Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Ancestry just rolled out several significant updates, and I sat down with Crista to walk through all of them.
Here's what we cover:
- Fold3's 2.4 million Revolutionary War pension images are now full-text searchable thanks to handwriting recognition. That means you can search for any name mentioned in a pension, not just the pensioner.
- Ancestry is now pushing roughly 5 million additional record images, including probate files, through the same full-text search pipeline.
- The new Photo Insights feature uses AI to analyze photos and documents in your gallery, estimating date ranges, locations, and historical context.
- Full document transcription is available for anything you upload to Ancestry.
- Ancestry Preserve lets you ship a box of physical photos, slides, film reels, and documents to be digitized and automatically added to your tree.
- 90 new US DNA Journeys have been added, focused on migration patterns within the United States.
- A redesign of the person profile page and the hints review workflow is coming soon.
Subscriptions: Fold3 records require a Fold3 subscription or Ancestry All Access. Most other features require an Ancestry subscription.
If you have old photos you can't identify or paper records buried in boxes, several of these updates are worth knowing about.
❤️ JOIN the GENEALOGY TV ACADEMY
genealogytv.org/product/genealogy-tv-academy-membership-month-or-annual-option
📝 FOUR WAYS to ACCESS HANDOUTS!
📝 1) Genealogy TV Academy members get access to all lessons and handouts since 2022.
genealogytv.org/academy
📝 2) CHANNEL MEMBER ($9.99/month) for access to all handouts.
youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join
Handouts are on the Community tab: youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/community
📝 3) PURCHASE HANDOUTS individually ($5 and up) at genealogytv.org/handouts/.
📝 4) PATRON ($15+/month) for early video access and handouts via email.
patreon.com/GenealogyTV
❤️ SUPPORT Genealogy TV by becoming a CHANNEL MEMBER for exclusive perks!
youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join
❤️ Patreon Membership – Early videos and handouts emailed as they are released.
patreon.com/GenealogyTV
✅ VISIT Genealogy TV WEBSITE for more genealogy and family history resources:
genealogytv.org
✅ GENEALOGY TV on FACEBOOK:
facebook.com/Genealogytv
✅ SIGN UP for GTV’s GENEALOGY NEWSLETTER:
https://mailchi.mp/a0862c6473aa/genealogytvnewsletter
👉 SUBSCRIBE to GENEALOGY TV for free family history videos:
youtube.com/channel/UCcvpi8XvOScBogIxmarmADw/Subscribe
*** GENEALOGY TV AFFILIATE PARTNERS ***
🛍️ GENEALOGY TV AMAZON STORE full of genealogy tools:
amazon.com/shop/genealogytv
👉🏻 Ancestry Subscription - US click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1347376.8&type=1&subid=0
👉🏻 Ancestry ProTools – US (Add-on to existing subscription) click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1347376.204&type=3&subid=0
🧬 Ancestry DNA - US click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1347376.2&type=3&subid=0
👉🏻 Ancestry Subscription - Australia - click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348285.9&type=3&subid=0
🧬 Ancestry DNA - Australia - click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348285.6&type=1&subid=0
👉🏻 Ancestry Subscription - UK click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348222.9&type=1&subid=0
🧬 Ancestry DNA - UK click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348222.8&type=1&subid=0
Genealogy TV is your #1 resource for genealogy and family history research, providing expert tips on building your family tree, organizing DNA matches, and solving genealogy mysteries. Learn how to research family history records on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, FindMyPast.com, FamilyTreeDNA, and 23andMe.
Learn how to research records on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, FindMyPast.com, and more.
#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #DNAResearch
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:23 - Search Revolutionary War pensions on Fold3
1:12 - Access Fold3 records: subscription options
1:52 - Expand full-text search to more Ancestry records
2:42 - Handle record growth with the Ideas button
4:08 - Use Photo Insights to date and contextualize photos
7:07 - Transcribe documents on Ancestry
7:49 - Date old photos using photographer information
8:42 - Digitize family items with Ancestry Preserve
11:17 - Prepare for the hints review and profile page redesign
14:06 - Explore 90 new US DNA journeys
Music Credit:
Circus Waltz - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ancestry just rolled out several significant updates, and I sat down with Crista to walk through all of them.
