Profile Tab Settings
Everyone who signs up for FamilySearch has an account profile. Edit your profile and account information to customize how you appear to other FamilySearch users, what should be publicly visible, and what should be kept private.
Your profile includes the following information settings:
Portrait: Uploading a profile photo to your FamilySearch account can help distinguish you from other account holders with a similar name. Consider uploading a stylized photo or favorite graphic if you don’t feel comfortable posting a realistic photo. If you haven’t uploaded a photo, the portrait space will display the first letter of your FamilySearch account contact ID.
Name: The public name by which you are known on FamilySearch. As part of your profile, this name is always visible to others and can be a full name, a partial name, or even a nickname. Until you personalize this field, your contact ID is used in the name field. The name you choose does NOT have to be unique to you and can be something that shields your identity while still allowing those you know to find you. Other users can see this name and use it for FamilySearch chat purposes. This is the name displayed next to your portrait picture in the upper right corner of the screen.
Contact ID: The contact ID is assigned to your account at sign-up. It can be edited but must remain unique, meaning that no 2 people can have the same contact ID. This ID is associated with anything you add or edit on FamilySearch. Please do not use punctuation characters in your contact ID.
Location: Your profile includes a place for your country or region. This is a required field, but it can be made private. Making your general location public helps distinguish you from other FamilySearch users when friends or other researchers are trying to reach out to you.
While your name and contact ID are always public, you can control if your information is available in FamilySearch directory services by updating your Permissions settings.
Account Tab Settings
Full name: Your full name primarily identifies you as the account holder. You can select whether to make your full name public or private.
Display name: A customized version of your name. Your display name makes it easy to identify that you are signed in to your account and not helping another user. The Name field on the Profile tab is gradually replacing the Display Name going forward.
Password and Recovery Username: Your username is part of your account information and must be unique. Usernames are never public to provide additional security measures for your account. Additionally, usernames are set up in conjunction with a password for your account and should never be shared with another user for security purposes.
Private Accounts
Some accounts are automatically designated as private accounts.
Under 18 years old: Accounts for those under 18 years of age are by default private. The account holder can update profile information but the profile will always be private. If you are 18 years old or older and your account has been marked “Private,” verify that you have entered your birth date information correctly in the account settings.
Governmental Restrictions: Some governments or cultures limit the amount of personal information that can be gathered or shared by a website. If you believe your account has been marked “Private” in error, go into FamilySearch Settings and ensure that your Country or Region information has been selected correctly.