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Ancestry: Explore your family tree & unique story

Ancestry: Explore your family tree & unique story

Ancestry.com

Discover & explore family history, origins & genealogy with documents & photos

Google Play Free In-App Purchases App Store Free In-App Purchases
4.5 Ratings 306K+ Reviews 5M+ Downloads

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
306.0K+ Ratings
  1. 5
    74+%
  2. 4
    14+%
  3. 3
    4+%
  4. 2
    2+%
  5. 1
    6+%

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  • img Community
    We seem to be busy 24/7 which, in turn, can alienate us from our loved ones. Spend some quality time with your grandparents or let your little ones connect with their's by telling stories and discovering new information about the family's heritage.
    img by David
    1 year ago
  • img Expert
    1. Search the largest database of historical photos, stories, documents, and even records in your ancestors’ mother tongues
    2. Ancestry Hints™ technology searches billions of records for you. Connect with family to grow your tree and share your findings
    3. Upload photos and life events right from your phone, or add relatives from Facebook. Sync instantly with your Ancestry.com tree

    Reviewed by Laura S on January 8, 2018

  • Ethnic Background Research Update Apr 24, 2020

    By JustinDavine
    Love this app. It was amazing for me to learn that I have ancestors across 3 different continents when I did the DNA test. The “Thrulines” feature is amazing too but I would like to suggest in future updates that there can be some way to search for DNA matches that share varying percentages of ethnic backgrounds. I am very interested in connecting the dots with the Latino side of my family and finding out if possible where I can trace my African heritage as well. Since I have nearly 100,000 DNA matches and not even close to half of the people have pictures associated with their profile, it is hard to tell what ethnic backgrounds are shared with people without clicking individually on every profile. If there was a way to show any or all DNA matches who have, say, more than “10% total Sub-Saharan African and/or 25% Central American” that would be REALLY helpful in potentially connecting dots and further filling in my family tree. I would love to find where those connections are but it is really hard to do without a filter in the search that allows you to bring up DNA matches with people in specific categories. Thanks for your help! I really hope this is a feature you guys will be able to add in the future.

  • Apr 29, 2021

    By Dawn Stapley
    Revised score from 1 star to 5 - it is now working after an update to the app. My last review was that to see a person in their pedigree or family view and how they related to me, was not working. Clicking on the icon to view tree just sent me back to myself and ignored the person I was researching.

  • Dna section not working properly Sep 8, 2019

    By JingleCat
    Update: working much better! Old: Let me start with the positive: the tree section is lovely, helpful, works well, and I love it. Now, the negative: the DNA section, which updated on the 1 July is not great. It is set up similar to the website, but please consider that apps are used on devices, such as a phone. The DNA section has become a behemoth if information, difficult to manage or view, crashes if you try and look at Cousin matches for a second person... it used to be quite simple and elegant with the 11 generation view, and option but not requirement to open other users’ entire trees. How can I possibly appreciate their full multi- thousand tree of information on my iPhone? I hate to complain, I use the Ancestry app daily. Some people do crosswords or sudoku. I work on the family tree, it’s my favorite puzzle. I just wish I could use the DNA cousins’ section with ease, but it seems to have become way too huge to appreciate as a simple task in bed or during down time, with the phone. It has become a project strictly for sitting at my computer. Is there any chance to make it more convenient for device use? It’s an app, after all. Thanks :)

  • Apr 27, 2021

    By Katrina Diane Walker
    It works well. Unfortunately, the larger your trees, the more glitchy the App becomes. If you keep your trees under 2500 people, it loads perfectly fine. If you have larger trees, just use the website, it's easier.

  • Unlocking My Past Aug 5, 2018

    By cmsmyer
    Ancestry has been a joy to explore. I first started my tree several years ago, but had suspended my membership for lack of time to devote to the project. Earlier this year I decided to explore my genetic history through AncestryDNA, so wanted to continue my tree as well. I’ve been thrilled with the enhancements the site has made in the intervening years. It’s been even easier to connect the family dots through the system of ‘hints’ provided by the app. Each time I feel I’ve begun to hit a wall, a new hint is revealed that keeps me going. I’m also pleased with how the genetic app is enhancing my search. I have barely begun to explore the many connections that submitting my DNA revealed. As just a beginning, I can engage any person who is 4th cousin or closer - and who chooses to keep their connection open as well. What I’m most looking forward to is searching for all those Scandinavian relations that make up a full third of my DNA. I had no idea there was any measurable Norse blood in my past! I really am pleased with Ancestry, and AncestryDNA, and have only scratched the surface of the app’s many features and my past.

