Family Tree App

1. In the three-bar menu on the left, select Search Records.
2. Fill in the name of the person to search for, or tap ID Number to search by person ID.
3. To include additional information for the search, tap More Options. The following choices are available:
   • Alternate Name—Specify an alternate name or the sex of the person.
   • Add Life Event—Specify birth, marriage, residence. or death information for the search.
   • Add Family Member—Specify a spouse, father, mother, or other person to include in the search.
   • Add Record Options—Select any of Location, Type, Batch Number, Image Group Number or Film Number, or Principal; and
     b) Type the information for each event.
   • Sex—Select Male, Female, or Unspecified.
   • To cancel an event or information item from being included in the search, tap its link again.
4. Select the name from the drop-down list when it appears, and tap Search. For steps on handling search results, see Choice C below.
5. To do research by location,
   a) Select "Place" (upper right of screen);
   b) If desired, tap a "Show All (number)" button to see additional countries; and
   c) Tap Search.
6. To search different types of record collections, tap the three-dot icon (upper right) and select any of these: Genealogies, Catalog, Collections, Books, Image-Only Records, or Full-Text Search.
7. You can also search for records for an individual on his or her Person page. If you have a partner account with Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast, Geneanet or Filae, you can select one of those sites to search in the dialog that appears; otherwise, the search will be done in FamilySearch.

Exercises

1. Use best practices in your record searches.
   
   FS—Wiki: Principles of Family History Research


2. Use these tips and options to increase your success with record searches.
   
   FS—Best Practices and Tips for Searching - 2020
   FS—Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch Historical Records (4 pgs.)


3. For tips on searching unindexed images read this article.
   
   FS—Using "Browse Image" Collections - 2020


4. Learn about browsing all published collections in FamilySearch.
   
   FS—Browsing All Published Collections in Historical Records - 2020

1. The first entry in the search results screen, if available, shows a summary of the Person page for the ancestor, with a link to it. Additional entries in the results show links to records. Tap a link to open the Record Details screen.
2. Record Details has a link to the record image, if available, as well as the Event Type, Event Date, Event Place, and the source citation.
3. Tap "More Options" for more record info and options:
   • Save—Save the source to your Source Box, copy the full record, or print the record.
   • Edit—Review these items from the Person page: Essential Information, Relationships, Events, and Additional Facts. To edit them, based on what you learned from the record image or summary, tap Edit and make the changes.
   • Share—Use the Email or Copy Link options.
   • Document Information (below the record image)
   • Collection Information
   • Similar Records (if available)
4. To examine the record image, if available, tap the image or "View the original document." See also Choice A in Goal 3: Sources and Record Hints.
5. You can tap Attach to Tree (bottom of the screen) to attach the record to your ancestor. For more information, see Choice A in Goal 3: Sources and Record Hints.
6. To refine your current search and try again, in the Search screen tap the pencil icon (upper right), fill out the fields, and tap Search.

Genealogies

1. In the Search menu, tap Genealogies. These are collections of family trees and histories that people have submitted to FamilySearch.
2. Fill in the search fields and tap Search to look for ancestors in Genealogies. You can also tap More Options for additional search fields.
3. To search for a specific tree, scroll down and use the keyword search field. Other record search options include View All Trees, Community Trees, Oral Genealogies, and many others.
4. If you want to submit a family tree (GEDCOM file) to the Genealogies collection,
   a) Click Upload Your Individual Tree;
   b) Click Add GEDCOM;
   d) Navigate to your GEDCOM file and click Upload.

Catalog

1. In the Search menu, tap Catalog. The FamilySearch Catalog offers a vast collection of record images, books, etc.
2. To learn more about the Catalog, tap "Learn How to Use the Catalog" or "See Tips and Resources".
3. Type what you are looking for, such as a Place (default), Keyword, Title, Author, Subject, or Surname. You can also search for a library call number or microfilm number.
4. Select Any to search physical and online items, or Online to search only for online records, and tap Search.
5. To see items available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake, tap Browse the Library Catalog (bottom).

Collections

1. In the Search menu, tap Collections to look for specific record collections to search. You can scroll through the list or enter a collection title.
2. To filter the list of collections, tap Filter (upper left) and select the typs of collections to display.
3. To see more results, use the Results per Page or page number boxes (bottom).
4. To change the sort order of the collections, tap "Collection Title, Records, Last Updated" and select a sort order.

Books

1. In the Search menu, tap Books to explore the FamilySearch Digital Library.
2. Type a keyword to searh for. You can also use the Advanced Search option for additional search fields, or tap View Search Tips for suggestions.
3. Tap Search.
4. To learn more about the Digital Library, scroll down and tap Library Overview.

Image-Only Records

1. In the Search menu, tap Image-Only Records. These are online records that have not yet been indexed, so they cannot be searched by a person's name.
2. Type a place name to look for.
3. To include a life event, date or other information in the search, tap More Options.
4. Tap Search.
5. For tips on working with historical images, read the section at the bottom of the page.

Full-Text Search

1. In the Search menu, tap Full-Text Search. This enables you to search for text inside unindexed historical records.
2. To do a Simple Search, type or speak the text you are looking for. If you are at a FamilySearch center or affiliate library, you can tap "Include limited access content".
3. For more search options, tap Advanced Search and fill in additional search criteria.
4. Tap Search.
5. For help, tap Search Tips (lower right) or scroll down the page to see additional suggestions.
6. Tap Search.
7. Learn more about full-text search in these videos.
   
   FS—What is FamilySearch's Full-Text Search? - 2025
   FS—How To Find Your Ancestors with Full-Text Search - 2026