Table of contents
- Introduction to memory visibility settings
- How to change the visibility of a memory
- Frequently asked questions about private memories
- Are private memories really private?
- Does the Find feature in Memories find private memories?
- Can I add memories about living people?
- Can I share private photos with other family members?
- Should I set all my memories to private?
- Do private memories appear in the change history in Family Tree?
- Can I use a private memory as a source in Family Tree?
- What happens to memories when the contributor dies?
Introduction to memory visibility settings
Contributors can set the visibility of the memories they add to FamilySearch. Private memories are visible only to the contributor. Public memories are visible to anyone. You can also choose to make a private memory visible to selected family groups.
To learn more about the different memory visibility settings, view this article:
How to change the visibility of a memory
To learn how to change the visibility of a memory, view this article:
How do I change the visibility of a memory?
Frequently asked questions about private memories
Are private memories really private?
Yes. Private memories are viewable only by the contributor who changed the view setting to “Private.”
Does the Find Memories feature in Memories find private memories?
No. Once a memory is marked as private, it will not appear in Find Memories search results. Memories that have been shared with family groups will also not appear in search results.
Can I add memories about living people?
Please do not submit memories of living people, except your own minor children, without their consent. Please see our Submission Agreement.
If you submit memories of living people, we recommend that you set their visibility to private and share them only with family groups, as needed.
Public memories can be found by anyone searching the internet and using FamilySearch's Find Memories feature. Users can also find public memories through a topic tag search. Public memories can be shared through links.
Make your memories private to protect the privacy of living people.
Can I share private memories with other family members?
Only public memories, and private memories that have been shared with family groups, can be shared with family members. If you would like to share photos with family members, we recommend that you create a family group and set the visibility of the memory to private, then select one or several family groups to share the memories with.
Should I set all my memories to “Private”?
The memories gallery provides a place for people to share and preserve important family memories. To fulfill that purpose, most memory items should remain public. The private option is for memories that contain information about living people that should not be shared with others.
Do private memories appear in the change history in Family Tree?
Private memories are recorded in the change history in Family Tree. If you attach a private memory to someone in Family Tree, other people cannot see the memory, but the list of latest changes will contain a reference showing you attached a private memory.
Can I use a private memory as a source in Family Tree?
Yes, you can use a private memory as a source. You will see the memory and accompanying source information. Others will only see the source information. See How do I add an outside source to Family Tree?
What happens to memories when the contributor dies?
Memories marked as private by the contributor remain in the database but are not publicly accessible. Here are a few best practices that will ensure the memories you upload remain accessible to your family.
- Tag each memory to at least one person in Family Tree.
- Add a descriptive title.
- Add event dates and places.
- Add topic tags.
- Add stories or transcriptions to photos, audio files, and documents.
- Put the memories into albums, and share the albums with your family. Family members can bookmark the albums to access the items.
For more details, see What happens to memories after the contributor dies?
Related articles
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Can I add memories about my living relatives to Family Tree?
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