Name: Ancestry: Explore your family tree & genealogy
Rating: 4.5 (32872 reviews)

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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. more

by David
2 years ago
Community
7 years ago I found my biological family. My biological sister told me about the ancestry website and I have since downloaded this app. So much better!

by George
4 months ago
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
more
Reviewed by Laura S on January 8, 2018
Sep 2, 2021

By Eddie Leask

So far so good, some glitches when you add people and sometimes lose a whole family line because the relationship is wrong, after a bit of research managed to put them back easily enough. Maybe a warning about this could be put in place. Overall I am really enjoying the app and have confidence that Ancestry will sort the problem. more
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. more
Sep 1, 2021

By Terry S

For accessing the content of my tree, DNA matches and messages the App(s) are fine. I prefer the broader view of the desktop browser version. Needs ability to find non connected people. Would like be able to create a list of possible duplicate people controlled by a generation difference of zero or one. It is too easy to create duplicate families in the Web interface. more
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 :) more
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. more
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. more
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” more

Sep 2, 2021

By Eddie Leask

So far so good, some glitches when you add people and sometimes lose a whole family line because the relationship is wrong, after a bit of research managed to put them back easily enough. Maybe a warning about this could be put in place. Overall I am really enjoying the app and have confidence that Ancestry will sort the problem. more
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. more
Sep 1, 2021

By Terry S

For accessing the content of my tree, DNA matches and messages the App(s) are fine. I prefer the broader view of the desktop browser version. Needs ability to find non connected people. Would like be able to create a list of possible duplicate people controlled by a generation difference of zero or one. It is too easy to create duplicate families in the Web interface. more
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 :) more
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. more
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. more
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” more
Aug 28, 2021

By Tara Platt

I love it!! I found my biological father IMMEDIATELY!! It took me 32 years to find him!! Thank You God!! Keep up with the upgrades on the app itself though. It's really improving. The records are so clear now.
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. more
Sep 7, 2021

By John Field

It doesn't have the same functionality as when you're using a pc. You don't have anywhere the amount of visibility. I wanted to move from viewing a search on a person's page to my dna results and you can't get there from here.

See all positive reviews

Sep 2, 2021

By Lucy Mockalis

Very Very, Slow and deleted my progress! I uninstalled due to browser version was faster and has the option for you to edit information. And then I realized that all the relationships and people I added to my tree in the app were suddenly gone! I spent a whole day just entering information I am so frustrated right now! more
Website is better, all access membership isn’t worth it! Aug 25, 2021

By HazeltheBasil

I love ancestry, the things i’ve discovered are an amazing gift to my family. That said, the app version leaves much to be desired. The website allows you to connect with other members, view their profiles and trees (member trees are the most helpful feature on Ancestry), and send pictures. That only scratches the surface when it comes to all the goodness you’re missing out on if you use the app over the website. Additionally, the app glitches. If you delete someone on the tree it will reload you back to your home person, and often when you try to accept hints it will save the wrong one (or save one multiple times. As for the membership, while expensive they are worth it. I do think that the first or second are the best (though depending on which part of the world you want the international records from it might not help). I find that FamilySearch works better for international records, and Ancestry works best for US records. All access is basically a scam. All the newspaper article you want to look at (i truly mean ALL of the ones for my relatives) are behind another paywall. additionally the Fold3 records are largely already available on the ancestry website (draft cards, hospital admissions etc). Keep your 1st-2nd tier ancestry membership then get the higher level newspaper membership separately. more
Aug 30, 2021

By Amanda Stanoch

Most recent update broke the app. It opens up with a blank page that says select a tree, an arrow to go back, and a plus sign in the lower right corner. If I hit any of them, the app automatically closes. Useless!
Aug 27, 2021

By Rachel Bishop

Will not let me upload a photo from my phone to the gallery. Tried several times and reported the problem, done an update. Still no better. Frustrating when I'm paying for premium and can't do a basic function. Will not renew
Great… while it lasted. Aug 22, 2021

