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                                   Using Your Smart Phone for More Than Pictures

10/14/2016

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Using Your Smart Phone for More Than Calls & Pictures

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Taken from articles by Logan Steele and Greg McMurdie for FamilySearch.org

The FamilySearch Memories mobile app introduced a third dimension to preserving valuable family moments. The  mobile app, available on iOS and Android, makes a bold move with a simple feature. Audio recordings, documents, written stories, and photos are all part of the modern-day family album online.
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I tried out the audio feature in Memories for the first time when my sleep-deprived father started telling stories about his life. He was having trouble fighting through his own laughter at the thought of what he was about to reveal. The result—a hilarious family moment that will now live on forever.

The FamilySearch Memories feature can conveniently help capture memories that will never be lost or forgotten. It’s as if a radioactive elephant bit your smartphone, and it gained the superpower to remember everything.

Consider all the great experiences now possible to be stored: Musical talents of a family member, the brilliantly placed pause by your seasoned family storytellers, or the unrestrained imagination of a child too young to write. Do your grandparents sing to you on your birthday? Record it. Preserving the laughter of a loved one is reason enough to have the FamilySearch Memories app ready and waiting to be used.

Everything added to this mobile app will sync to your FamilySearch.org account. It’s one big loop of convenience. The audio feature available in Memories is a game changer.
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Create your own family podcast. Spend five minutes recording highlights from the week, month, or year with your family. A version of this served as an annual tradition in my home as a child.  

FUN FACT: This is an article that was never actually written. It was transcribed by speaking into the wonderful new mobile app, FamilySearch Memories. (End of Logan Steelefamilysearch.org/blog/en/familysearch-memories-app-listening/ articles. The following was taken from the Craig McMurdie article )


With FamilySearch’s Memories Gallery, 
collecting stories from your family tree is easier than ever – whether you are compiling tales of ancestors from long ago or chronicling living relatives. Here’s how:

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1) Upload stories with a few clicks. Start by clicking on the green plus symbol. Then upload written or audio tales by dragging and dropping them, or by choosing a file. Stories are preserved forever.
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2) Add stories to albums. You can organize tales by lineage, ancestor, event, or another category. Just drag the story to the desired album on the left, or start fresh with a “New Album.”
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3) Experience and share family stories. Scroll through albums to read and listen to stories from your family history. Supplement tales by adding family photos and documents to an album
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Have you used FamilySearch’s new Memories Gallery to preserve the stories that make up your heritage?

If you need inspiration for getting started, look no further than the below family history projects from other FamilySearch users. Then begin adding tales to your family tree in celebration of your ancestry.
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Collecting Memories of Grandparents and Great Grandparents
PictureJessie McKinley


​Jessie McKinley
 understands family reunions are excellent occasions to collect stories about relatives. So with a reunion scheduled this past summer, she set out on a special family history project: collecting audio stories about grandparents and great grandparents. We asked Jessie to tell us about her project.

What inspired you to take on this storytelling project?

I’m always looking for ways to share and preserve our family stories! They are so incredibly important. I knew that our annual reunion was coming up – a fabulous time to record memories! So I volunteered to be in charge of a one-hour family history activity.

What goals did you have for the project?

My main goal was to inspire others to record memories of their own. But I also wanted those in attendance to reflect on our ancestors and the amazing lives that they led. 

What steps did you take to complete this family history project?

It was super easy and low-key. No need to stress! I just made sure that I was connected to good Wi-Fi and my phone was fully charged. Then we all took turns sharing memories of my grandparents and great grandparents, recording audio stories on my phone via the Memories app. My grandma was there – along with many aunts, uncles, and cousins – so we had a wide variety of memories. It was wonderful.

I shared the link to FamilySearch’s Memories page afterwards for anyone who wasn’t able to be there in person. So amazing!

What was the most important thing you took from this storytelling project?
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We all remember different things about a certain person or event. Coming together and sharing memories allows all of us to expand our relationships to those living and those who have gone before us. It’s a win-win!
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A link to audio files on the Memories page allowed relatives who were not at the reunion to hear the family stories Jessie collected.
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