How do I add living relatives to a person in Family Tree?

Article Id: 1731
August 10, 2023

Adding living generations connects you to your deceased ancestors. For example, adding your living parents allows you to connect back to your 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 to protect their 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 that the 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 ID by those who created their record.
  • A living individual has a different ID number for every person that adds his or her record to Family 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 provides the 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, and check deceased or living before 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 ID number by clicking Find.

Steps (website)

Landscape, Portrait, Fan Chart, and Descendancy Views

  1. While signed in to FamilySearch.org, click Family Tree, and then click Tree.
  2. Click the name of an immediate family member.
  3. In the details that pop up, click the person's name again.
  4. Click the Details tab.
  5. Scroll to the Family Members section.
  6. Click the appropriate link (Add Spouse, Add Child, or Add Parent).      
  7. Enter information about the individual. Indicate that he or she is living.
  8. Click Next. 
  9. Click Create Person.

First Ancestor View

  1. While signed in to FamilySearch.org, click Family Tree, and then click Tree.
  2. Find the person with living family members you want to add.
  3. 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.
  4. Enter information about the individual. Indicate that he or she is living.
  5. Click Next. 
  6. Click Create Person.

Steps (mobile app)

  1. In the Family Tree mobile app, navigate to the Person page of a family member of the living individual.
  2. Tap the appropriate tab (Spouses for spouses and children or Parents for parents and siblings).
  3. Tap the appropriate link (Add Child, Add Spouse, Add Parent, or Add Sibling).
  4. Enter information about the individual, and then tap Continue.
  5. Indicate that the person is Living.
  6. Enter any birth information, and then tap Continue.
  7. Tap Add or Add This Person.

Steps (Family Tree Lite)

  1. In Family Tree Lite, navigate to the person page of a family member of the living individual.
  2. Click View Family.
  3. Click the appropriate link (Add Spouse, Add Child, Add Parent, or Add Sibling). 
  4. Enter information about the individual. Indicate that he or she is living.
  5. Click Next. 

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?

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