  • Good App, Convenient Feb 21, 2019

    By BlooDude
    I really appreciate the convenience of being able to do ancestry on my phone! It makes it so easy to hop on and do a few leaves between activities. The app works well, but with a few issues. Occasionally, when trying to view something with a photo/attachment, it will say I need a paid account to view it, but usually when I go back and then click on it again, it works. Also, there are a few hints that take you to a website that you have to pay to be a member, just to see if that hint is the person in your tree (e.g. family search); I always skip those hints. Thirdly, a few hints always mess up no matter how many times you try to accept them; it just says something went wrong; try again later. (I’ve noticed this with newspaper articles.) I only give 4 stars because the census pictures only show you one page, whereas on the PC you can click to view the next page or previous page. Often the family is split between two pages, and I can’t confirm anything that is not on the page that it chooses to show me. If this were changed, I could give 5 stars, though those other problems still need addressed too.

  • Apr 28, 2021

    By Rohit Nigam
    Excellent app which helps people to keep emotional links and remember where you belong. Easy to navigate and even gives you tips for details you may have missed. Just that the pricing could be better.

  • I have a tree with over 2000 people Dec 19, 2019

    By Photogrphr
    If you are interested in the genealogy of your family this app will do it. But the full price of the app is way too high and the claim of newspaper artifacts is quite limited. If your ancestors come from Russia and your Jewish you will not be able to get further back than 1860. Assuming that your family came here in the very early 1900’s. My son in law is from German decent and I could trace his family back to 1675 when they came here as early settlers of Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Everyone in my family did ancestry DNA and it we found it very interesting. I had thought we were the only family with our last name in the America but with the DNA and matches I found that another family with my last name settled in Chicago around the same time my grandfather came. This I am sure of because I am a match for at least on of that clan. But I cannot figure out how we are related because the answer to that is in the small towns in Russia where the Jews were persecuted by the tzar and forced them to immigrate to the US. Instead of five stars I put four because I think they mislead me with the “all access” when it really isn’t “all access”

  • Ethnic Background Research Update Apr 24, 2020

    By JustinDavine
    Love this app. It was amazing for me to learn that I have ancestors across 3 different continents when I did the DNA test. The “Thrulines” feature is amazing too but I would like to suggest in future updates that there can be some way to search for DNA matches that share varying percentages of ethnic backgrounds. I am very interested in connecting the dots with the Latino side of my family and finding out if possible where I can trace my African heritage as well. Since I have nearly 100,000 DNA matches and not even close to half of the people have pictures associated with their profile, it is hard to tell what ethnic backgrounds are shared with people without clicking individually on every profile. If there was a way to show any or all DNA matches who have, say, more than “10% total Sub-Saharan African and/or 25% Central American” that would be REALLY helpful in potentially connecting dots and further filling in my family tree. I would love to find where those connections are but it is really hard to do without a filter in the search that allows you to bring up DNA matches with people in specific categories. Thanks for your help! I really hope this is a feature you guys will be able to add in the future.

  • Apr 29, 2021

    By Dawn Stapley
    Revised score from 1 star to 5 - it is now working after an update to the app. My last review was that to see a person in their pedigree or family view and how they related to me, was not working. Clicking on the icon to view tree just sent me back to myself and ignored the person I was researching.

  • Dna section not working properly Sep 8, 2019

    By JingleCat
    Update: working much better! Old: Let me start with the positive: the tree section is lovely, helpful, works well, and I love it. Now, the negative: the DNA section, which updated on the 1 July is not great. It is set up similar to the website, but please consider that apps are used on devices, such as a phone. The DNA section has become a behemoth if information, difficult to manage or view, crashes if you try and look at Cousin matches for a second person... it used to be quite simple and elegant with the 11 generation view, and option but not requirement to open other users’ entire trees. How can I possibly appreciate their full multi- thousand tree of information on my iPhone? I hate to complain, I use the Ancestry app daily. Some people do crosswords or sudoku. I work on the family tree, it’s my favorite puzzle. I just wish I could use the DNA cousins’ section with ease, but it seems to have become way too huge to appreciate as a simple task in bed or during down time, with the phone. It has become a project strictly for sitting at my computer. Is there any chance to make it more convenient for device use? It’s an app, after all. Thanks :)

  • Apr 27, 2021

    By Katrina Diane Walker
    It works well. Unfortunately, the larger your trees, the more glitchy the App becomes. If you keep your trees under 2500 people, it loads perfectly fine. If you have larger trees, just use the website, it's easier.

