Springville company offers free iPhone app for family history fans

r Connecting with ancestors has become a popular hobby for family history enthusiasts. However, many people don’t have the time to spend long hours researching their family tree and may even find it a bit boring. A Utah County company is on a mission to help people make exciting discoveries about their family history in an easy and fun way.

The Family Nexus Company was started last year by David Taylor of Springville. Taylor recently launched the unique iPhone app at the RootsTech conference, held in Salt Lake City in February of this year. The app integrates with a user’s FamilySearch account to automatically plot family history events on an interactive Google map. It engages users with a fun and easy-to-use interface. It also brings family history to the user’s fingertips by sending alerts to their phone when they are near the birth, marriage or burial place of an ancestor.rThe new app has received an enthusiastic response from early users. Sonia Conrad of Lehi said, “Seeing everything on a map like this really changed my perspective of my ancestors. For example, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and didn’t even know I had roots in this area. I am excited to make more discoveries using The Family Nexus app.”rYou don’t have to live near your ancestors or travel to appreciate the app. It also alerts you on the anniversary of significant life events of your ancestors. Amy Taylor shared, “I posted a comment on Facebook after I got an alert of my great-grandpa’s birthday. I mentioned that I wished I had known him. I was so excited later that day to have family members reply and share stories of my great-grandpa. The app really helped me feel closer to my family.”rThe app was designed for people of all ages including both researchers and non-researchers. It is another tool to bring genealogy information to more people and bring the generations together.rApp designer David Taylor said, “My goal is to attract a new generation of enthusiasts to the joys of family history. The app helps you visualize the places where your ancestors were from and helps you make new discoveries about your family.”r“The main idea is to make it easy to learn about your family and your past in the context of geography,” explained Taylor. “Using research that has already been done from your FamilySearch account, you will receive notifications on your phone. It really makes your family information so much more accessible and relevant.”rThe Family Nexus app is free in the App Store. Although it is only for iPhone and iPad, an Android version is planned for release early next year. Additional premium features will also be available in the future as one-time in-app purchases. For more information, visit the company’s website at TheFamilyNexus.com or call 801-602-4917.