices at a glance.
Where your preferences are saved:
- Logged-in users — your verse font size and font family are stored on your account, so they follow you to any browser or device you sign in from.
- Guests — the same preferences are stored in your browser's local storage, so they persist across reloads on the current device only.

8. iPad Remote

The Remote page (/remote, also linked in the top navigation) is a touch-friendly companion designed for a phone or tablet. It joins the same session as your Control Panel, so you can walk around and drive the display from your iPad while the main Control Panel stays on your desk.

The top row combines a book search, a Font size slider, and a Verse font size slider so everything is one tap away.
Tap a book to expand its chapters, then tap a chapter or verse chip to show it. The chip for whatever is currently on the display is highlighted.
The toolbar has large Prev / Next, Up / Down, and Idle buttons that mirror the Control Panel’s actions.
Signed-in users see their saved Idle Screens at the top of the body and can switch between them with a single tap.
Font size and verse font size are shared with the Control Panel — changing either on one page updates the other and is persisted per account (or in local storage for guests).

Tip: Because Remote and Control share the same session, you can open the Control Panel on a laptop, the Remote on your iPad, and the display link on the projector — all three stay in sync automatically.

9. Keyboard Shortcuts

The Control Panel responds to a few keyboard shortcuts so you can drive the display without reaching for the mouse. Shortcuts are ignored while you're typing into a text box, dropdown, or the rich-text editor, so they won't interfere with editing.

Shortcut	Action
`Page Down` or `Ctrl`+`↓`	Scroll the display down by 500 pixels.
`Page Up` or `Ctrl`+`↑`	Scroll the display up by 500 pixels.
`→` (Right Arrow)	Next verse when a single verse is on the display, or next chapter when the whole chapter is shown. Rolls over into the following chapter/book when you reach the end.
`←` (Left Arrow)	Previous verse or previous chapter, using the same rules as the Next shortcut (rolls back into the preceding chapter/book at the beginning).

Tip: The Prev / Next button labels on the Control Panel automatically switch between “Verse” and “Chapter” depending on what's currently displayed — the same keys always do the right thing.

10. Session History

The Session History card at the bottom of the Control Panel keeps an ordered list of every chapter and single verse you've displayed during the current session. Entries appear in the order they were selected (oldest at the top, most recent at the bottom).

Click Show next to any entry to re-display that chapter or verse instantly.
Selecting the same chapter or verse again moves the existing entry to the end of the list instead of creating a duplicate.
The row for whatever is currently on the display is highlighted.
Show on Display pushes the history list to the audience screen (useful for a recap of passages covered). Click Hide on Display to return to the previously displayed chapter or verse — or the idle screen if nothing was selected.
Clear empties the history for the current session.

Note: Session history is intentionally not persisted. Closing the browser tab or restarting the app clears it.

11. Presentation Stage Sign-in required

The Presentation Stage is an alternate view of the list on the right side of the Control Panel. Use the History / Stage toggle at the top of the card to switch between the auto-recorded session history and a hand-built “set list” you curate yourself. The Stage option is only visible when you are signed in.

Unlike Session History, nothing is added to the Stage automatically — you decide what goes on it and in what order.

Select a chapter (and optionally a single verse) using the normal search and chapter buttons.
Switch the list toggle to Stage.
Click + Chapter to add the current chapter, or + Verse to add the currently selected single verse. The buttons are disabled until a valid selection exists.
Repeat to build up the full running order for your presentation.

Once items are on the Stage you can:

Click Show next to any item to project that chapter or verse instantly. The row for whatever is currently on the display is highlighted.
Use the ▲ / ▼ buttons to move an item up or down in the order.
Use the × button to remove an item you no longer need.
Click Show on Display to push the whole Stage list to the audience screen as an outline (useful for previewing the plan). Click Hide on Display to return to the previously displayed chapter or verse — or the idle screen if nothing was selected.
Click Clear to empty the Stage.

Tip: Switching between History and Stage does not erase either list — they are kept independently so you can flip back and forth during a session.

Note: The in-session Stage itself is not persisted, but signed-in users can save named snapshots of a stage and reload them later — see Saved Stages.

12. Saved Stages Sign-in required

Signed-in users see a Saved Stages card directly below the Presentation Stage. Use it to persist a stage you’ve built so you can reuse it in a future session — for example, a weekly reading plan or a set of passages for a recurring study.

Build the Stage as described above (add chapters and verses in the order you want them).
Type a name in the Name (for Save As New) box and click Save As New. Names must be unique per user.
The saved stage appears as a button in the list. Click its name to load it back into the current Stage (this replaces whatever is currently staged).
While a saved stage is loaded, its name is highlighted and two extra buttons appear: Update "…" overwrites the saved copy with the current Stage contents, and Delete removes it permanently.
Editing the Stage after loading (adding, removing, or reordering items) detaches it from the saved copy so an accidental Update won’t overwrite a different snapshot.

Privacy: Saved stages are stored per user — only you can see, load, or delete your own snapshots. They’re removed automatically if your account is deleted.

13. Tips & Troubleshooting

Display isn't updating? Confirm the Hub badge shows Connected. If not, refresh the Control Panel.
Popup blocked? Allow popups for this site, then click Open Display Window again.
Wrong image showing? Re-open the Idle Screen panel, select the correct image, and click Save & Show.
Need help or found a bug? Submit a request from the Home page feedback form.

How to Use the Control Panel