We live in a mobile world. Most of us are doing more work on our phones and tablets than on our actual desktop computers. That is why it’s more important than ever to get the right mobile apps to make sure you can always do excellent genealogy work when you are on the road. You never know when you will come across a useful record, a newly found headstone of an ancestor, or a previously unknown relative who can give you valuable family history information. Here are the top genealogy apps you need to get on your phone and/or tablet right away. They are a must for the serious genealogy researcher.
1. The Ancestry.com App
(Apple and Android devices, free)
The most well-known subscription genealogy website online has an app to go with it. While you can use it for free, it works best when you attach it to a subscription to Ancestry.com. You can use the app to search through Ancestry.com‘s records while you are on the road or away from home, and even add information to your online family tree with it. With a subscription, you get unlimited downloads of records. If you don’t have a subscription, there is a small fee for each record you download to your device.
2. The Who Do You Think You Are? App
(Apple and Android devices, free)
Who Do You Think You Are? is both a TV show and a magazine in the United States and the UK. Its associated app allows you to access a growing community of genealogy enthusiasts and exchange information about common family lines you may be researching. New genealogists can ask the friendly community for advice and experienced genealogists can answer, and maybe get interesting information in return. You may also connect with people who have family documents and photos they can share with you.
3. The MyHeritage App
(Apple and Android devices, free)
You can create and edit an online family tree directly from this app. One thing that makes it stand out from other genealogy apps is that it allows you to incorporate photos into your tree through the app. You can also use the app to look up records to a limited degree, though MyHeritage does not have as many records available as other genealogy sites and apps. You also have to subscribe to the site to view the full records. You can still see the index to the record search results without a subscription. The app supports 32 languages, which is another advantage because it allows you to connect to newly discovered overseas relatives through its international genealogical community.
4. The FindaGrave.com App
(Apple and Android devices, free)
This app lets you search the vast FindaGrave.com website from your mobile device. You can also use the app to upload photos of headstones you find during your own research and write biographies of the people the stones commemorate if you know anything about them. Transcribing inscriptions from the stones is also possible through the app. You can post requests through the app for local researchers to get photos of your ancestors’ graves that you aren’t able to travel to see in person. If you have an Android device, the BillionGraves.com app does these same things.