Mobile apps for genealogy

Genealogy Apps for Mobile Devices

April 18, 2015

By Dick Eastman

or

Keep Granny in Your Pocket

Today’s slides are available at:

http://www.eogn.com/handouts/mobileapps

Why Use a Handheld Device for Genealogy?

• Convenience – Carry your information with you at all times

• Compare notes with others at family reunions or at genealogy meetings

• As a backup to your primary computer in case of a hard drive crash or other major catastrophe

• Portable and easily updated – Better than carrying everything in 3-ring binders!

Handheld computers are here to stay:

• 200 million iPads sold in the past four years

• 500 million iPhones sold in less than seven years

• Numbers for Android devices are probably similar

According to Hewlett-Packard Sr. VP, Shane Robison in his keynote address at RootsTech2011:

• 60% of all Internet access worldwide will soon be by people who do not own a “regular” computer.

• That percentage is expected to increase further

Considerations:

• Some of today’s handheld devices store their data internally within the device, while others store data online “in the cloud.”

• Which is better?

• The answer is: “It all depends.”

Considerations:

• Advantages of storing data in the device:– Always available (does not need a network connection)– Fast

• Disadvantages of storing data in the device:– Need to keep multiple copies of your data (desktop,

handheld, and possibly elsewhere)– Difficulties in updating all versions simultaneously– Storage size constraints– Poor security in case the handheld device is lost or

stolen

Considerations:

• Advantages of storing data in the cloud:– One master copy that is easily updated and then is

immediately available on all devices– Highly secure, no privacy concerns if the device is

stolen or lost– Share or keep private as you wish

• Disadvantages of storing data in the cloud:– Requires a working Internet connection– Typically is slower than displaying locally-stored data

Considerations:

• Choice of Operating System:

– Apple iOS (many genealogy apps available)

– Android (several genealogy apps available)

– Blackberry (no genealogy apps available)

– Microsoft Windows Phone and Surface (no genealogy database apps available, except for a cousin finder and a Soundex calculator)

Considerations:

• Read Only?

• or

• Can you update from the handheld? (Very few programs do this)

• My recommendation: Don’t worry about updating from the handheld.

Considerations:

• Size:

– Cell phone?

– 7-inch tablet?

– 10 or 11-inch tablet?

– Laptop (as in HP’s newly-announced Slatebook)

Explanation:

• “Apps” is an abbreviation for “Applications”

• In other words, an “App” is the same thing as a program

• Except that the word “App” usually refers to a program designed to run on a small, handheld device.

Explanation:

• There are too many available handheld genealogy apps to describe all of them in detail in a 60-minute presentation

• I will focus on the more popular apps

Explanation:

• A list of these apps is also available at:

http://www.eogn.com/handouts/mobileapp

Available Apps

• All of the following can be found in the appropriate app store (Google Play, Amazon App Store for Android, Samsung Apps, and others.

Store Data Locally - Android

Family Bee

• robust text-only family tree browser

• view information about families and individuals stored in GEDCOM files

Family Bee

Family Bee

21

• Fast!

• GEDCOM files are stored on an SD card

• 6.83 GBP in the Google Play Store

GedStar Pro Genealogy Viewer

• This app requires the separate purchase of a £6.83 Windows conversion program, which is available with a free trial period from the program’s website.

• The database is stored on your external (or internal) SD card and there are no limits on the number of people or amount of other data. It has been tested on a database of over 40,000 individuals.


• Converts directly from "The Master Genealogist" and "Legacy Family Tree", or from a GEDCOM file.

• Displays all your data including events, notes, sources, repositories, and photos. Some product-specific features are also available, such as the research log or to-do list.


• Not a good program for Macintosh users!






Store Data Locally - iOS

• (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch)

MobileFamilyTree 7

• MobileFamilyTree doesn't require you to own a Mac or PC as it offers just every feature you could wish for in a modern genealogy app.

• Nonetheless, MobileFamilyTree works with MacFamilyTree like clockwork and can be synchronized via iCloud if desired.

MobileFamilyTree 7

• Can be used as a standalone app • MacFamilyTree not required • Full support GEDCOM export and

import• iCloud synchronization • Awesome charts and maps • Integration of FamilySearch, the

world's largest genealogy archive• Take photos or videos directly

from within MobileFamilyTree 7

MobileFamilyTree 7

• Available Charts: • Hourglass Chart• Ancestor Chart• Timeline• Double Ancestor Chart• Statistics Chart• Fan Chart• Relationship Chart• Genogram Chart• Map View• Name Distribution Chart

• Print your charts right from your mobile device

MobileFamilyTree 7

MobileFamilyTree 7

Reunion for iOS

Reunion for iOS

• Works only with Reunion 9 or Reunion 10 installed on your Macintosh.

• You must also have a wireless connection to your Macintosh.

• Stores names, events, facts notes, logs, sources and even images. View, navigate, search, and edit your information on the go. You'll always be ready to add people, document new information, and make corrections to your data.

• Then bring the changes back to your family file on the Macintosh.

Reunion for iOS

Reunion for iOS

Reunion for iOS

Store Data Locally - Android & Apple iOS

Store Data Locally - Android & Apple iOS - RootsMagic



• Viewer only

• Used as a companion to RootsMagic for Windows

• Uses your actual RootsMagic files- no conversion needed

• Easily put your family history files on your device through DropBox (or iTunes for iOS)


• Views:• Pedigree, Family, Descendant, and

Individual Views to quickly explore your family tree

• Browse people by surname and given names

• Search ancestors by name or record number

• View media, notes, and sources for people, families, events, and facts


• Lists:• Source list• To-do lists• Research Logs• Media Lists• Address Book• Repository List• Correspondence List• Place List


• Tools:• Perpetual calendar• Date calculator• Relationship calculator• Soundex calculator



Store Data Locally - Android & Apple iOS - Heredis

Heredis

Heredis

• Works with both Heredis for Windows and Heredis for Macintosh

• Add, delete or modify a person directly from your iPhone, your iPad or iPod Touch.

• Smooth and rapid data entry.• Controls duplicates in real time and will

automatically save your data.• Take the picture with your iPhone or fetch it

from Photos. Add it to your tree. Quickly and easily.

• Look at your trees and share them with your family. Send them by email or print them using the power of AirPrint.

• Write with your voice by dictating to Siri. •

Heredis

Heredis

Heredis

Heredis

Families for Android & iOS

Families is designed to operate in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree for Windows from Millennia Corp. Your Legacy family files can be easily transferred to your iOS or Android device, enabling them to be viewed and edited wherever you are.




Legacy Mobile

Legacy Mobile

Legacy Mobile

Store Data Online - Both Android and Apple iOS

MyHeritage

• A specialized viewer that reads and writes data to a database you keep on www.MyHeritage.com’s web servers

• FREE but requires an account on MyHeritage.com that might be free or extra features available for payment

Store Data Online - MyHeritage

• View and edit your family tree• Add people to your tree and take their photos• Edit profiles, events and relationships easily• Search billions of records on MyHeritage• Easy photo sharing - capture, share and

store family moments• Sync with your family site on

MyHeritage.com• Fun celebrity look-alike feature (no login

required!)

MyHeritage

• Has the best automated matching of any genealogy service I have seen!






Store Data Online - ancestry.com

http://ancestry.com/


• Add and view records, photos and events for each person in your tree

• Hints to help you make new discoveries

• List of everyone in your tree with hints• View high-resolution images of

historical documents• See family members at a glance with

Family or Pedigree tree views• Relationship calculator to see how

you're related to people in your tree• Privacy settings













• The App is FREE

• …but a subscription to Ancestry.com is required (free or paid)


Store Data Online - WikiTree



Genealogy Utilities for Handhelds

• For Apple iOS ONLY





Billion Graves

• Billion Graves• Android and Apple iOS

Billion Graves

Billion Graves

Billion Graves

Billion Graves

Shoebox by 1000Memories.com

Acquired by ancestry.com



• Scan your old paper photos and share them

with family and friends.

• FREE


Genealogy Relationship Decoder


Software is dead. Long live apps.

Any Questions?

Today’s slides are available at:

http://www.eogn.com/handouts/mobileapps

Technology

Mobile apps for genealogy