Family heritage app: find your origins from your phone
For generations, investigating your family's history has involved moving municipal archives, consulting deteriorated parish records and paying specialized investigators. Today, one family inheritance application Carry out the same work in just a matter of minutes directly from your cell phone.
Digital genealogical platforms combine huge repositories with thousands of millions of historical records - birth certificates, emigration censuses, scanned wills - together with artificial intelligence that automatically links each branch of your family tree. Some are more advanced and offer DNA analysis that identifies your ethnic composition and puts you in contact with biological parents that you have never met.
There is something that might surprise you: in Spain there are approximately $2,000 million in inheritance without complaining according to the Ministry of Justice (2023). In Mexico, Argentina and Colombia the panorama is very similar. If you have never investigated your family heritage, you could be ignoring something that legitimately belongs to you. Below we explain exactly how to proceed.
What is a family inheritance application and what is its usefulness?
One family inheritance application It's a lot more than just a simple genealogical tree on the screen. The current genealogy tools encompass three dimensions that together offer a complete vision of your lineage: digital genealogy, which organizes names, locations and places in a visual structure; genetic herence, which through DNA tests reveals your ethnic composition; and patrimonial inheritance, which helps you detect property or assets that could have legal rights.
The online genealogical sector is within reach $4,400 million USD in 2024 with an annual expansion of 12.3%, according to Grand View Research. A technical element that facilitates moving information between platforms is this format GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication): a standard file that exports your complete tree from one application to another without losing any data. Thanks to this protocol, you are not forced to depend on a single platform.
The best apps to explore your family heritage
Not all genealogical apps share the same approach. The most appropriate selection depends on what you want to obtain: historical records, facial recognition, DNA analysis or simply building your tree without costing anyone. These are the most robust alternatives for Spanish speakers.
Ancestry
The most extensive genealogical repository on the planet, with more than 40,000 million historical records indexed. Its function Shaky Leaf Hints automatically propose documents linked to the personas of your tree, from birth certificates to immigration records. AncestryDNA analysis is purchased separately (~$99 USD). Available in Spanish.
MyHeritage
It brings together more than 50 million users in 42 languages. It is distinguished by Deep Nostalgia, which brings to life old photographs of your ancestors, and for Smart Matches, which links your tree to other users when it detects coincidences. The DNA test starts from ~$69 USD.
FamilySearch
The completely free alternative, administered by the Iglesia SUD. Con 7.6 million records digitized at no cost, it is especially exhaustive for Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Spain. No subscription or credit card required.
23andMe
But 14 million people You will complete your DNA analysis with this platform. Offers precise percentages of ethnic inheritance by region, tracking of maternal and paternal haplogroups, and connection with unknown biological family members through DNA Matches. If your main objective is to confirm your ethnic origin, this is the most recommended option.
How do you start exploring your family heritage step by step?
Many people after this search are convinced that it is complicated. With any of these platforms you can advance considerably in a single afternoon, even without prior experience.
The starting point is to collect what you have available: names of abuelos and great-great-grandfathers, records and places of birth, and any physical document such as minutes, letters or photographs. Based on this, choose the platform according to your purpose: FamilySearch if you need historical records at no cost; MyHeritage if you prefer a collaborative tree with your family; 23andMe if you want to confirm your ethnic origin with a genetic analysis. Once inside, build the tree starting from the people you know, the application fills in the gaps automatically with suggestions based on historical censuses and parish archives.
Scan even the physical documents you keep: photos, letters, certificates. The platform organizes and associates them with the corresponding family. The final step is to activate collaboration: invite uncles, cousins or brothers to gather information and expand things that you don't know about. A genealogical tree grows much more quickly when several people contribute.
How do you know if you have an inheritance without complaining?
This is where genealogy and succession law intersect in a concrete way. A patrimonial inheritance refers to properties, including bank accounts that a person dies and that legally correspond to their heirs. If you don't complain within established areas, those two years will be transferred to the State.
En Spain, you can consult the Register of Last Volunteers on the portal of the Ministry of Justice: indicate if a deceased person authorizes the will and before you would notice it. En Mexico, el National Register of Will Notices (RENAT) allows free searches through notaries. En Argentina, el Registration of Acts of Ultima Voluntad of the Colegio de Escribanos fulfills the same function. If you locate someone in your tree who died without registered descent, you should consult a lawyer specializing in succession law to assess whether you have any law regarding two intestates.
Are these applications safe with your family data?
This concern is completely valid, especially when it comes to DNA information. Before registering, it is important to understand what treatment your information receives.
Ancestry and MyHeritage allow you to configure your tree in private mode, so that other users cannot see the data of living people. As for genetic tests, 23andMe contractually prohibits the sale of DNA data to insurers, and Ancestry It offers the possibility of deleting the physical sample once processed. In regulatory terms, these platforms are subject to GDPR in Spain and Europe, already the LFPDPPP in Mexico, which establishes minimum protection standards for your personal and biometric data.
Before starting, activate the private mode for living people, disable the use of your data for external investigations if the option exists, and read carefully what it entails giving your informed consent.
Conclusion
Investigating your family heritage had never been so simple. With platforms like FamilySearch (completely free), MyHeritage the Ancestry, you can build your genealogical tree, trace ancestors and, in certain cases, identify patrimonial inheritances that legally correspond to you. The fundamental thing is to start with what you have: a few names and closures are enough for the family inheritance application to take care of the rest.
