Using Ancestry’s Photo Hints to Unlock DNA Connections
Do you have a long list of DNA matches on Ancestry and feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how you’re connected to them all? Same here! But recently, I stumbled across a new strategy that helped me make progress—one that started with a simple photo hint.
When I logged into Ancestry, I noticed that the “last updated” section on my homepage showed new hints for my father. Curious, I clicked on his profile and discovered several image hints—one was a picture of him, and others were copies of his marriage announcement. I didn’t recognize the usernames who had attached these images, so I decided to check out their profiles.
One of the users didn’t have a visible tree on their public profile, but I noticed she was a DNA match to my brother. When I viewed the match page, her tree became visible—and that’s when things got interesting. Her tree included the CURREY surname and traced back to Hiram Currey (Treasurer of Ohio) and his wife, Sarah. That connection allowed me to identify our shared ancestors and color-code this match (and any shared matches) accordingly. A big win!
In another case, a different user had uploaded similar photos but wasn’t a DNA match to any of us. I couldn’t see their tree, so I sent them a message asking if they could help figure out our connection. Since they have my parents in their tree, I’m hopeful they’ll be able to spot a common ancestor and get back to me soon.
Moral of the story: Don’t overlook those photo hints! Even when trees are private or incomplete, a simple image can be the breadcrumb that leads to a breakthrough.