  • Unlocking My Past Aug 5, 2018

    By cmsmyer
    Ancestry has been a joy to explore. I first started my tree several years ago, but had suspended my membership for lack of time to devote to the project. Earlier this year I decided to explore my genetic history through AncestryDNA, so wanted to continue my tree as well. I’ve been thrilled with the enhancements the site has made in the intervening years. It’s been even easier to connect the family dots through the system of ‘hints’ provided by the app. Each time I feel I’ve begun to hit a wall, a new hint is revealed that keeps me going. I’m also pleased with how the genetic app is enhancing my search. I have barely begun to explore the many connections that submitting my DNA revealed. As just a beginning, I can engage any person who is 4th cousin or closer - and who chooses to keep their connection open as well. What I’m most looking forward to is searching for all those Scandinavian relations that make up a full third of my DNA. I had no idea there was any measurable Norse blood in my past! I really am pleased with Ancestry, and AncestryDNA, and have only scratched the surface of the app’s many features and my past.

  • Good App, Convenient Feb 21, 2019

    By BlooDude
    I really appreciate the convenience of being able to do ancestry on my phone! It makes it so easy to hop on and do a few leaves between activities. The app works well, but with a few issues. Occasionally, when trying to view something with a photo/attachment, it will say I need a paid account to view it, but usually when I go back and then click on it again, it works. Also, there are a few hints that take you to a website that you have to pay to be a member, just to see if that hint is the person in your tree (e.g. family search); I always skip those hints. Thirdly, a few hints always mess up no matter how many times you try to accept them; it just says something went wrong; try again later. (I’ve noticed this with newspaper articles.) I only give 4 stars because the census pictures only show you one page, whereas on the PC you can click to view the next page or previous page. Often the family is split between two pages, and I can’t confirm anything that is not on the page that it chooses to show me. If this were changed, I could give 5 stars, though those other problems still need addressed too.

  • Apr 28, 2021

    By Rohit Nigam
    Excellent app which helps people to keep emotional links and remember where you belong. Easy to navigate and even gives you tips for details you may have missed. Just that the pricing could be better.

  • I have a tree with over 2000 people Dec 19, 2019

    By Photogrphr
    If you are interested in the genealogy of your family this app will do it. But the full price of the app is way too high and the claim of newspaper artifacts is quite limited. If your ancestors come from Russia and your Jewish you will not be able to get further back than 1860. Assuming that your family came here in the very early 1900’s. My son in law is from German decent and I could trace his family back to 1675 when they came here as early settlers of Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Everyone in my family did ancestry DNA and it we found it very interesting. I had thought we were the only family with our last name in the America but with the DNA and matches I found that another family with my last name settled in Chicago around the same time my grandfather came. This I am sure of because I am a match for at least on of that clan. But I cannot figure out how we are related because the answer to that is in the small towns in Russia where the Jews were persecuted by the tzar and forced them to immigrate to the US. Instead of five stars I put four because I think they mislead me with the “all access” when it really isn’t “all access”

  • Found Tons of information& Even my birth Father Dec 11, 2018

    By BrndaM
    It’s the best gift, I received in my life. For my 62 Birthday my son purchased me a kit. While I waited for my results, I began creating my tree. The app was easier to use than it looks and it took no time at all to master navigating my tree. Then the results arrived and wow it was unbelievable. I never knew my birth/biological father so it was interesting seeing possible relatives. But I didn’t have the nerve to contact them, so I stuck to my mom’s tree & adopted father, then tackled my husbands side exploring leaves. Then one day I had a message in my mailbox and it a matter of minutes I had my first contact with a Second Cousin .... that contact confirmed we’re relatives and although my birth father is deceased, I have Aunts, Uncles, sisters & brothers and of course tons of cousin to reach out to! Perhaps I’m one of the lucky few that find relatives, for that I’m thankful for AncestryDNA. It’s a great app and became a new hobby for a recently retired grandma. With the help of AncestryDNA we may have just figured out my next “Heritage” vacation spot.

  • Apr 28, 2021

    By Barry Fox
    Like the app but its a shame that you have to pay a subscription to get more from it. I paid £80 for the swab kit and I think there should be at least 6 months to a year's free subscription.
See all positive reviews

  • May 9, 2021

    By Dawn Means
    Heads up!! NO REFUNDS. It's been 4 to 5 months and two test. Still for some reason they don't have it again. But I have to wait 30 days before they'll send in another one to check the mail on and wait for them to get it. And they do not care or s anything. Just wait. I paid to much. Even if it were 1 dollar.

  • May 1, 2021

    By Cristina Tapley
    Used to work now freezes. Won't load right, the widget don't work. I'm not paying a bunch of money out every 3 months and not being able to use the app. Fix it and I'll rate accordingly. I even emailed you guys about it and have heard nothing.

  • May 3, 2021

    By Sue Cobley
    What have you done. My aop keeps freezing i have to close all my apps in order to sort it out. BTW when can we have our below 20cm shared matches back. If a low matches at 11cm and he matches to a high 20cm plus then the 20cm should match as well. These low matches are important as they may be the key to opening up trees!

