FTM contains three actually new features. FamilySync is a replacement for a previous feature, TreeSync, although it might be an improvement. Paid upgrades for software are commonplace in the industry so are to be expected, but usually such upgrades contain actual improvements and new features. If they wanted such connectivity, they would have to pay to upgrade to FTM 2017. Users of FTM 2 & 3 for Mac and 2012 & 2014 for Windows would no longer have any connectivity to Ancestry. The news about FamilySync contained a bit of a surprise: it would only be available in FTM 2017, the next iteration of FTM, which was to be released coincident with the deployment of FamilySync. Ancestry connectivity, including TreeSync, the ability to synchronize an FTM tree with one at Ancestry, was turned off on, with its replacement, called FamilySync, to be turned on 31 Mar. At that time, connectivity with Ancestry was also extended until its replacement could be rolled out. While the MacKiev dot-one versions were put on sale within 2 months, they were not officially released as free updates to the current versions until. At the same time, they promised free updates for owners of the then-current versions.

However, in February 2016 Software MacKiev, the Mac version’s developer, announced that they had purchased FTM from Ancestry and would continue development of both the Mac and Windows versions. All support for FTM and connectivity with Ancestry were to have ended by.

The 19 months since December 2015 when announced the retirement of Family Tree Maker have been a bumpy road for the venerable genealogy application. Family Tree Maker* (FTM) 2017 was officially released 16 July 2017.

Family tree maker 2017 tutorial