Adding living generations connects youto your deceased ancestors. For example, adding your living parents allows you to connect back toyour deceased grandparents.
Including these generations can also add personal meaning if you decide that you want to print your discoveries and share them with living family members.
How living persons are stored and accessed in family Tree
- FamilySearch restricts access to records of living people toprotecttheir privacy. They are visible only to the users who entered them.
- Only you will be able to see the records of the living people you add, but keep in mind thatthe memories attached to them are potentially viewable by anyone, whether or not they are registered users.
- Living individuals cannot be searched by name in Family Tree.
- Living individuals can be searched by ID number, but only by those who created their record.
- Relationships between living people can be added by IDby those who created their record.
- A living individual has a differentID numberfor every person that adds his or her record toFamily Tree.This allows work to be done on records while still maintaining privacy. These duplicate records can be merged once someone reports the individual as deceased and providesthe appropriate documentation.
General add instructions
For a new person, you must enter at least a first or last name,indicate the sex of the person, andcheckdeceasedorlivingbefore you can continue the add process.
If a person already exists in the system, and you are the person who created the record, you can find him or her by IDnumber by clickingFind.
Steps (website)
Landscape, Portrait, Fan Chart, and Descendancy Views
- While signed in toFamilySearch.org, clickFamily Tree, and then click Tree.
- Click the name of an immediate family member.
- In the details that pop up, click the person's name again.
- Click theDetails tab.
- Scroll to the Family Members section.
- Click the appropriate link (Add Spouse,Add Child, orAdd Parent).
- Enter information about the individual. Indicate that he or she is living.
- ClickNext.
- ClickCreate Person.
First Ancestor View
- While signed in toFamilySearch.org, clickFamily Tree, and then click Tree.
- Find the person with living family members you want to add.
- Above the person's picture, click the + icon:
- To add a child, click Add Child.
- To add a spouse, click Add Spouse.
- To add a parent, click Add Parent.
- Enter information about the individual. Indicate that he or she is living.
- ClickNext.
- ClickCreate Person.
Steps (mobile app)
- In the Family Tree mobile app, navigate to the Person page of a family member of the living individual.
- Tap the appropriate tab (Spousesfor spouses and children orParentsfor parents and siblings).
- Tap the appropriate link (Add Child,Add Spouse,Add Parent, orAdd Sibling).
- Enter information about the individual, and then tapContinue.
- Indicate that the person isLiving.
- Enter any birth information, and then tap Continue.
- Tap Addor Add This Person.
Steps (Family Tree Lite)
- In Family Tree Lite, navigate to the person page of a family member of the living individual.
- ClickView Family.
- Click the appropriate link (Add Spouse,Add Child,Add Parent,or Add Sibling).
- Enter information about the individual. Indicate that he or she isliving.
- ClickNext.
Related articles
FamilySearch Privacy Notice
Can I add memories about my living relatives to Family Tree?
How does Family Tree protect the privacy of living people?
Who can see my living relatives in Family Tree?
How do I change the status from deceased to living in Family Tree?
How do I merge possible duplicates in Family Tree?