Not too long ago, genealogists had to crawl through cold, dark archives and musty libraries. Computers came along to ease searches after that, but it’s hard to sit at a desktop for hours on end, too. Now, with tablets and mobile phones, you can build and research your family tree anywhere! Search while sitting in the sun, on the go, or from the comfort of your couch. These great family history apps will help you maximize your searches, store information, and share stories with your family.

Free Apps

Ancestry

With Ancestry’s free app, you can carry your family tree with you wherever you go! Whether you’ve been building it for a while or are just getting started, you can update and edit your family records at home or while traveling.

Find a Grave

The mobile version of the free site. You can use this to search for graves and dates, as well as add photos of headstones and transcriptions. Also, you can use this app to request for local volunteers to search for a specific headstone in a cemetery. This is useful if your ancestors are from another continent and you aren’t visiting anytime soon.

OneNote

Microsoft OneNote lets you create lists, notes, and memos all in one place! You won’t even be limited by typing–OneNote allows you to draw or hand write in the app for the most flexibility possible. You can also take photos, clip from online articles, and record audio. On top of that, you can share your findings with relatives and sync with all your devices. What better way to keep your genealogy all in one shareable place?

Historypin

Using old family photographs, you can pin images to an interactive map to see what life was like in the past. Museums and archives also update this map with thousands of images, letting you search by time and place. With Historypin, you can see where your ancestors lived and worked, and what it looks like today.

Who Do You Think You Are?

The popular show Who Do You Think You Are? isn’t just for celebrities’ genealogies anymore. This app provides access to a growing genealogy forum. Here, newbies and experienced researchers can meet and ask for pointers or share advice. You can also pick up records and certificates here to fill out your family tree.

Paid Apps

This Day in My Family History

If you’ve ever wanted to bring your family history a little closer to you, this app can do that! This fun, simple app shows all the events that happened on a particular day in your history. You can keep up-to-date on important family events, and get that little nudge of inspiration to pick it back up if you’ve set your genealogy aside. The app will even remind you to “do some family history” if you have no event on a particular day!

This app is just $.99, and works with both Android and iOS.

HistoryLines

With this app, you can learn in detail what your ancestors’ lives would have been like based on where and when they lived. You’ll be able to learn more about your ancestors than just a name and a date. Plus, this could provide valuable insight into filling out your family tree based on context!

You can purchase this app for $9.99 a month or $59 a year on the HistoryLines website.

StoryWorth

Winner of the People’s Choice Award and the First Place Judge’s Prize at the 2015 RootsTech Innovator Challenge, StoryWorth lets you sign up with your whole family. Each week, you receive questions about your life that you can then answer and emailed out to your family. This is a great way for living family members to share unique stories. Family history, after all, isn’t just in the past: it’s happening right now!

Membership is $6.49 a month per family, and can be found on the StoryWorth website.