What Living Legacy is
A family tree is only names and dates. Living Legacy adds the rest: the stories behind them, told by the people who lived them, and the sound of their voices. The whole family sees the same tree, and it grows as relatives add what they know.
Why it is different
The people who remember most are often the ones least likely to type. An elder can simply talk. Her recording is written out as a story the family can read, and her voice stays right beside it. A story written from a recording always says so.
How it works
- 1
Start the tree
Add the people you know: parents, grandparents, cousins. A few names is enough to begin.
- 2
Invite relatives on WhatsApp
Send a link on WhatsApp. An elder can tell a story just by speaking, and anyone can add a photo or a memory.
- 3
Stories, photos and voices gather
Each month the family gets a short note with what was added, so the tree keeps growing without anyone having to remember to check.
A look inside
An invented family, shown for illustration.
A picture of the tree.
The family tree. Everyone sees the same tree, and anyone can tap a person to open their page.
A voice story. An elder's recording, written out so the family can read it, with the recording beside it.
A life timeline. One person's life in order, from where they were born to the places they lived.
Private by default
- ✓Only people your family invites can see your family's pages.
- ✓Each person chooses how far the things they add reach, from their closest family to everyone.
- ✓Take everything with you any time, as a family tree file or a ZIP of every story and photo.
- ✓This website sets no cookies.We count visits to this site, without cookies and without keeping your internet address.
Questions families ask
Who can see what we add?
Only people your family invites. Each person chooses, once, how far the things they add reach, from their closest family to everyone in the family.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It is built for a phone first, and relatives can add a memory from the link you send them on WhatsApp.
Does my grandmother have to type anything?
No. She can record her story by speaking, and it is written out for the family to read.
Whose stories are they?
Your family's. A story always shows who told it and, if it was written from a recording, says so.
Can we take it with us?
Yes, any time, as a family tree file other tree programs can read, or as a ZIP of every story, photo and recording.
Why I built this
I built Living Legacy to preserve our family’s memories and keep us close, wherever we live. My hope is that every generation feels part of a larger story—and that the youngest among us stay connected to the people who came before them.
Chetan