Here's what we cover:
- Fold3's 2.4 million Revolutionary War pension images are now full-text searchable thanks to handwriting recognition. That means you can search for any name mentioned in a pension, not just the pensioner.
- Ancestry is now pushing roughly 5 million additional record images, including probate files, through the same full-text search pipeline.
- The new Photo Insights feature uses AI to analyze photos and documents in your gallery, estimating date ranges, locations, and historical context.
- Full document transcription is available for anything you upload to Ancestry.
- Ancestry Preserve lets you ship a box of physical photos, slides, film reels, and documents to be digitized and automatically added to your tree.
- 90 new US DNA Journeys have been added, focused on migration patterns within the United States.
- A redesign of the person profile page and the hints review workflow is coming soon.
Subscriptions: Fold3 records require a Fold3 subscription or Ancestry All Access. Most other features require an Ancestry subscription.
If you have old photos you can't identify or paper records buried in boxes, several of these updates are worth knowing about.
❤️ JOIN the GENEALOGY TV ACADEMY
genealogytv.org/product/genealogy-tv-academy-membership-month-or-annual-option
📝 FOUR WAYS to ACCESS HANDOUTS!
📝 1) Genealogy TV Academy members get access to all lessons and handouts since 2022.
genealogytv.org/academy
📝 2) CHANNEL MEMBER ($9.99/month) for access to all handouts.
youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join
Handouts are on the Community tab: youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/community
📝 3) PURCHASE HANDOUTS individually ($5 and up) at genealogytv.org/handouts/.
📝 4) PATRON ($15+/month) for early video access and handouts via email.
patreon.com/GenealogyTV
❤️ SUPPORT Genealogy TV by becoming a CHANNEL MEMBER for exclusive perks!
youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join
❤️ Patreon Membership – Early videos and handouts emailed as they are released.
patreon.com/GenealogyTV
✅ VISIT Genealogy TV WEBSITE for more genealogy and family history resources:
genealogytv.org
✅ GENEALOGY TV on FACEBOOK:
facebook.com/Genealogytv
✅ SIGN UP for GTV’s GENEALOGY NEWSLETTER:
https://mailchi.mp/a0862c6473aa/genealogytvnewsletter
👉 SUBSCRIBE to GENEALOGY TV for free family history videos:
youtube.com/channel/UCcvpi8XvOScBogIxmarmADw/Subscribe
*** GENEALOGY TV AFFILIATE PARTNERS ***
🛍️ GENEALOGY TV AMAZON STORE full of genealogy tools:
amazon.com/shop/genealogytv
👉🏻 Ancestry Subscription - US click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1347376.8&type=1&subid=0
👉🏻 Ancestry ProTools – US (Add-on to existing subscription) click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1347376.204&type=3&subid=0
🧬 Ancestry DNA - US click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1347376.2&type=3&subid=0
👉🏻 Ancestry Subscription - Australia - click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348285.9&type=3&subid=0
🧬 Ancestry DNA - Australia - click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348285.6&type=1&subid=0
👉🏻 Ancestry Subscription - UK click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348222.9&type=1&subid=0
🧬 Ancestry DNA - UK click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h02%2fybBif9I&offerid=1348222.8&type=1&subid=0
Genealogy TV is your #1 resource for genealogy and family history research, providing expert tips on building your family tree, organizing DNA matches, and solving genealogy mysteries. Learn how to research family history records on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, FindMyPast.com, FamilyTreeDNA, and 23andMe.
Learn how to research records on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, FindMyPast.com, and more.
#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #DNAResearch
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:23 - Search Revolutionary War pensions on Fold3
1:12 - Access Fold3 records: subscription options
1:52 - Expand full-text search to more Ancestry records
2:42 - Handle record growth with the Ideas button
4:08 - Use Photo Insights to date and contextualize photos
7:07 - Transcribe documents on Ancestry
7:49 - Date old photos using photographer information
8:42 - Digitize family items with Ancestry Preserve
11:17 - Prepare for the hints review and profile page redesign
14:06 - Explore 90 new US DNA journeys
Music Credit:
Circus Waltz - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
