Facebook is a great tool for genealogy: You can keep in touch with family, share photos and even tap into free apps designed with family historians in mind.
Family history buffs have been flocking to
Facebook recently -- and not just to reconnect with high school buddies or play FarmVille. The popular social media website is actually a great tool for genealogy: You can keep in touch with family, share photos and even tap into free apps designed with family historians in mind. The seven apps highlighted here can help you find resources and family connections. In addition to genealogy-focused options, look for other handy research helps, such as the
WorldCat app for locating items in libraries. As with all Facebook applications, be sure you fully understand what types of personal data an application collects from your account when you install it. See Facebook's
Controlling How You Share page for guidance.
This social networking app from
FamilyBuilder lists 270 million potential relatives.
You can:
- build your family tree
- add photos
- connect with and search for family members
Tip: Be prepared for a plethora of ads -- some of which will appear related to FamilyBuilder, but aren't.
Facebook's first family history game, Family Village is like FarmVille for genealogy.
You can:
- build your family tree
- create an ancestor village and "immigrate" others to it
- invite family members
- learn about your ancestral heritage
Tip: The app is still in development mode, so you may find some glitches. Family Village encourages feedback.
Fold3 brings its popular pages feature to Facebook, letting you create a memorial page for a friend or relative.
You can:
- add photos
- create a timeline
- map locations
- post memories
- share stories
Tip: Before starting a new memorial page, search to see if one already exists.
Tap into a specialized search index listing more than 230,000 resources (about 25 percent are fee-based).
You can:
- discover new resources
- navigate locations
- search keywords and surnames
- suggest other genealogy resources
Tip: Search for your surname on more than 15 websites, including
Ancestry.com 
and Google Books, simultaneously.
Mundia is Ancestry.com's app to locate family and search for ancestors in public trees and message boards on
Ancestry.com .
You can:
- build your family tree
- track family events
- create a photo gallery, tag pictures
- search message boards
- send messages to family members
- view family facts
Tip: Use the Find People function to search 1 billion people in more than 10 million family trees.
This app from family website service
OneFamilyTree has the ability to import a GEDCOM file.
You can:
- build your family tree
- collaborate with family members
- share photos
- track family events
Tip: Check Privacy Settings under the Admin tab to control visibility of your Anniversary Calendar and Family Wall.
FamilyLink's helps you find other relatives on Facebook and share information.
You can:
- build your family tree
- connect with relatives
- create a family "photage" to post on Facebook
Tip: Again, expect a barrage of ads.
From the
July 2011 issue of Family Tree Magazine
More great genealogy resources from
Family Tree Magazine: