Export and import your tree (GEDCOM)

What GEDCOM is

A plain-text format that every other genealogy program — Ancestry, MyHeritage, Family Tree Maker, Gramps — can read and write. It's been the standard since 1985 and it isn't going away. Rootkin reads and writes it for the same reason: your family history shouldn't be locked inside any one program.

Export your tree

1. Open Settings → Tree Management and tap Export GEDCOM.
2. Rootkin packages every person and relationship in the tree into a .ged file. (Photos and voice memories don't fit in GEDCOM — those stay in Rootkin.)
3. When the file is ready, the OS share sheet opens. Save it to Files, AirDrop it to your laptop, email it to yourself, whatever's easiest.

Import a tree from another program

1. Export a .ged file out of your other program first. In Ancestry: Family tree settings → Export tree. In MyHeritage: Manage trees → Export GEDCOM. Save the file somewhere your phone can reach it — iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or AirDrop from your laptop.
2. In Rootkin, open Settings → Tree Management and tap Import GEDCOM. (Import appears for editors and owners.)
3. Pick the .ged file. Rootkin reads it and shows you a preview — how many new people and relationships it found, how many already match someone in your tree (by name and birth date), and a heads-up on any rows it couldn't parse.
4. Imported people are added to the tree you're currently in. People that exactly match someone already there are reused, not duplicated. Want to keep the import separate from your existing tree? Cancel, create a fresh empty tree first (Settings → Tree Management → Create New Tree), switch to it, then import.
5. Tap Import. Rootkin adds the people. Photos and voice memories don't come across — GEDCOM doesn't carry them. You can add those after the import lands.

A note on accuracy

Different programs spell GEDCOM slightly differently — date formats, relationship types, custom tags. Rootkin handles the common cases well and flags the rest. If something looks off after import, the people are real but a field may need a touch-up. The Tree maintenance tool helps with that.