Together by FamilySearch 1.0.6 was released yesterday, for iOS and iPadOS (iPhone/iPad running iOS 16.0 or later), but can be used on an Apple Mac running a Silicon Apple M1 chip or later with macOS 13.0 or later. It’s kind of a social media app for a family – everything is meant to be shared within the family privately.
This version, and 1.0.5 released earlier this month, are focused on bug fixes and improved stability, although 1.0.5 has “onboarding” listed in the changes. It was first released back in February, with several stability and bug fix releases (two in two days, followed by one three weeks later in March) with a bit of elapsed time since the last release.
This is not an app I’ve really looked at, but it’s a unique one, and FamilySearch International has released several unique/niche mobile apps over the years. I’ll let you read the official description and you can decide for yourself:
In a world of mass connectivity and social media, the core needs of genuine connection and identity are lost within the superficial landscape of current platforms — particularly for families. Capture the powerful, impactful experiences of your life and share them privately with your own family members. Create private family groups, share family stories and photos, connect to your ancestors, explore your family stories, and learn from the past to help strengthen the future. Together by FamilySearch is specifically designed to strengthen your family past, present and future. Strengthen family ties with Together by FamilySearch.
I’ll take a more extensive look at this app in the future, but for now, if I had to sum it up based on using it on my Mac, it’s about putting together stories and memories for your family, including prompts for those stories (favorite teachers, what you like to do for fun, etc.).
If I’m being honest, I really like the concept, but while it has genealogical aspects in terms of stories about the past and relatives you remember, etc., to me it has the potential to be something really amazing for future generations, if this data is somehow saved and conveyed to them. How many of us in our 40s and 50s have forgotten various things over the year (including people), and now imagine if our children from an early age had an app they could fill with favorite memories, vacations, friends, etc.
I really hope that FamilySearch International puts a lot more into this going forward and keeps it going forward, and it’s not just some experiment that an intern came up with. Very little of the data could be transferred into a FamilySearch tree, but I feel like this has the potential to be a great little scrapbook/memoir app.
It can be downloaded through Apple’s App Store here (international users should be taken to the proper store):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/together-by-familysearch/id1626322239
Version History:
- Version 1.0.6 – August 8, 2024 – Improved Stability and Fixed Bugs
- Version 1.0.5 – August 1, 2024 – Improved Stability, onboarding, and Fixed Bugs
- Version 1.0.4 – March 19, 2024 – Improved Stability and Fixed Bugs
- Version 1.0.3 – February 29, 2024 – Improved Stability and Fixed Bugs
- Version 1.0.2 – February 28, 2024 – Improved Stability and Fixed Bugs
- Version 1.0.0 – February 27, 2024 – Initial Release
Official Screenshot:
