Ancestry: Family History & DNA icon
Ancestry: Family History & DNA App Review

by Ancestry.com

4.8
IOSReference
Comprehensive genealogy platform enabling users to trace family lineages through historical records, DNA analysis, and collaborative family trees. Targets amateur genealogists and individuals exploring heritage.

Detailed Review

Ancestry: Family History & DNA represents the mobile extension of Ancestry.com's industry-leading genealogy platform, delivering robust family history research capabilities to iOS devices. The application maintains the company's market position as the largest consumer genealogical service, integrating DNA analysis with traditional archival research methods in a portable format. The core functionality centers around three interconnected systems: an interactive family tree builder with collaborative editing features, a searchable database containing over 30 billion historical records, and DNA ethnicity estimates with matching relative identification. Users can upload photographs, attach source documents to individual profiles, and receive automated hints based on record correlations. The DNA integration component provides regional breakdowns with percentage estimates and identifies potential relatives through shared genetic markers, though this requires separate DNA test purchase. Interface design employs a clean, intuitive navigation system with tab-based organization separating tree view, DNA results, search functions, and user notifications. The mobile experience optimizes touch interactions for browsing historical documents and adding tree members, though complex research tasks remain better suited to desktop platforms. Real-world usage patterns show peak engagement during family gatherings and holiday periods, with users frequently accessing the app to share discoveries with relatives in real-time. User feedback consistently highlights emotional discoveries and unexpected familial connections, as exemplified by Joy to you and me's August 26, 2025 review noting 'discover[ing] my heritage links back to the Mayflower' and ravramrad's August 28, 2025 observation about finding 'relatives that you never knew about.' The 4.78-star rating reflects widespread satisfaction with discovery capabilities, though some professional genealogists note limitations in source verification tools. The application excels at making genealogical research accessible to beginners through automated record matching and visual family tree presentation. However, serious researchers may find mobile functionality limited compared to desktop version capabilities, and the subscription model represents an ongoing financial commitment. Ideal for casual family historians seeking to build basic family trees or DNA test recipients exploring genetic connections.

Key Features

  • Interactive family tree builder with collaborative editing allows multiple users to contribute simultaneously to growing familial databases
  • DNA ethnicity estimates and relative matching identifies genetic connections through proprietary algorithm analysis of user-submitted samples
  • Historical record database access provides searchable census, military, immigration and vital records spanning multiple centuries
  • Automated hint system suggests potential record matches and family connections using pattern recognition technology
  • Photo and story uploading enables multimedia preservation of family histories with cloud storage synchronization
  • Mobile document scanning functionality allows users to digitize and attach physical family documents directly through device camera

Why Users Love It

Extensive historical database
Intuitive mobile interface

Perfect for: Amateur genealogists and DNA test recipients exploring family history

Screenshots

Ancestry: Family History & DNA screenshot 1Ancestry: Family History & DNA screenshot 2Ancestry: Family History & DNA screenshot 3Ancestry: Family History & DNA screenshot 4Ancestry: Family History & DNA screenshot 5Ancestry: Family History & DNA screenshot 6

Ranking History

Track Ancestry: Family History & DNA's performance in Reference over the last 30 days

Top 5
Top 10
Top 15
Below 15

Current Rank

#8

+15 from last week

Best Rank

#8

All-time high

Average Rank

#21

30-day average

User Reviews

Noluvvax
Sep 23, 2025

Found everything I wanted to kno and learnt some didn’t I didn’t wanna know😭 Idk Found everything I wanted to kno and learnt some didn’t I didn’t wanna know😭

