Create and share photo collages, called Photolines, that showcase the portraits of 2-4 people in your family tree.

To create Photolines, you must have:

An Ancestry account. If you don’t have one, create a free Ancestry Account.
A family tree with at least two generations.
Clear portrait photos from at least two generations.
A home person assigned in your tree.

Creating Photolines

From the app:

Open the Ancestry app and sign in.
In the bottom menu, select the Memories tab, then tap + Add media.
Tap Create collage. If prompted, assign a home person in your tree.
Complete Photolines by selecting the + and adding a photo(s).
Select an image or tap + Add Media or + Add photo. If prompted, allow Ancestry access to:
- Your camera to take pictures and record video.
- Your photos, videos, music, and audio on this device.
Didn’t allow it?
Choose + Add Media then Scan photos, Take Photo or Camera roll (iOS)/Upload from Device (android).
- If prompted, move or resize the profile image and tap Next or Done (top right).
- If prompted, tag people in this photo and add the title, date, location, description, and category.

From a browser:

Sign in to Ancestry.
In the navigation bar at the top, select Memories then Craft.
Scroll down to the Collages and select Create new or the Photolines box.
Click Add photo, Add from gallery or the “+” sign in a gray circle. Note: If you choose Add photo, the photo will be added to the Gallery then you’ll need to select Add from gallery to add the photo to the collage.
On the Upload Photos page, click Choose files.
Select the photo on your computer and click Open or OK.
Enter any information (like title and date) you want to include and click Done.
Find your completed Photolines and click Save to gallery.
Choose Done or Share Photolines and choose a sharing option.
- Family groups > select a family group > add a message, if desired > Share.
- Ancestry Message > choose or enter a recipient > add or edit the message > Send.
- Email > if prompted, select your email program > choose or enter a recipient > add a message > send the email.
- Facebook > if prompted, log in to your Facebook account > add a message > Post to Facebook.
- WhatsApp > choose or enter the contacts/chats you want to share the collage with > select the button to forward the collage to those chats.
- X > if prompted, log in to your X account > add a message > Post.
- Copy Link > selecting this will copy the link to your clipboard. Paste this link anywhere you want to share the collage.
- Download > the record will be downloaded to your computer. If you can’t find it, check your Downloads folder.

Managing your Photolines

From the app:

Open the Ancestry app and sign in.
In the bottom menu, select the Memories tab.
Under Gallery, select a Photolines.
At the bottom of your screen, use the image toolbar to make changes.

To edit details or delete the image: tap the i symbol in a circle ⓘ labeled Details.
- To change the title, date, location, description, and category tap Edit.
- To delete the media, tap Delete media > Delete. Deleting is permanent and can’t be undone.
To adjust (flip and rotate), colorize, sharpen, and filter: tap the pencil.
To tag someone: tap the person icon, and then tap the faces in the photo or tap the faces under faces to review.

You can choose how you want to tag the faces.
- - Search your tree to locate and select the correct name.
  - Search Ancestry trees to locate and select the correct name.
  - Face match, see the article Face Match for more information.

5. When finished, tap Done in the top right corner.

- To share your Photolines: In the top right, tap the share icon .
  - Share image: after selecting Share image > select a sharing method:
    - Messages
    - Save to device
    - Share to
    - Ancestry message
      
      Follow the prompts to send a link to this collage. If the recipient has the Ancestry app, the collage will open in the app; if they don’t have the app, the collage will open on the Ancestry site.
- To add or remove audio (Ancestry App only):
  - To add audio: Tap the microphone icon, then select Record audio, Upload audio or Choose from gallery and follow the prompts.
  - To remove audio: Tap the i symbol in a circle ⓘ labeled Details and select Unlink audio from image.

From a browser:

Sign in to Ancestry.
In the navigation bar at the top, select Memories then Gallery and select a Photolines.
Use the image toolbar to make changes.
- To edit details, view and leave comments, or delete the image: click the i symbol in a circle ⓘ.
  - To link Photolines to someone, click + Add person > select a tree > start typing their name, then select it from the drop-down menu.
    
    To unlink the Photolines from someone, click their name and choose Unlink Person from this Photo.
  - To leave comments, enter your comment and click Comment to post it.
    - To mention a person or group in your comment, type “@” and select a group or begin typing the name/username of someone you want to mention before submitting your comment.
    - To edit or delete your comment, click the three dots next to your comment and choose Edit or Delete.
  - To delete the media, click Delete media > Delete. Deleting is permanent and can’t be undone.
  - To change the title, date, location, description, and category click Edit details, update information, and then select Save.
- To tag someone: click the tag icon > click the square that you want to tag or select the photo under Untagged people > choose Search your tree or Face match.
  - Search your tree: start typing their name, then select it from the drop-down menu.
  - Face match: select I understand, if prompted, then you’ll see suggestions for the tag. Select Add tag to the identity that matches. For more details see Face Match.
- To edit a photo: click the pencil icon > choose Adjust, Colorize, Sharpen, Filter, Crop or Rotate.
- To share your Photolines: click the share button and choose a sharing option.
  - Family groups > select a family group > add a message, if desired > Share.
  - Ancestry Message > choose or enter a recipient > add or edit the message > Send.
  - Email > if prompted, select your email program > choose or enter a recipient > add a message > send the email.
  - Facebook > if prompted, log in to your Facebook account > add a message > Post to Facebook.
  - WhatsApp > choose or enter the contacts/chats you want to share the collage with > select the button to forward the collage to those chats.
  - X > if prompted, log in to your X account > add a message > Post.
  - Copy Link > selecting this will copy the link to your clipboard. Paste this link anywhere you want to share the collage.
  - Download > the record will be downloaded to your computer. If you can’t find it, check your Downloads folder.
- To download your Photolines: click the download button . The photo will be downloaded to your computer. If you can’t find it, check your Downloads folder.
- To print: click the printer icon and follow the prompts.

Frequently asked questions

Where are my Photolines saved?
Your Photolines are saved on Ancestry in your tree's gallery, and the gallery of anyone tagged in the image. If you uninstall the app, your Photolines will remain on the ancestry website.

Who can see my Photolines?
If your tree is public, other Ancestry members can see Photolines that are attached to deceased people in your tree. (Read about Living People in Family Trees.)

If your tree is private, only you and the people you’ve invited to your tree can see your Photolines.

For help changing your tree’s privacy settings, see Family Tree Privacy.

Who can make changes to my Photolines?
Only you and the people you've invited to your tree as editors can create, edit, and delete Photolines for your tree. People you've invited as contributors can change anything they’ve contributed, and guests can view your Photolines but can't add others or make changes.

For help changing someone's role or their ability to see living people in your tree, see Sharing a Family Tree.

How do I give the Ancestry app access to my pictures and camera?
When prompted, allow the ancestry app access to your pictures and camera.

If you didn’t allow the Ancestry app access to your pictures or camera, you can change your device's settings to allow it. For help allowing the Ancestry app access to your pictures or camera, select the device type you’re using: