MyHeritage DNA uses what’s known as micro array-based autosomal DNA testing which can trace your DNA genome in over 700,000 locations.

There are different ways of testing DNA.

This is a far more powerful way to trace your roots and reveal blood lineages to other countries you weren’t even aware of, including Native American ancestry. For example, GPS Origins costs $99 and allows you to send a sample of your saliva DNA for analysis with results usually delivered to you online in a few months. DNA testing opens-up whole new avenues to explore and has even been used to catch serial killers such as happened to the Golden State Killer.

Some online genealogy services such as go one step further and also offer DNA testing kits.

Check out our guide to the best external hard drive for Mac for the best backup solutions for Macs. If you have a lot of family tree data stored on your Mac, always back it up to an external or online source in case your Mac crashes or dies. A common reason for this is that the developer does not own the rights to the information so a good tip is to download documents such as probate records and wills because when they’re gone from the online database, it’s very difficult to get them back.

Be warned however that occasionally you may find that some family records suddenly disappear from these online databases. They also provide rich information such as major events in your ancestors lives, the percentage of your blood origins from different countries, migration reports etc.

Some Mac genealogy apps automatically link to these online services in order to complete your family tree quickly and accurately.

These databases are invaluable in saving time searching through family records or printed archives of your family history. The LDS Church are more commonly known as Mormons and the reason they maintain such detailed records is because genealogical research is extremely important to Mormons in maintaining their faith and blood lines. FamilySearch is the largest genealogy database in the world and is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but is completely free to use.

is extremely powerful and has access to over 20 billion historical records, although it has more data for European users than those in the USA. There are now powerful online ancestry databases such as FamilySearch and Heredis which can help build your family tree far quicker than having to research things yourself.

Genealogy research is increasingly moving online making it much easier for relatives to find each other and research their past.

Before choosing which app is best for you, there are some important things to be aware of to choose the best genealogy software for your needs.

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