Julia Elyse Teter Jones
Sep 27, 2025

Highly recommend. This is how I found my last name. I actually do as many genetic DNA tests as possible and all link to each other as different DNA tests measure different SNP’s so it’s worth doing them all. Sometimes they offer DNA kits in sale for each company. www.mytrueancestry.com found the Romanov last name as test royalty genes by bones and MyHeritage found my mother’s last name change from Romanov into another and Tzar’s real name when he changed it, but ancestry.com specifically found over 300 last name changes. Then ADNTRO DNA found a lot more royalty it is an APP and livingdna.com found dad’s Spanish Haplogroup and French Guiana at the same time across the globe which made me believe I am related to Christopher Columbus. I had everybody pray that I am related to Christopher Columbus and when I found Wladislow 3 at ADNTRO found a Spanish Historian saw that Christopher Columbus wore the same jacket as Wladislow 3. Genomelink confirmed information from ADNTRO about Cheddar Man. Sequencing.com found Napolean Bonaparte, Cheddar Man, David Attenborough, and Nelson Mandela. I am related to each president through R1B. I also found geneu.xyz and the haplogroups by picture correlate with ADNTRO haplogroups globe that dates to Africa beginnings. National Geographic said all were once black by DNA! Founding Father’s Alexander Hamilton’s Relative via R1B - Queen of Russia the Royal Romanov Highly recommend. This is how I found my last name. I actually do as many genetic DNA tests as possible and all link to each other as different DNA tests measure different SNP’s so it’s worth doing them all. Sometimes they offer DNA kits in sale for each company. www.mytrueancestry.com found the Romanov last name as test royalty genes by bones and MyHeritage found my mother’s last name change from Romanov into another and Tzar’s real name when he changed it, but ancestry.com specifically found over 300 last name changes. Then ADNTRO DNA found a lot more royalty it is an APP and livingdna.com found dad’s Spanish Haplogroup and French Guiana at the same time across the globe which made me believe I am related to Christopher Columbus. I had everybody pray that I am related to Christopher Columbus and when I found Wladislow 3 at ADNTRO found a Spanish Historian saw that Christopher Columbus wore the same jacket as Wladislow 3. Genomelink confirmed information from ADNTRO about Cheddar Man. Sequencing.com found Napolean Bonaparte, Cheddar Man, David Attenborough, and Nelson Mandela. I am related to each president through R1B. I also found geneu.xyz and the haplogroups by picture correlate with ADNTRO haplogroups globe that dates to Africa beginnings. National Geographic said all were once black by DNA!

Sgbjud
Sep 15, 2025

I rated five star to make sure everyone seen that this app robbed you if you download this and pay for it expect to pay for it for the rest of your life because if not, they will charge you when you cancel it I recommend to everyone to never download this app again Thieves I rated five star to make sure everyone seen that this app robbed you if you download this and pay for it expect to pay for it for the rest of your life because if not, they will charge you when you cancel it I recommend to everyone to never download this app again

1943MAM
Sep 28, 2025

I began my family tree search in 1986 after birth of 1st child on floppy disks. I paid the $300 for 2 years to keep my tree active here. Thankful the LDS church made a deal with this app. I do most of my research here then transfer only basic info to family search. This way I can explore each generation w/o doing temple work that is outside my direct line but can discover more info on total families. Met some 3rd cousins & learned more to uphold the discoveries that are in direct line to my family. Love the yearbook & local small town newspapers too. Thank you LDS church for bringing this service to our benefit. Prelude to Family Search I began my family tree search in 1986 after birth of 1st child on floppy disks. I paid the $300 for 2 years to keep my tree active here. Thankful the LDS church made a deal with this app. I do most of my research here then transfer only basic info to family search. This way I can explore each generation w/o doing temple work that is outside my direct line but can discover more info on total families. Met some 3rd cousins & learned more to uphold the discoveries that are in direct line to my family. Love the yearbook & local small town newspapers too.Thank you LDS church for bringing this service to our benefit.

BeautyxGorgeous
Sep 29, 2025

The thing about Ancestry DNA and I heard a middle school teacher talk about this is that “families take all you got even the house” really they want to be around you but think they are so high of a race they can borrow your things or scheme against you in an NPD (research on Pinterest) way. My life has always been like this. I just pray about it. We have been safe since 2019 when I took the test because of a psychiatrist. I hope Ancestry DNA wants to be Coco Banane Angels to kin. The thing about Ancestry DNA and I heard a middle school teacher talk about this is that “families take all you got even the house” really they want to be around you but think they are so high of a race they can borrow your things or scheme against you in an NPD (research on Pinterest) way. My life has always been like this. I just pray about it. We have been safe since 2019 when I took the test because of a psychiatrist.

App Details

Developer

Ancestry.com

Platform

ios

Rating

4.8

Last Updated

10/7/2025