Margaret O'Brien 
First, Ancestry gave us centimorgans and segments. Now, they’re showing unweighted shared DNA and the longest segment. What does it all mean, and how can we use this information in our research? This article is an illustrated guide to these genetic genealogy concepts in clear and understandable terms. How to Find Centimorgans and Segments on … Read more
When you purchase a DNA test from Ancestry, your results include a list of genetic relatives and a breakdown of your Ancestry ethnicity estimates. I won’t get too caught up with terminology in this article. Just be aware that there are many definitions of “ethnicity”, and many calculations as to the number of ethnic groupings … Read more
If you’re not using the Ancestry Apps for genealogy research on your mobile device, you are missing out on some excellent features. But there are also some clunky parts to avoid. Here is a round-up of the best features you may not know about, and a review of some common problems and work-arounds. Is There … Read more
MyHeritage Smart Matches are automated suggestions that a person in your family tree is also represented in other family trees. You can copy some minor details to the profile of the person in your tree, or you can trigger an import of an entire new branch (which I don’t recommend). Are you feeling overwhelmed by … Read more
The 23andMe family tree feature was introduced in 2019, and is very different from a traditional genealogy tree. What is a 23andMe Family Tree? A 23andMe family tree is a graphical representation of the potential relationships between you and your DNA relatives. If you opt in, 23andMe calculates your genetic tree. If Ancestry’s tree software … Read more
Your Ancestry DNA matches are other people who have tested with Ancestry and share some DNA with you. Ancestry sets a minimum threshold at which it is confident that you share enough DNA to be genetically related. This is a comprehensive guide on how to read, interpret, and use your Ancestry DNA matches to maximum … Read more
Some people find it hard to produce enough spit (saliva) for the DNA test kits from Ancestry or 23andMe. I’ve gathered different suggestions from people who managed to overcome their difficulties in getting enough spit into the vial. One of these may work for you! 1. Massage your Cheeks This is one of the suggestions … Read more
A question keeps popping up on genealogy forums: does Ancestry have a chromosome browser? Ancestry does not have a chromosome browser. You can transfer your Ancestry DNA to MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, or GEDmatch, and use their chromosome browsers instead. This article is a guide to the different ways you can use a third-party chromosome browser on … Read more
This is a step-by-step guide and case study on using the Leeds Method with mostly 4th Cousin DNA Matches on Ancestry. What is the Leeds Method? The Leeds Method is a way of color-coding your DNA matches into ancestral groups without needing family trees to do so. The aim is to discover four clusters of … Read more
Even experienced users of Ancestry.com will learn plenty of new tricks among these Ancestry search tips. We keep each tip short and sweet, but we link to expanded articles with case studies and examples. Some specialist tips apply to specific research scenarios, so bookmark this page for future reference. Let’s go! Ancestry Search Tips – … Read more