  • Apr 29, 2021

    By Leila G.
    I'll receive alerts about new hints, however, the app has not been responding! It will not load whatsoever. Very disappointing, especially for a paid service.

  • Membership Purchase DOES NOT WORK in the App Nov 20, 2019

    By Seventh fret
    The App is a scam! 😩😡🤬. You risk losing money! They tempt you with a few days free trial and charge your credit card. When your free trial ends, Ancestry deactivates your account so you can no longer see images of documents even though your card has been changed. To get your money back you have to deal with Apple. I have had an Ancestry account for years, but only activate it occasionally for a few months to see if any new information is available. This time I made the mistake of activating it through the app using Apple Pay. The app worked okay for me. If you are using an iPad, the app is more convenient than the site on Safari; however, there are a few things that can only be done on the website (e.g. inviting others to your tree if your tree is private). Occasionally the app locks up and loses connection when you try to add files to your gallery. But the main problem is activating your account through the app, especially along with the free trial offer. If you want an active membership, activate it through the website even though you will not get the free trial. Otherwise, you risk a lot of headaches trying to get a refund when Ancestry doesn’t honor your purchase at the end of the free trial.

  • False advertising Jul 10, 2019

    By Ahamanda
    Do not believe the free 14 day trial. You may get charged & then apple itunes will not refund your money. They told me that all sales were final & that apps are not personalized. I was not told this & there is nothing on the free 14 day trial page within the app that has terms & conditions or any exclusions. I had received a previous free trial & was surprised to see another one. I clicked it thinking I’d received it because I did not keep the subscription originally. Apple itunes store kept me on the phone for over an hour refusing to refund & quoting the all sales final in the terms & conditions. There needs to be an * on the free 14 day trial page in the app with at least a short sentence stating if you’ve received a free trial that you will be charged the full subscription price for one month & not receive the free trial. This is false advertising & makes both ancestry & apple itunes store look very bad. I learned my lesson the hard way. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. Save your money & don’t even risk it if you’ve used it before. Reclaim the records offers all records for free, same ones ancestry charges for- public free records-paid for by your ancestor’s taxes & you can use ancestry through your taxpayer $ for free at your local library. I’m so angry.

  • Apr 15, 2021

    By Kimberly Smith-Miller
    This app is HORRIBLE. It used to be easier to use and navigate, since the update, it is more confusing to use, if you access one person and view/modify it, it takes you back to your entire tree instead of the person you were wishing on, which means you have to search for that person again. Also, good luck getting any messages. There is no notification, so if you don't check it daily you won't see it. I've checked my messages and it still says I have two unread messages. Won't update.

  • Apr 17, 2021

    By Shanta Moss
    The new update is the worse. I cant do anything😫🤦‍♀️ it's annoying that the app is constantly telling me to retry search results and takes me back to myself everytime I try to view a tree or go back a step. Please refund my account this has been going on for days now. The glitches are ridiculous. Ancestry should not be charging if they know this is happening.

  • Apr 19, 2021

    By Josh Diesel
    Update: its gets worse and worse. Barely usable, records refuse to load and become permanently lost to the app, never opening even days later despite the record showing fine online. Terrible connection issues. Regardless of your internet connection the app constantly has trouble loading search results and images of records. Highly recommend using the desktop website, it is slightly better.

  • New update is horrible Oct 30, 2020

    By CAB20
    Why why why??? You ruined a perfectly good app! It is so difficult now to see my tree. There is no contrast, the pictures are tiny, the names don’t look right. Cannot follow the lines. Terrible graphics! No new useful features. What could have been really helpful would be to view the relationship in the tree without having to click on each profile. It would be amazingly helpful to have a colored border around each person in the tree with the ability to customize a color for each individual. This way you could highlight relatives in your direct line, another color for different relationships or to highlight interesting matches or ones you want to go back and research more. So sad about this new update...I have put so much time and effort into my tree and this new look is not going to work for me. So visually cumbersome! I need a larger photo and have put a lot of effort into using photos for quick identification and sizing them just so. Too much wasted space now that is not even being used to display additional information. I’m not sure what the thinking was behind this colossal failure. I want the old app back!!!
See all negative reviews
  • img Community
    We seem to be busy 24/7 which, in turn, can alienate us from our loved ones. Spend some quality time with your grandparents or let your little ones connect with their's by telling stories and discovering new information about the family's heritage.
    img by David
    1 year ago
See All Community Reviews
  • img Expert
    1. Search the largest database of historical photos, stories, documents, and even records in your ancestors’ mother tongues
    2. Ancestry Hints™ technology searches billions of records for you. Connect with family to grow your tree and share your findings
    3. Upload photos and life events right from your phone, or add relatives from Facebook. Sync instantly with your Ancestry.com tree

