The purpose of this program is to be very simple: to not require too much information, to help you get started, and to give you a nice-looking display of your family lineage. There are far more advanced programs you can get if you are ready for them — but this one is here just to help you begin, without feeling overwhelmed.
Build your family tree how you think it is. You can always perfect the details later.
Click the People tab. In the box at the top:
Add yourself, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your grandparents — anyone you can think of. Just the names for now. You can always come back and add more later.
Don't worry about getting everything perfect. A name by itself is enough to start. Fill in the rest whenever you find it.
A "couple" is two people who had children together (like your mom and dad). Click the Group sheet tab, then:
Making a couple is how the program knows two people belong together. Nothing is saved as a couple until you click Create — so you can look around safely.
Once a couple is made, you'll see a spot to add children:
Remember to add each child as a person first (Step 1), then attach them to their parents here.
Now the fun part. Try each of these tabs to see your family in different ways:
Everything you type is stored in a small database built into the web browser you're using, right on your own computer. It's never sent anywhere — your family information stays private. It saves automatically, so it will be there next time you open the program in that same browser.
Good to know: that database belongs to the browser you used. If you type things in Chrome, they won't show up in Edge or Firefox — each browser has its own separate database. So it's smart to keep a backup you can carry anywhere:
A good habit: click Download backup when you finish for the day. It's your safety net.
Once there's anyone in your tree, a line appears above the tabs telling you where things stand. It stays grey and quiet when everything is backed up, and turns amber the moment you change something — 3 changes since your last backup — with a save button right there in it, so you don't have to go to the Save / Load tab. When it's calm it tells you when the last backup happened.
On a computer, the program will also stop you if you try to close the tab with unsaved changes. On a phone or tablet it often can't, because swiping a tab away doesn't always give the page a chance to speak up.
Click that link in the strip and you'll get the truth about the browser you're using rather than a general reassurance. It tells you whether your browser has agreed to hold onto your data or might clear it for space, where your backups go and how to bring one back, whether you'll be warned on closing, and whether this browser can save straight to a file as you work.
On an iPhone or iPad there's an extra line worth reading: Apple erases a website's stored data after seven days without a visit. Every visit resets the clock, and adding the page to your Home Screen exempts it entirely. If you work on your tree in bursts weeks apart, do one or the other — or just keep downloading backups.
On Chrome and Edge, that panel also offers Keep a file updated automatically. Pick a file once and the program writes your tree into it as you work. Safari and Firefox don't allow this, so the option only appears where it genuinely works. While it's running, the strip stays calm — your work really is safe.
On iPhone and iPad: tapping Download backup opens the sharing panel. Choose Save to Files and pick a folder you'll remember — that's where you'll go looking later. If you saved one earlier and can't find it, look in the Files app under Browse → iCloud Drive → Downloads, or On My iPhone/iPad → Downloads.
On a computer or Android: the file goes to your Downloads folder. Move it somewhere deliberate if you mean to keep it — Downloads fills up and things get lost in it. To bring one back, use Restore from backup on the Save / Load tab.
If something doesn't work right, or you spot an error, please tell us! Email myfanchart@weist.net and we'll take a look. Thank you for helping make My Fan Chart better.