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Genealogy Corner… There’s An App For That

Issue 30.14

FamilySearch released a new FamilySearch Tree mobile app on July 15, 2014.  The iOS (app for Apple devices like iPhone and IPad) is now available to the public for free in the Apple Store. You can install it from there.  You will need iOS 7+.

There is also an Android version for smart phones, tablets and so forth that are not Apple devices. The Android app is now available to the public for free in the Google Play Store. You can install it on your Android device from there.  Android 2.3+ is necessary.

To find the app, search for familysearch tree with no spaces in FamilySearch.  There is a bogus app with inappropriate ads called family search by Creas App Inc, so avoid that one. FamilySearch’s legal department is working to get that one taken down. 

This new app is a viewer for the information that you have in Family Tree on https://familysearch.org/tree. It lets you explore your family tree on a mobile device. You can see photos, stories at bedtime, while traveling in the car, at family gatherings, etc. You can quickly view vital conclusions, sources, and relationships about your ancestors as you try to find ways to link ancestors. 

You can even download and store your tree so you can take it with you even without an internet connection. It shows the portrait pedigree and lets you search for people already in Family Tree. It is just a viewer, so you will have to add things using an internet browser. 

For LDS users you can even pull up requests at the temple rather than printing on paper. Another app that was released is called FamilySearch Memories. It is available for iOS 7+ but the Android version is not ready yet. The FamilySearch Memories app makes collecting, preserving, and sharing your favorite family photos, stories, and spoken words easy and convenient wherever you are. You could be the one everyone thanks for saving the most meaningful memories.

You can snap photos of any family moment, like recitals, dates, graduations, reunions and memorials. Take photos of old photos and documents and record audio interviews with family members and enrich written stories with photos. See how much fun preserving your family history can be by checking out the apps today.

For more information, contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com (435)628-4900.

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