    Reviewed by Laura S on January 8, 2018

See All Expert Reviews

  • Ethnic Background Research Update Apr 24, 2020

    By JustinDavine
    Love this app. It was amazing for me to learn that I have ancestors across 3 different continents when I did the DNA test. The “Thrulines” feature is amazing too but I would like to suggest in future updates that there can be some way to search for DNA matches that share varying percentages of ethnic backgrounds. I am very interested in connecting the dots with the Latino side of my family and finding out if possible where I can trace my African heritage as well. Since I have nearly 100,000 DNA matches and not even close to half of the people have pictures associated with their profile, it is hard to tell what ethnic backgrounds are shared with people without clicking individually on every profile. If there was a way to show any or all DNA matches who have, say, more than “10% total Sub-Saharan African and/or 25% Central American” that would be REALLY helpful in potentially connecting dots and further filling in my family tree. I would love to find where those connections are but it is really hard to do without a filter in the search that allows you to bring up DNA matches with people in specific categories. Thanks for your help! I really hope this is a feature you guys will be able to add in the future.

  • Apr 29, 2021

    By Dawn Stapley
    Revised score from 1 star to 5 - it is now working after an update to the app. My last review was that to see a person in their pedigree or family view and how they related to me, was not working. Clicking on the icon to view tree just sent me back to myself and ignored the person I was researching.

  • Dna section not working properly Sep 8, 2019

    By JingleCat
    Update: working much better! Old: Let me start with the positive: the tree section is lovely, helpful, works well, and I love it. Now, the negative: the DNA section, which updated on the 1 July is not great. It is set up similar to the website, but please consider that apps are used on devices, such as a phone. The DNA section has become a behemoth if information, difficult to manage or view, crashes if you try and look at Cousin matches for a second person... it used to be quite simple and elegant with the 11 generation view, and option but not requirement to open other users’ entire trees. How can I possibly appreciate their full multi- thousand tree of information on my iPhone? I hate to complain, I use the Ancestry app daily. Some people do crosswords or sudoku. I work on the family tree, it’s my favorite puzzle. I just wish I could use the DNA cousins’ section with ease, but it seems to have become way too huge to appreciate as a simple task in bed or during down time, with the phone. It has become a project strictly for sitting at my computer. Is there any chance to make it more convenient for device use? It’s an app, after all. Thanks :)

  • Unlocking My Past Aug 5, 2018

    By cmsmyer
    Ancestry has been a joy to explore. I first started my tree several years ago, but had suspended my membership for lack of time to devote to the project. Earlier this year I decided to explore my genetic history through AncestryDNA, so wanted to continue my tree as well. I’ve been thrilled with the enhancements the site has made in the intervening years. It’s been even easier to connect the family dots through the system of ‘hints’ provided by the app. Each time I feel I’ve begun to hit a wall, a new hint is revealed that keeps me going. I’m also pleased with how the genetic app is enhancing my search. I have barely begun to explore the many connections that submitting my DNA revealed. As just a beginning, I can engage any person who is 4th cousin or closer - and who chooses to keep their connection open as well. What I’m most looking forward to is searching for all those Scandinavian relations that make up a full third of my DNA. I had no idea there was any measurable Norse blood in my past! I really am pleased with Ancestry, and AncestryDNA, and have only scratched the surface of the app’s many features and my past.

  • Found Tons of information& Even my birth Father Dec 11, 2018

    By BrndaM
    It’s the best gift, I received in my life. For my 62 Birthday my son purchased me a kit. While I waited for my results, I began creating my tree. The app was easier to use than it looks and it took no time at all to master navigating my tree. Then the results arrived and wow it was unbelievable. I never knew my birth/biological father so it was interesting seeing possible relatives. But I didn’t have the nerve to contact them, so I stuck to my mom’s tree & adopted father, then tackled my husbands side exploring leaves. Then one day I had a message in my mailbox and it a matter of minutes I had my first contact with a Second Cousin .... that contact confirmed we’re relatives and although my birth father is deceased, I have Aunts, Uncles, sisters & brothers and of course tons of cousin to reach out to! Perhaps I’m one of the lucky few that find relatives, for that I’m thankful for AncestryDNA. It’s a great app and became a new hobby for a recently retired grandma. With the help of AncestryDNA we may have just figured out my next “Heritage” vacation spot.

  • May 6, 2021

    By Domonique Formosa
    So much to explore!! Literally lose hours and hours sifting through the hints that are ever growing. Interesting finding out about the lives and way of living of the people that are the reason I'm here today.

  • Absolutely Fabulous! Sep 24, 2018

    By Lorieann77
    I got bit by the ancestry bug in 2009 before I became a member. What started this for me was learning all I could about my great grandfather (my moms dads father.). Great grandpa left the home when my grandpa was three years old no one knew too much about him. Before becoming a member I was able to locate the him and within three weeks I actually drove to a rural cemetery and found his grave!! I was also able to find history. A few years ago I joined Ancestry as a full member and absolutely love it! My family tree, maternal and paternal, goes back for some to the 1500s. Two years ago I did the AncestryDNA (the reports were just updated recently as well!) I can attest to the fact they are accurate because I know where a lot of my family came from and the DNA members it matched me to are relatives, some I know (but didn’t realize they were members.) Totally fascinating and soul fulfilling to know where my people came from know what blood runs through my veins. Rock on Ancestry! I’m hooked ❤️👍🏽

  • A wonderful way to find your history Sep 23, 2019

    By lkldraft
    I have used this app for five years on iPhones, iPads and computers. I never had to start over or begin a "new tree" because you log in and you information is secure. I love this app for several reasons the first being I have learned so much about the heroes in my family. I can see the struggles, how wars have affected family members. I found living relatives I never knew. The only problem I have is that duplicates still form too easily but the correction process has been simplified. Every update has made corrections easier to do. You can add pictures, obits notes and they automatically add historical facts to make your ancestors come to life. A ‘Warning’ though this can be addictive! Con- even if you have paid for records after having a membership for years once you discontinue or pause your membership you cannot access digital scans of records. You can however see you have the record as well as see the “detail” of the record.

  • My Fathers greatest wish came true, then he died May 21, 2020

    By DinaSangs
    My Father’s one and only wish was to one day know someone from his Mothers side of the family. She died when he was five. We spent many years traveling the state of Texas looking for anyone that know anything about his Mother. He sent his DNA to Ancestry and we waited... and waited.. and waited, until one day, there was a match, Mercedes. I saw that her Grandfathers name was Alfredo Alviar Chavez and flipped out!!! I sent her a message through the Ancestry app. and explained who I was and that we have been looking for years and years for anyone related to My fathers Mother’s side of the family. I gave her my email address and hoped she would answer. She quickly responded by sending an email to me and we were immediately connected. She was blown away that we knew so many details about her Grandfather. It did t take us long to get together. They came to visit on Labor Day weekend 2019. We had 3 glorious days to talk and laugh and cry. My Father was the happiest Man in the world. Then on September 19, my Father passed away. His name was Guadalupe Ibarra. He died a happy man. God kept his word and brought to pass the one and only piece of the puzzle left. Thank you Ancestry for making it possible. Without you, he would never have met his beautiful cousins, children of his uncle Alfredo, my Fathers Mother, Francisca’s little brother. What a wonderful world!!! Thank you, Dina Joy Lawrence Proud daughter of Guadalupe Ibarra

  • AncectryDNA Nov 12, 2019

    By Layton Granny
    I have been working on my family history for over 50 years and have accomplished quite a lot. Then, a couple of years ago I discovered Ancestry and am amazed about how much easier it is to do everything. Yes, there are quirks, as there are in every program, but this one is wonderful. I recently decided to have my DNA done, but was too suspicious to give Ancestry all of the information ahead of time, so I used a different e-mail address for my DNA kit, to see if they would be able to come up with the information I have on my charts (back to the 1500s in most cases). I was totally amazed that they pinned all of my ancestors down to the exact areas I was expecting them to be from, including the Jewish ancestor that is on my chart 4-5 generations back. ABSOLUTELY recommend this program. It is very addicting to do family history and this program makes it even easier with the very helpful and accurate hints. Thanks to all of the programmers!
See all 5 reviews

  • Apr 27, 2021

    By Katrina Diane Walker
    It works well. Unfortunately, the larger your trees, the more glitchy the App becomes. If you keep your trees under 2500 people, it loads perfectly fine. If you have larger trees, just use the website, it's easier.

  • Good App, Convenient Feb 21, 2019

    By BlooDude
    I really appreciate the convenience of being able to do ancestry on my phone! It makes it so easy to hop on and do a few leaves between activities. The app works well, but with a few issues. Occasionally, when trying to view something with a photo/attachment, it will say I need a paid account to view it, but usually when I go back and then click on it again, it works. Also, there are a few hints that take you to a website that you have to pay to be a member, just to see if that hint is the person in your tree (e.g. family search); I always skip those hints. Thirdly, a few hints always mess up no matter how many times you try to accept them; it just says something went wrong; try again later. (I’ve noticed this with newspaper articles.) I only give 4 stars because the census pictures only show you one page, whereas on the PC you can click to view the next page or previous page. Often the family is split between two pages, and I can’t confirm anything that is not on the page that it chooses to show me. If this were changed, I could give 5 stars, though those other problems still need addressed too.

  • Apr 28, 2021

    By Rohit Nigam
    Excellent app which helps people to keep emotional links and remember where you belong. Easy to navigate and even gives you tips for details you may have missed. Just that the pricing could be better.

