Support & FAQ
Gramps2: Family Tree Maker
Answers to everyday questions
Download on theApp StoreHere's how Gramps2 works day to day. If your question isn't answered below, you can reach us from the Support section in the app's Settings — we're happy to help.
Getting started
Where is Gramps2 available?
Gramps2 is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad (iOS 26 or later), in six languages: English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. It's free to download.
What does Gramps2 Pro cost?
Gramps2 is free to download. Gramps2 Pro unlocks everything, starting with a 7-day free trial — after that, choose a monthly or annual subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions can be managed or cancelled anytime in your App Store account settings.
Do I need an account?
No. There's nothing to sign up for — your family data lives on your device and syncs through your own iCloud account.
Can I import my existing family tree?
Yes. Gramps2 opens GEDCOM (.ged) files, the standard format exported by Ancestry, MyHeritage, and most desktop genealogy tools.
Trees & people
Can I keep more than one tree?
Yes. Keep a separate tree for each side of the family, each with its own people count. Once you have two or more, an "All trees" view can join the same person across trees and show their cross-tree relatives together.
How do profile pictures work?
Attach as many photos and documents to a person as you like, and star one as their profile picture. It then follows them through the tree chart, lists, and reminders.
Can I get my data out again?
Always. Export any tree as a GEDCOM file and take it to another app or a desktop program. One note: the GEDCOM format itself can't embed photos, so exports reference the media by name while your photos remain in the app and your iCloud.
The tree diagram
How do I move around the diagram?
The person in focus sits in the middle, with ancestors above and descendants below. Drag to pan and pinch to zoom in or out. Tap any relative to re-center the diagram on them, and tap the person in the middle to open their details.
What does a long press on a person do?
A long press opens that person's details straight away, without re-centering the diagram — handy when you want to look someone up but keep the chart exactly as it is. In the combined view, it also switches to the tree that person belongs to.
What does the icon in the top left do?
That's the "This Tree" / "All Trees" switch, and it appears once you have two or more trees. "All Trees" joins the same real person across your trees into one combined diagram, so you can see relatives from both sides of the family together. If the person you open exists in several trees, the diagram starts in "All Trees" automatically.
What does the icon in the top right do?
That opens the "Generations" menu, with two settings: how many generations of ancestors to show above (↑ 1–6, normally 4) and how many generations of descendants below (↓ 1–6, normally 3). Fewer generations keep the diagram compact; more show the bigger picture.
What do the colors, lines, and badges mean?
Card borders follow the person: blue for men, pink for women, gray when the sex isn't recorded, and a thicker highlighted border for the person in focus. Solid lines connect parents and children; a dashed line connects partners. A small badge with a number in the corner of a card means that person appears in that many of your trees.
Can I show the family tree on my TV?
Yes, with an Apple TV. Stream the diagram from Gramps2 via AirPlay and it appears on the TV at its full width and depth — a wide tree that never fits on a phone screen becomes easy to follow. Your iPhone acts as the remote: manage how many generations are shown and switch between a single tree or all your trees combined.
Sharing & sync
How does sharing a tree work?
Sharing is per tree. Choose "Share Tree" to create an invitation through iCloud; whoever accepts sees the tree under "Shared with me". Everyone can edit, and changes sync live to all participants.
What do invited family members need?
The Gramps2 app and an iCloud account. They accept your invitation link and the shared tree appears in their app.
Does it sync between my own devices?
Yes. Your trees sync automatically between your iPhone and iPad through your own iCloud account.
Is my family data private?
Yes. Your data stays on your devices and in your own iCloud; shared trees are visible only to the people you invite. We can't see your family data and store nothing on our own servers. The app only collects anonymous usage statistics to help us improve it.
Reminders & Apple Watch
Which reminders can Gramps2 send?
Birthdays, the anniversary of someone's passing, and memorial milestones — for example 40 days, six months, or a year since a loved one passed away. You choose which kinds you want.
Can I be reminded of birthdays of people who passed away?
Yes, that's an optional setting — turn it on if you want to be reminded of the birthdays of deceased family members too.
When do reminders arrive?
At midnight or at a custom time you pick in Settings. Reminder preferences are per device, so in a shared tree every participant keeps their own.
Is there an Apple Watch app?
Yes — a companion app for Apple Watch (watchOS 10 or later) with widgets and watch-face complications, plus an Upcoming Events widget for your iPhone's Home and Lock Screen.
Still have a question?
The quickest way to reach us is from inside the app: open Settings and choose "Contact niApps" under Support. Your message arrives with the app version and device details already attached, so we can help you faster.