By Katisdabestbyunokataroni

I had a free trial of world explorer, and it was great! I could access every record i clicked on, except ones that lead to a payed external site. I loved it so much, that i bought a subscription a month later. First day in. At the beginning of the day i could access records no problem. Then it started to say i needed to pay for us discovery. I looked at the website, and according to the purchase page world explorer is supposed to have everything us discovery has, and more! Sometimes i would get a message telling me that a document wasn’t “included in my membership “ despite it being an international or us document. I also am not able to search for family trees, even though it is included. When i tried to see if i could upgrade to all access, i was “ineligible”. Customer service told me that i needed to cancel my membership to purchase it, but I shouldn’t have to pay double to access what was advertised as being included in my plan. I am extremely disappointed, and will be looking into getting a refund. Not cool, Ancestry. I used Family Search previously, and will continue to do so. EDIT: i just remembered a bizarre glitch that caused women in my family tree to be married to each other, even though they didn’t even know one another. Deleting the relationship multiple times did not work, and was only solved by deleting one of them. This has happened at least 3 times. more
Sep 15, 2021

By deb burris

Very frustrating. The app (wifi & phone service) AND the website freeze up 3-4 days per week. Customers should get a refund for days we can't use. There's no excuse, considering how much we pay for this.
Sep 6, 2021

By Flávia Patterson

Rip off. They charge for the "free" period. And the invoice was sent 2 o'clock morning in the day I had to cancel. Spent money for nothing , zero information for my tree except what I had already put on Family Search and My Heritage. Be more honest. more
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. more
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. more
Aug 25, 2021

By Nic H

Bad Bad Bad! Used to be able to add information to your tree, now they want you to pay to even do that!! Subscriptions cost is way too high for free information found on the web...which you don't get to keep once you end your subscription. Free Trial is glitchy at best...most hints are just the same hint just from different websites. This company will go under if they dont fix their issues. more

See all negative reviews

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. more

by David
2 years ago
Community
7 years ago I found my biological family. My biological sister told me about the ancestry website and I have since downloaded this app. So much better!

by George
4 months ago

See All Community Reviews

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
more
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. more
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 :) more
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. more
Aug 28, 2021

By Tara Platt

I love it!! I found my biological father IMMEDIATELY!! It took me 32 years to find him!! Thank You God!! Keep up with the upgrades on the app itself though. It's really improving. The records are so clear now.
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. more
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 ❤️👍🏽 more
Sep 5, 2021

By Teresa M. Arias

I love the ability to have Ancestry and my family tree, on my phone at all times! I no longer have to wait until I can get home to my computer to look up something or add information to my tree!!
Aug 30, 2021

By pat gornall

It is much easier to research than it was when I started my family trees in 1983. I have difficulty keeping up, but I know it is all there for me when I get the free time. Very very relaxing.Time flies and tea goes cold. Keep on keeping on more
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. more
Sep 2, 2021

By Randy Ripple

It's a major plus to have the Ancestry app on my Android phone. Anytime, anywhere I can access my family tree and search families. Ancestry's search for new ancestors is a real plus. I have really enjoyed this app!

See all 5 reviews

Sep 2, 2021

By Eddie Leask

So far so good, some glitches when you add people and sometimes lose a whole family line because the relationship is wrong, after a bit of research managed to put them back easily enough. Maybe a warning about this could be put in place. Overall I am really enjoying the app and have confidence that Ancestry will sort the problem. more
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. more
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” more
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. more
Aug 31, 2021

By Shirley Lappert

It is nice to use when visiting relatives to show off the work I've done, add old photos to profiles they have. I wish I could join our trees for their children to explore, though.
Aug 31, 2021

By Tanner Corcoran

As good as any family tree app, I find it very easy to navigate. I find it odd there's no field for Middle names but I just add those after the first name.
Sep 9, 2021

By Wynelle Templeton

Instantly helpful & Extremely efficient format for scanning information across all new "hints". Difficulty saving with repeated prompts to Retry! Still have not been able to save any shared info. to any of my Genealogy Trees.
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. more
Sep 5, 2021

By Martin Musgrave

Even the free version rocks! No expert at this stuff, and never signed up for a paid subscription but as a means of recording info I already had, and displaying it easily, thus app does it all!!!
Sep 3, 2021

By Glenn Faini

I hate that the app now opens to the Discover tab rather than my Tree. If I want to see the discover tab, I'll go there myself. Please undo that change or make it an option.

See all 4 reviews

Sep 1, 2021

By Terry S

For accessing the content of my tree, DNA matches and messages the App(s) are fine. I prefer the broader view of the desktop browser version. Needs ability to find non connected people. Would like be able to create a list of possible duplicate people controlled by a generation difference of zero or one. It is too easy to create duplicate families in the Web interface. more
Sep 7, 2021

By John Field

It doesn't have the same functionality as when you're using a pc. You don't have anywhere the amount of visibility. I wanted to move from viewing a search on a person's page to my dna results and you can't get there from here.
Great Concept but Inevitably Hard to Piece Together May 25, 2021

By Tisha603

I am struggling with how to figure out how I am related to my DNA matches. The Thru Lines are a great idea however I wish there was something similar that only showed Dna matches instead of everyone because when someone like myself is adopted and has no idea of their heritage or ancestors, it’s just a big puzzle. For instance I entered my “assumed” grandfather and I get tons of hints and thru lines for him but I have no idea if I’m related to him via DNA because so far no matches that I can find . I do admit I have thousands of relatives I can’t link in my tree even though we matched DNA, simply because idk how we are related. No common Surnames shared mostly. It’s very hard and confusing and I’m struggling to find my real ancestors because I don’t know my family nor who is who. If you could help us find a way to piece this together, you would be healing many lives that have holes in them from not knowing their families. you would help make so many lives better. Nonetheless ty for the hard work you have done so far. more
Matches aren’t sync to other DNA matches Jan 29, 2021

By All Around the World-1234

Example 1: A person can be matched to 4 siblings, but when clicked on one siblings Shared Matches’s, it doesn’t list the other 3 siblings that are being managed by that one sibling under shared matches but you can see them in the managers profile. Or if you search for them. Example 2: A uncle and niece share a cousin. Both are showing shared 10cm with this person. But when either the uncle or niece click on that shared cousin matches, they don’t see each other as a match. The niece sees not shared matches with the cousin. **Also, please bring back the under 8cm matches. They are very important in helping with researching and connecting. **And we shouldn’t lose information that we have collected and added to our tree, if we can’t afford our membership and have to cancel for a short time. If information is found while on a paid membership, that information should be able to be kept in the tree. Thank you!! more
Membership account access Aug 1, 2018

By SweetButterflyGarden

Before I start on a rant, I would like to say that this app is really good as a starting point in researching your history. Now with that being said I find it difficult to understand y it is so hard to find info on someone that you know has a marriage or birth certificate. Very frustrating when said person is a dead beat dad that holds the key to half of your DNA. And knowing he has other children out there, that can’t be found! Anyway, off topic.... I did a 7 day trail, and was billed on the following day... less than 24 hours and then when my research took to out of the country, I was charged .99 supposedly for said records but was charged the following day for the World package.... so I now have a month of Ancestry to help me on this journey but, I find every time I find something out of the US, I’m being charged more money. Help me to understand what my 2 monthly memberships paid for! more
Ancestry DNA is Whack!!!!!!!!! Jan 10, 2019

By Seller723

I activated my kit on 11/15 and they started to process it on 11/28. Tell me why have I gotten two different dates on when my results would be ready and they still not ready!!!!!!! Here we are in January and my second date for results were on January 5th........No results. I’m beginning to think they lost my test. Everyone else who has submitted their test that lives around me has gotten their results within two weeks. I asked for a refund and the supervisor was like, “I will give you one month free of ancestry...wait where is it?” I told her, “Yeah I just cancelled that monthly subscription! Why have a tree and I have no one to compare it to????” I’m so disappointed and wish I would have given my money to 23 and Me!!! Update: coincidentally I got my results today, the same day I posted the above review. Ugh. I’m not even excited now! I will give 2 additional stars. That’s it. more
DNA Sep 28, 2020

By Chelojelo

The tree feature is awesome, and the hints are alright, but I am disappointed in the DNA results, and can’t help thinking the results are dependent on who’s interpreting them. When my aunt first took the test, a small amount of Native American showed up, which was consistent with her family tree, and matched many relatives’ results, then was taken away with the previous update. But yet the tiny amount of african percentage remained. Why was the 1% of NA removed, but not the african? The two were the same amount in the first test results. Actually, the NA was situated above the african. Seems odd that if one was going to be removed, it would be the NA. But yet relatives still show their 1% NA, it wasn’t taken away from them. I was hoping to see it corrected in this latest update, but no. I have mulled it over for awhile, and just cannot get past what a big let down the Dna turned out to be. more
Problems with update Jan 18, 2020

By bskvjs

I have not been able to access Ancestry since this update. I try to go in but the only thing that opens is a screen wanting me to set up a new tree. If I open AncestryDNA I can access my tree, but it is an all version and runs very slow. Thank you for your response. I don’t know why but it working now, after trying it numerous times I can again access my tree through Ancestry. Before I could only access it by going into AncestryDNA and when I would access the tree from there, it was an older version and ran very slow. I only gave it a 3 star rating since I have not had a chance to use it since I have able to finally access it. I have been using Ancestry for many years and have never had a problem before. I have my problems but they are due to my lack of knowledge on how to use some of the features. Thank you more
Aggravated with the mobile apps Sep 7, 2021

By Sharonscribe

I’m getting very tired of the aggravation using the mobile apps. On the IPad, it crashes while in the middle of trying to enter information. When I try to look at hints form the Home Screen, if it’s a hint with an attachment , I can’t get the attachment to come up. If I look at my matches, I get a message constantly that there is a loading error when I try to look at shared matches. When I look at my family tree on my iPhone and click on the search icon, I get pages of people with no names and hints before I get to the A section. I think these must be people I’ve added on my iPad that aren’t getting across to my iPhone app for some reason. I seem to be missing people I could swear I’ve added. If I have to keep track manually, what is the use of the program? more
Still Needs Work Oct 28, 2020

By Dee2R

There needs to be better synchronization between the online tree and the app. When I make a change or add new info on either, I expect to see it right away on the other. Generally, online you do, but the app lags. The app crashes too often. I hate that you cannot download documents from the app. I am a genealogist and I work between my laptop and tablet constantly. I need to be able to save docs from the app to my OneDrive or Dropbox. Also, if you choose a “potential ancestor”, the sources don’t come with it and you have to spend hours trying to find them all again. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!!! I also hate the search feature on this app. It doesn’t have enough flexibility and the results are too broad, and there’s no ability to delete outlier results. more

See all 3 reviews

Website is better, all access membership isn’t worth it! Aug 25, 2021

By HazeltheBasil

I love ancestry, the things i’ve discovered are an amazing gift to my family. That said, the app version leaves much to be desired. The website allows you to connect with other members, view their profiles and trees (member trees are the most helpful feature on Ancestry), and send pictures. That only scratches the surface when it comes to all the goodness you’re missing out on if you use the app over the website. Additionally, the app glitches. If you delete someone on the tree it will reload you back to your home person, and often when you try to accept hints it will save the wrong one (or save one multiple times. As for the membership, while expensive they are worth it. I do think that the first or second are the best (though depending on which part of the world you want the international records from it might not help). I find that FamilySearch works better for international records, and Ancestry works best for US records. All access is basically a scam. All the newspaper article you want to look at (i truly mean ALL of the ones for my relatives) are behind another paywall. additionally the Fold3 records are largely already available on the ancestry website (draft cards, hospital admissions etc). Keep your 1st-2nd tier ancestry membership then get the higher level newspaper membership separately. more
Aug 30, 2021

By Amanda Stanoch

Most recent update broke the app. It opens up with a blank page that says select a tree, an arrow to go back, and a plus sign in the lower right corner. If I hit any of them, the app automatically closes. Useless!
Broken app on my IPad/IPhone and tech support not helping Jul 13, 2020

By Phaedo5555

The app has that runs on the IPad/IPhone has a bug that has yet to be fixed after trying for years. This Was my favorite app until this bug occurred. The problem is that, although I have a paid membership, which allows me to see and save hints, it no longer works on IPad/IPhone, and shows I’m merely a Guest user, instead of the owner of the tree with a membership license. Still works OK through browsers, but that interface is designed to be used with a mouse and most of the screens are too crowded/busy. I’ve contacted support/customer service/tech support numerous times; sent screenshots, allowed them to sign in to my account; but none of that provided them with a clue as to how to fix it. So, I’m back to the Free version, and will add information the hard way, until I find another app that works. more

See all 2 reviews

Sep 2, 2021

By Lucy Mockalis

Very Very, Slow and deleted my progress! I uninstalled due to browser version was faster and has the option for you to edit information. And then I realized that all the relationships and people I added to my tree in the app were suddenly gone! I spent a whole day just entering information I am so frustrated right now! more
Aug 27, 2021

By Rachel Bishop

Will not let me upload a photo from my phone to the gallery. Tried several times and reported the problem, done an update. Still no better. Frustrating when I'm paying for premium and can't do a basic function. Will not renew
Great… while it lasted. Aug 22, 2021

By Katisdabestbyunokataroni

I had a free trial of world explorer, and it was great! I could access every record i clicked on, except ones that lead to a payed external site. I loved it so much, that i bought a subscription a month later. First day in. At the beginning of the day i could access records no problem. Then it started to say i needed to pay for us discovery. I looked at the website, and according to the purchase page world explorer is supposed to have everything us discovery has, and more! Sometimes i would get a message telling me that a document wasn’t “included in my membership “ despite it being an international or us document. I also am not able to search for family trees, even though it is included. When i tried to see if i could upgrade to all access, i was “ineligible”. Customer service told me that i needed to cancel my membership to purchase it, but I shouldn’t have to pay double to access what was advertised as being included in my plan. I am extremely disappointed, and will be looking into getting a refund. Not cool, Ancestry. I used Family Search previously, and will continue to do so. EDIT: i just remembered a bizarre glitch that caused women in my family tree to be married to each other, even though they didn’t even know one another. Deleting the relationship multiple times did not work, and was only solved by deleting one of them. This has happened at least 3 times. more
Sep 15, 2021

By deb burris

Very frustrating. The app (wifi & phone service) AND the website freeze up 3-4 days per week. Customers should get a refund for days we can't use. There's no excuse, considering how much we pay for this.
Sep 6, 2021

By Flávia Patterson

Rip off. They charge for the "free" period. And the invoice was sent 2 o'clock morning in the day I had to cancel. Spent money for nothing , zero information for my tree except what I had already put on Family Search and My Heritage. Be more honest. more
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. more
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. more
Aug 25, 2021

By Nic H

Bad Bad Bad! Used to be able to add information to your tree, now they want you to pay to even do that!! Subscriptions cost is way too high for free information found on the web...which you don't get to keep once you end your subscription. Free Trial is glitchy at best...most hints are just the same hint just from different websites. This company will go under if they dont fix their issues. more
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!!! more
Won’t remember my login and password! Jan 22, 2021

By Jj5365

Why do I have to login every time I use this app? Didn’t used to require that. Users need to be able to decide if they can stay logged in or not! Finally allowed users to choose their background and that helps, but the look and feel of the app is still off compared with the browser version. Default graphics are cartoonish and amateur hour garbage. Why can I not collapse a level in my tree anymore? Discoveries tab still a confusing mess of unwanted fluff that takes way too long to load. Still would like DNA information in its own section like the web version. Really dislike change for change’s sake because you always break something, make it worse, and make serious genealogical research into eye-candy fluff. Let’s get some serious genealogists on board to critique this app, get rid of the fluff and eye-candy, and get some professional quality back into this app. Also, while you are at it, how about radically reducing your subscription rates so most people can actually stay subscribed for the long haul? You charge too much for providing access to public records. These are PUBLIC records and should be free to all. We know you have access to all the data created by familysearch volunteers. Anything they provide for free should be free on your site as well. As I’ve said before, be courageous and drop your subscription prices. If you do, more people will stay subscribed over the long haul and your bottom line would be much healthier. more

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