  • I have a tree with over 2000 people Dec 19, 2019

    By Photogrphr
    If you are interested in the genealogy of your family this app will do it. But the full price of the app is way too high and the claim of newspaper artifacts is quite limited. If your ancestors come from Russia and your Jewish you will not be able to get further back than 1860. Assuming that your family came here in the very early 1900’s. My son in law is from German decent and I could trace his family back to 1675 when they came here as early settlers of Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Everyone in my family did ancestry DNA and it we found it very interesting. I had thought we were the only family with our last name in the America but with the DNA and matches I found that another family with my last name settled in Chicago around the same time my grandfather came. This I am sure of because I am a match for at least on of that clan. But I cannot figure out how we are related because the answer to that is in the small towns in Russia where the Jews were persecuted by the tzar and forced them to immigrate to the US. Instead of five stars I put four because I think they mislead me with the “all access” when it really isn’t “all access”

  • Apr 28, 2021

    By Barry Fox
    Like the app but its a shame that you have to pay a subscription to get more from it. I paid £80 for the swab kit and I think there should be at least 6 months to a year's free subscription.

  • Hope O Creasman Dec 9, 2018

    By Speak Little
    I have used Ancestry since its inception. As a previous person stated, At first it was lacking records, but now it is amazing. If they could make the search where it would narrow down some more, because looking through 2,000 or more and having people come up who are in the 1900s when you want the late 1700s is very aggravating to me. Surely if you put the date of 1768, why are 1970s people showing up. Same with state, if I put SC and California is shown, I wonder why did I even put South Carolina, But I have to admit it does give you much more accurate information. And the DNA information amazes me. If the new ones would put their trees online and the stubborn old ones not keep everything to themselves, especially when you have given them information. Especially on the pictures. I have so many to identify and Rosa or Jose is from the same family, but they won’t share. However ancestry has really added to my knowledge and I know it will get better and better because it already has. It is sad to me because I won’t be around to see what’s to come. (I am 73.) So if you want to know is it worth it? I say a definite YES.

  • I like but it needs some additions Jan 12, 2019

    By Jessi Lanham
    I love finding all my long dead relatives but I wish there were more detailed options for your family tree. For example, it should include siblings on each layer of the tree to make even more accurate assessments of relation. Also, including an option for adopted children would be amazing. My grandfather was adopted by his aunt, and so she kept being listed as his mother when in fact she was only his mother by adoption. As a result of this, I’m having an incredibly hard time finding out who my actual great-grandmother is because the records are only show the adopted parents name. There should be a way to include both adopted parents for the purposes of records AND the actual parents for genetic purposes. Also, it would be nice if there were more inclusive options that were sensitive to transgender individuals, including the records for older relatives who may have had to alter their paperwork because of the times they were living in. The history that you can uncover is really eye-opening and I just think everyone should be able to experience it.

  • May 2, 2021

    By Suzan Heimpel
    Enjoying exploring family background. A little more help about how to correct mistakes would make this easier to navigate especially for people not highly computer literate.

  • May 7, 2021

    By Vic R
    Good app but please make an option to turn off rotation, very annoying if I tilt my phone in a certain way that the whole screen flips.

  • May 9, 2021

    By Runa Udbjørg
    The new update is wonderful aesthetically, but it bugs every time I try to add a new family member.
See all 4 reviews

  • Apr 17, 2021

    By Andrew Malton
    This app is usually pretty good. I've mostly learned how to work around the issues. But last update was definitely a regression. Tree display is broken as noted below. Search failure ("unable to access search results") is much more frequent suddenly. Display failure ("try again or contact support") is also more frequent. Are you guys over-extended? Dev team churn? Under invested? Really, you shouldn't let broken releases get out like that. Or you should post a reversion immediately.

  • Apr 30, 2021

    By Okie Granny
    Lots of info but too expensive. Family Search is free and seems easier to find accurate "hints".

  • Apr 14, 2021

    By Liz M previously G
    It was great except for this last update, 14hrs ago, it now goes straight back to my starting person instead of keeping me where I was working in my tree. I click on View in Tree and it takes me straight back to my start person again. Your update said for bug fixes...well you just introduced another bug. Also, WHY do you have the free trial thing at the button of all my hints? I'm trying to look at the bottom section of my hint and can't because it's covered. 😑
See all 3 reviews

  • Apr 15, 2021

    By Kimberly Smith-Miller
    This app is HORRIBLE. It used to be easier to use and navigate, since the update, it is more confusing to use, if you access one person and view/modify it, it takes you back to your entire tree instead of the person you were wishing on, which means you have to search for that person again. Also, good luck getting any messages. There is no notification, so if you don't check it daily you won't see it. I've checked my messages and it still says I have two unread messages. Won't update.
See all 2 reviews

  • May 9, 2021

    By Dawn Means
    Heads up!! NO REFUNDS. It's been 4 to 5 months and two test. Still for some reason they don't have it again. But I have to wait 30 days before they'll send in another one to check the mail on and wait for them to get it. And they do not care or s anything. Just wait. I paid to much. Even if it were 1 dollar.

  • May 1, 2021

    By Cristina Tapley
    Used to work now freezes. Won't load right, the widget don't work. I'm not paying a bunch of money out every 3 months and not being able to use the app. Fix it and I'll rate accordingly. I even emailed you guys about it and have heard nothing.

  • May 3, 2021

    By Sue Cobley
    What have you done. My aop keeps freezing i have to close all my apps in order to sort it out. BTW when can we have our below 20cm shared matches back. If a low matches at 11cm and he matches to a high 20cm plus then the 20cm should match as well. These low matches are important as they may be the key to opening up trees!

  • Apr 29, 2021

    By Leila G.
    I'll receive alerts about new hints, however, the app has not been responding! It will not load whatsoever. Very disappointing, especially for a paid service.

  • Membership Purchase DOES NOT WORK in the App Nov 20, 2019

    By Seventh fret
    The App is a scam! 😩😡🤬. You risk losing money! They tempt you with a few days free trial and charge your credit card. When your free trial ends, Ancestry deactivates your account so you can no longer see images of documents even though your card has been changed. To get your money back you have to deal with Apple. I have had an Ancestry account for years, but only activate it occasionally for a few months to see if any new information is available. This time I made the mistake of activating it through the app using Apple Pay. The app worked okay for me. If you are using an iPad, the app is more convenient than the site on Safari; however, there are a few things that can only be done on the website (e.g. inviting others to your tree if your tree is private). Occasionally the app locks up and loses connection when you try to add files to your gallery. But the main problem is activating your account through the app, especially along with the free trial offer. If you want an active membership, activate it through the website even though you will not get the free trial. Otherwise, you risk a lot of headaches trying to get a refund when Ancestry doesn’t honor your purchase at the end of the free trial.

  • False advertising Jul 10, 2019

    By Ahamanda
    Do not believe the free 14 day trial. You may get charged & then apple itunes will not refund your money. They told me that all sales were final & that apps are not personalized. I was not told this & there is nothing on the free 14 day trial page within the app that has terms & conditions or any exclusions. I had received a previous free trial & was surprised to see another one. I clicked it thinking I’d received it because I did not keep the subscription originally. Apple itunes store kept me on the phone for over an hour refusing to refund & quoting the all sales final in the terms & conditions. There needs to be an * on the free 14 day trial page in the app with at least a short sentence stating if you’ve received a free trial that you will be charged the full subscription price for one month & not receive the free trial. This is false advertising & makes both ancestry & apple itunes store look very bad. I learned my lesson the hard way. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. Save your money & don’t even risk it if you’ve used it before. Reclaim the records offers all records for free, same ones ancestry charges for- public free records-paid for by your ancestor’s taxes & you can use ancestry through your taxpayer $ for free at your local library. I’m so angry.

  • Apr 17, 2021

    By Shanta Moss
    The new update is the worse. I cant do anything😫🤦‍♀️ it's annoying that the app is constantly telling me to retry search results and takes me back to myself everytime I try to view a tree or go back a step. Please refund my account this has been going on for days now. The glitches are ridiculous. Ancestry should not be charging if they know this is happening.

  • Apr 19, 2021

    By Josh Diesel
    Update: its gets worse and worse. Barely usable, records refuse to load and become permanently lost to the app, never opening even days later despite the record showing fine online. Terrible connection issues. Regardless of your internet connection the app constantly has trouble loading search results and images of records. Highly recommend using the desktop website, it is slightly better.

  • New update is horrible Oct 30, 2020

    By CAB20
    Why why why??? You ruined a perfectly good app! It is so difficult now to see my tree. There is no contrast, the pictures are tiny, the names don’t look right. Cannot follow the lines. Terrible graphics! No new useful features. What could have been really helpful would be to view the relationship in the tree without having to click on each profile. It would be amazingly helpful to have a colored border around each person in the tree with the ability to customize a color for each individual. This way you could highlight relatives in your direct line, another color for different relationships or to highlight interesting matches or ones you want to go back and research more. So sad about this new update...I have put so much time and effort into my tree and this new look is not going to work for me. So visually cumbersome! I need a larger photo and have put a lot of effort into using photos for quick identification and sizing them just so. Too much wasted space now that is not even being used to display additional information. I’m not sure what the thinking was behind this colossal failure. I want the old app back!!!
See all 1 reviews

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Ancestry: Explore your family tree & unique story

Ancestry: Explore your family tree & unique story

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