FamilySearch recently introduced two new mobile apps. These apps were created to make it easier and a lot more fun to do your own family history research. One of these mobile apps is the FamilySearch Tree app. With this new app, you can easily:
- Connect with an ancestor. View the photos, life stories, and recordings you have added to the ancestor. See spouses, children, parents, brothers and sisters, and important events in your ancestor’s life.
- Make audio recordings and take photos of important documents, family photos, sources, and family events, and add them to Family Tree.
- Share photos, stories, and recordings with your family.
- Save and print charts that show generations of your family.
If you don’t have much information in Family Tree, you won’t see much in the app. But you can change that by adding photos, stories, audio files, and sources. For now, to add a person or correct information, you have to go to FamilySearch.org, but those features are coming to this app soon.
View a Pedigree or View a Specific Person
On this app, you can view your ancestors in a portrait pedigree (which shows how the generations of your ancestors link together), or you can look at the information, photos, and stories about a specific ancestor. When you tap an ancestor in the pedigree, you go to the ancestor’s personal information. In the personal information, when you tap View This Tree, you return to the pedigree for the ancestor.
View Your Ancestors in a Pedigree
When you first open FamilySearch FamilyTree, you see the portrait pedigree for your family.
- To see more generations, tap an arrow at the top of the pedigree.
- To see details about a person, tap the person.
- To display the ancestors and children of a different ancestor, tap the ancestor, and then tap View This Tree.
- To search for a person, near the top of the screen, tap the magnifying glass. Enter information about the person, and tap the Find button.
- To return to a person you have viewed before, at the top of the screen, tap the history icon .
You and the last 50 people you viewed are listed. Tap the person you want to return to.
View the Information for a Specific Ancestor
When you tap an ancestor in the Pedigree, you see the ancestor’s details. At the top of the screen is the ancestor card. The ancestor card shows the ancestor’s portrait (if available), name, life span, and identifier number. If you tap View This Tree, you return to that ancestor in the Pedigree.
Change the Portrait
The portrait is the image of your ancestor that is displayed by the ancestor’s name. If you have added more than one photo for an ancestor, you can select the portrait that you want to see.
- Tap the ancestor’s face. The system displays the available portraits for the ancestor.
- Tap the portrait you want displayed. The system instantly changes the portrait.
Go to a Different Section
Near the middle of the page is a ribbon with headings. The headings take you to other sections for the ancestor. If you swipe the ribbon, you will see: Details, Spouses, Parents, Sources, Photos, Stories, Audio, and Charts.
To go to a different section, you can either swipe the screen or tap the heading in the ribbon. Tap an item to view it or listen to it. The items you see or listen to are ones you have already added to Family Tree.
To return to the previous section, at the top left of the screen, tap the small back arrow <.
Tip: At this time, the Details, Spouses, and Parents sections display information, but you cannot use the app to correct or add information to those sections. However, having the information connects you to your ancestor and helps you decide if the person you find in a document, photo, or headstone is your ancestor or a member of your ancestor’s family. It also helps you recognize if you have found new information or a new family member.
View Details
Go to the Details section to see your ancestor’s name and vital events (like birth and death). The Details information appears below the ribbon. Text in blue is a link you can tap. An arrow after the link means the link takes you to another screen. When you tap the information, you can see who contributed it.
View Spouses and Children
Go to the Spouses section to see all of the ancestor’s spouses and children. Each spouse has a portrait (if available) and the date and place where the couple were married. Below each spouse is a Children link. Tap the Children link, and swipe up and down to see all the children your ancestor had with that spouse.
To see more information about a person, tap the person’s name.
View Parents and Siblings (Brothers and Sisters)
Go to the Parents section to see the ancestor’s parents and siblings (brothers and sisters). Below the parents is a list of the parents’ children (the ancestor and the ancestor’s siblings).
To see more information about a person, tap the person’s name.
View Sources, Photos, and Stories, and Listen to Audio Recordings
To see a source, photo, or story or to listen to an audio recording, swipe to that section, or tap the heading in the ribbon. The items you see or listen to are already in Family Tree. Tap an item to view it or to listen to it. You can use your device to zoom into a photo, story, or source.
You can download a photo by tapping the download icon at the top of the screen, and you can share photos.
The icon by a source indicates whether the source is on FamilySearch.org or another website.
Add Sources, Photos, Stories, and Audio Recordings to an Ancestor
When you add a source, photo, story, or audio recording, it is also added to the person’s Memories in Family Tree.
Add Sources
A source is a document or other item that provides information about a person. It helps you determine if the information you have is correct. You can use your device to take a photo of a source and add it to Family Tree.
- Go to the Sources section.
- To add a source, at the bottom of the screen, tap the + sign (iOS) or cameraicon (Android).
- Tap an option.
- To take a photo, tap Take with camera.
- If you have already added the source to your device, tap Select from gallery.
- If you have added the source to FamilySearch.org, tap Select from FamilySearch.When the source appears on the list, the source has been attached to the ancestor. If you are on the Internet, the source syncs to the ancestor’s Photos page. Tip: To attach the source to more people, go to Family Tree and use Memories.
- To view the source, tap the source.
- To delete a source, go to Family Tree, and on the Memories Page, delete the source from the Photos section. When you delete the source, it is completely removed from Family Tree. If you want to leave the source in Family Tree but remove it from a person, go to Family Tree, and do the following:
- Go to the person, and click the person’s name.
- On the summary card, click Memories.
- Go to the Photos section, and click the photo of the source.
- Under People in This Photo, click the person’s name.
- Click Remove Tag.
Add Photos
- Go to the Photos section.
- To add a photo, at the bottom of the screen, tap the + sign (iOS) or cameraicon (Android).
- Tap an option.
- To take a photo, tap Take with camera.
- If you have already added the photo to your device, tap Select from gallery.
- If you have added the photo to FamilySearch.org, tap Select from FamilySearch.
- If you are happy with the photo you took, on an iOS device, tap Use Photo. On an Android device, tap the check mark. Tip: The photo shows up at the top of the Photos section. If you are online, it syncs to FamilySearch.org. If you are offline, you have it on your device, and it will sync the next time you connect to the Internet.
- When the photo is added, tap the photo. Now you have a viewer that is similar to a typical photo gallery.
- If you want, tap Add Title, and add a title using the keyboard.
- When you’re done, in the upper right corner, tap the check mark.The photo is automatically attached to the ancestor. If you are on the Internet, the photo syncs to the ancestor’s Photos page.Tip: To attach the photo to more people, either use the FamilySearch Memories app, or go to FamilySearch.org, and use Memories.
- If you want, share the photo.
- Tap the share icon. Whatever services you have connected to your device will be displayed.
- Tap the one you want to use to share the photo.
- To delete the photo, tap the trash icon.
Add Stories
Use the Stories section to add stories about your ancestor. You can use your device’s recording and speech-to-text features. Right now, you can add stories only with an iOS device.
- Go to the Stories section.
- To add a story, at the bottom of the screen, tap the + sign.
- Tap Enter Story Title, and use the keyboard to enter a title.
- Enter the story content. To use your devices speech-to-text feature, tap the mic key, and record the story. The device writes what it heard. You can edit words that are incorrect, and the feature saves you a lot of time typing. Tip: If may help to decide how you want to start the story before you tap the mic key.
- To add a photo to the story, tap Add Photo, and tap an option.
- To take a photo, tap Take with camera.
- If you have already added the photo to your device, tap Select from gallery.
- If you have already added the photo to FamilySearch.org, tap Select from FamilySearch.Tip: You can attach only 1 photo to the story.
- If the photo is from FamilySearch.org or is on your device, tap the photo you want to attach to the story.
- When you are through with the story, tap Done. The story is automatically attached to the ancestor. If you are on the Internet, the story syncs to the ancestor’s Stories page.Tip: To attach the story to more people, either use the FamilySearch Memories app, or go to Family Tree and use Memories.
- Scroll up and down to read the story.
- Use the 3 dots at the top right to edit the story.
- If you want, share the story.
- To delete a story, go to Family Tree, and on the Memories Page, delete the story from the Stories section. When you delete a story, it is completely removed from Family Tree. If you want to leave the story in Family Tree but remove it from a person, go to Family Tree, and do the following:
- Go to the person, and click the person’s name.
- On the summary card, click Memories.
- Go to the Stories section, and click the story.
- Under People in This Story, click the person’s name.
- Click Remove Tag.
Add Audio
Use the Audio section to add audio recordings of your ancestors’ voices or to add recordings of people telling stories about your ancestors. Currently, you can add audio only with an iOS device. You also cannot delete an audio recording. Family Tree will soon have an Audio section. When it is available, you can delete a recording using Family Tree.
- Go to the Audio section.
- To add a new recording, at the bottom of the screen, tap the + sign.
- By the space bar, tap the mic key.The device starts recording immediately. You can record up to 15 minutes at a time.
- When you are through, at the bottom of the screen, tap the Done icon. The system displays a screen where you can add a title for the recording.
- To add the title, either use the keyboard or tap the mic key, and speak the name of the story.
- When you’re done, in the upper right corner, tap the check mark. The recording is automatically attached to the ancestor. If you are on the Internet, the audio also syncs to the ancestor in Family Tree.Tip: To attach the recording to more people, use the FamilySearch Memories app.
- To edit the title of the recording, at the top right side, tap the 3 dots.
- To listen to the recording, tap the recording, and then tap the play u control.
- If you want, share the audio.
Print Charts for an Ancestor
Go to the Charts section to download and print PDFs of a pedigree chart, a fan chart, or a family group record with or without sources.
- Tap the chart you want to download. The system immediately starts to download the chart.
- When the download is complete, tap where you want to save the PDF of the chart. The PDF is saved and displayed. You can save, print, or share the PDF.
