28 January 2026

 

Family history sites rolled out several AI, record, and newspaper-access enhancements this week that are immediately usable in day‑to‑day research and blogging.familysearch+6

FamilySearch.org

  • FamilySearch is expanding its AI‑driven full‑text handwriting search to additional languages, making more newly digitized records name‑searchable.geneamusings+1

  • New discovery assistants and an interactive help chatbot are being emphasized for 2026, designed to surface the most promising hints and answer research questions from wiki, blog, and help content.familysearch+1

  • Recent record releases (Jan 1–15) include new and updated collections from at least 35 countries, with examples such as Benin civil registration and multiple Brazilian church record sets.theancestorhunt+1

Try this now: Run a surname/place search using Full‑Text Search on a non‑English collection you use often, then compare what you can now find versus your older search notes.geneamusings+1

Ancestry.com

  • Ancestry continues to push its new AI Stories feature (in beta), which turns a single record (e.g., draft card, employment record) into a short, narrated story, available in multiple languages for subscribers.[geneamusings]​

  • The feature also works with user‑uploaded documents via the Memories area and the “Ask AncestryAI” option, generating narrative from your own materials as well as Ancestry‑hosted records.[geneamusings]​

  • Ancestry’s broader 2025–26 strategy emphasizes AI‑driven family line extensions and professional‑grade “Pro Tools,” aligning tree suggestions more tightly with DNA and historical context.[youtube]​[ancestry]​

Try this now: Choose one ancestor with a rich record (draft card, passenger list, or employment file) and generate an AI Story, then assess its accuracy and storytelling value for a short blog post.[geneamusings]​

MyHeritage.com

  • MyHeritage added 8 new and 12 updated collections for Jan 1–15, including a newly indexed 1890 New York City Police Census, Brazil newspapers (via OldNews.com), and major England & Wales probate and nonconformist birth/death collections.[theancestorhunt]​

  • Multiple tree‑related datasets (MyHeritage trees, family sites, Geni World Tree, Filae trees) and photos/docs collections received fresh updates, increasing match potential.[theancestorhunt]​

  • On the DNA side, MyHeritage’s move to whole‑genome sequencing is fully ramped for new kits, with compatibility maintained so new WGS testers still match existing array‑based testers.genealogicalstudies+1

Try this now: If you work in England/Wales or NYC, run fresh searches in the new probate, nonconformist, or 1890 Police Census collections and note any new hints MyHeritage surfaces to write about.[theancestorhunt]​

Newspapers.com

  • Newspapers.com continues to grow its archive, with a recent blog announcement of more than 200 additional papers spanning at least 18 U.S. states.[blog.newspapers]​

  • The platform highlights clippings, following newspapers, and saved searches as the main workflow for tracking new content as titles and date ranges expand.newspapers+1

  • For libraries, ProQuest’s Newspapers.com Library Edition (not the consumer site, but closely related content) is being promoted as a large, continuously updated historical newspaper database.[about.proquest]​

Try this now: Re‑run one of your standing surname/location searches and use clipping plus “follow” to monitor a town or surname; then show readers how this workflow reveals new obituaries or social items over time.newspapers+1

Elephind.com

  • Elephind 2.0 has hit a milestone of over 46 million searchable historic newspaper pages, after a major relaunch following its 2024 shutdown.theancestorhunt+1

  • The new platform emphasizes faster performance and smarter search, with plans for semantic search and an “Ask Elephind” AI assistant that interprets queries and surfaces related material with links to originals.eogn+1

  • Additional large batches—over 100 million pages—are queued for ingestion, meaning coverage and geographic diversity will keep expanding through 2026.theancestorhunt+1

     Try this now: Run a controlled experiment: search a distinctive ancestor name or small town in Elephind and in one subscription site you use, then blog about the differences in coverage, interface, and “hidden” finds Elephind reveals



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