BYU Technology Lab: Relative Finder app

 The BYU Technology Lab is found at: https://fhtl.org

"This site is a non-profit student research lab focuses on connecting the human family through innovative information technology and genealogy, operating alongside related resources like the BYU Library Family History."

Students have created apps and programs to help with the family history work. These programs are available on this website.

Below is the website's home page showing their photo from RootsTech 2026. 

Relative Finder 

One of their most popular apps is Relative Finder. To use this app you must have your family tree on
FamilySearch. The description of the app is: 

"Find your relatives today! Relative Finder allows you to find relatives through the built in groups provided, and allows you to create your own groups to see how you are related to your friends, co-workers, and other famous people."

Direct link to Relative Finder click here.

When within the same building at a conference or church, we can use FamilySearch's Relatives Around Me. This is so much fun. Cousins can connect and possibly share information about ancestors. 

But when attending a conference virtually Relatives Around Me does not work, as you have to be within 100 feet for it to work. As more and more conferences are now virtual, this is one reason why you would want to use Relative Finder. 

Virtual Conferences

For the virtual attendees of the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference 2025, we created a group. Everyone attending the conference could join the group and view their relatives who were also attending the conference. A link to the group was sent only to those attending the conference. 

My closest relative is another one of the committee planning members! We both have ancestors in Quebec. To see the relationship between you and a relative, click on the relative's name. 

The following new screen appears illustrating how you are related. This is at the top of the screen. 

Below the two of you, is listed the specifics of the relationship. Your family is listed on the left. Relatives line is on the right. I have only shown our partial relationship below, for privacy. This will list the connected line back to you. 

Famous People
You can also use this app to see if you are related to any famous people. 
Below is the right side of the Home screen which has a list of famous people topics. Click on the boxes of the topics you want to see if you are related to any famous people of that topic. 

I clicked Astronauts. Here is a partial list of the results.

The list continues on, to the 15th cousin. A total of 20 astronauts. 

Try it out. Have some fun with the famous people. 

Create a group of friends, church members, or genealogical society. If you are organizing a virtual conference at it to your fun. 

BYU Students promoted family history resources at RootsTech 2026. Read the full article at:
https://universe.byu.edu/campus/byu-students-promote-family-history-resources-at-rootstech-2026