AncestryDNA’s New Match Feature Is a Game Changer!

Ancestry just released a new DNA feature that will transform your genetic genealogy research. Check out what it is and how it can help you!

#genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry

📙 Amy's book "31 Days to Better Genealogy" is available on Amazon:
(Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

[CarolynMcPherson-rz]

I've been an ancestry subscriber for over 20 years and, yes, I've had some complaints, but I guess what aggravates me the most is the addition of new features and new charges. The cost of your service is plenty. But now paying extra for military records and newspapers and this matches thing, I'm beginning to feel nickeled and dimed to death.

[LindaSchreiber]

Love the pro tools! I have been able to id a good number of matches with only initials and no trees by seeing that whoa - these 3 are siblings, and I already know how their uncle fits in....
Etc, etc.
So many useful features!!

[kathrynludrick]

Pro Tools shared matches is awesome. I've been able to identify and/or confirm relationships bc of it. Plus, it expands tree availability.

[brownbunny]

You're an angel! I just got Pro Tools, and I couldn't figure out how to get to the "Matches of Matches" feature. Your video was very helpful! Thank you!

[sues_creative_journey]

I am really sick of the upselling to get enhancements that should be included in your membership.

[luannmaki]

If the cost goes up again this year, I won't be able to afford it. So sad because I love doing this.

[jgmackenz]

While I am intrigued by the new feature, I am really not sure I would get pro-tools even if ever becomes available up here in the Great White North (🇨🇦) as I would seem to me to be something that should be a part of the subscription in the first place.

[networkg]

Disappointed to see this is pro tools only. It is a nice feature, but 120 bucks every year is too much right now for pro.

[michaelwhalan]

Australia has it, too. The first thing I found out was when the home person on the attached to DNA test kit public family tree is not the tester.

[The_Prenna]

I stopped using Ancestry once they started locking down more and more stuff behind paywalls

[michaelrife]

One point people are not making is this gives one the impression that the three matches have the same Most Recent Common Ancestors (MRCA). The MRCA between you and your match may be a different person than the MRCA between your match and your shared match. People tend to assume that the two MRCAs are the same person. They may or may not be.

In other words the shared segments may not be the same between you and your match and you and your shared match!!

[ConcettaPhillipps]

I've mainly found it to be useful for more recent matches, where it identifies family members taking tests. I can then take that information and do traditional genealogy to make the match. I had a couple stubborn mysteries in one of my lines - turns out they were father/daughter and social media for the verification win so that I could connect them.
I would love to see a use case for farther back matches. Folks on my dad's line I can kind of see are related to his great grandmother, but I also see matches related to his great grandfather, so its a mess. I may be dealing with more complicated DNA than I originally thought on that line.

[Tiberius]

I have been sent DNA matches for years. I have yet to find a realistic match to my family. So why should I pay extra for something which should be included in what I paid for?

[bobbytwokills]

Great vid as per.
Just a heads up that the UK release was yday, 24th June

[marystilwell]

I get the same thing on 23&Me and I do not have to pay for it.

[ebonyhanes]

I don't know my dad relatives. Hope this will be helpful in identifying the family groupings and extend my tree

[glenjones]

For months we've been told about free 'features' that encourage collaboration but pro tools does the exact opposite. If just 1% of 25 million dna testers pay for it each month that's $2.5 million each month. No company releases a product in the hope of getting just 1% uptake. As it's not available as a stand alone item it's mandatory to have at least a basic subscription and add pro tools on top so the reality is it costs far more than the 'advertised' price. To rub salt in the wounds let's not forget they are selling us information we provided to them by way of buying dna kits from them.

[susandevinenapoli]

My Heritage gives the two people who are related to me without a subscription. It does matter if they have a tree. The same common people repeat a lot. I'm sure it's not the same but I broke a wall with it. Have you seen it?

[CharlesRezk]

I've been playing with shared matches for just a few days, and I've already learned so much! Here is just one example:

I had already identified a group of DNA matches who shared a common ancestor (B), who (based only on a family name and the DNA matches) I conjectured was the sister of my great-grandmother (A). Now with shared matches, I can also compare them to my two second cousins. Now I have a much better case that (A) and (B) are sisters, using the shared match info.

But there's more. I found another set of my DNA matches, which the shared match feature told me were closely related. I was able to trace their tree, and found out they share a common ancestor (C) who also shares the same family name with (A) and (B). The shared matches among all these descended (over a dozen different tests) prove to me that (A), (B), and (C) are very closely related, and it's very likely they are all sisters.

Note that these are all Lebanese immigrants to the US born in Lebanon before 1900. I suspect the shared match feature is going to be especially useful to you if you're in the same boat: trying to relate immigrant families who go back around 3-5 generations, from places with no avaible records.

[MtnSnowflake]

I use this feature all the time. Invaluable.