Short answer
Family Tree Maker (FTM) 2019 was designed to sync with trees on Ancestry, and for many users it has worked. The difficulty is that syncing depends on Ancestry’s sign-in and services, which Ancestry controls, and older versions of FTM have had trouble connecting at times. I cannot confirm how it behaves for your computer today, so treat this as a checklist rather than a guarantee. The most reliable source is the Family Tree Maker support site run by its publisher, MacKiev, which has had articles about Ancestry login issues in FTM 2017 and 2019 for Windows.
How syncing works
FTM’s syncing feature (called FamilySync in FTM 2017 and later; the older TreeSync was retired in 2017) links a tree on your computer to a tree on Ancestry. After you set it up, changes you make in one place can be sent to the other, so you can work offline and keep an online copy for sharing and for hints. Ancestry does not sync with every program. Syncing is tied to specific FTM versions, and Ancestry’s help pages say FTM editions before 2017 can no longer sync with Ancestry trees.
Known login problems
Reported problems have included the program being unable to sign in to Ancestry, or repeating a login prompt, usually after something changed on Ancestry’s side such as a sign-in update. MacKiev has published fixes or updates in the past. Because these things vary by date, check:
- whether you have the latest update installed for FTM 2019
- the support site for notes on Ancestry sign-in
- whether your Ancestry account has changed, such as a new password or two-step verification
What to try
- Update FTM 2019 to the newest available build.
- Confirm you can sign in to Ancestry in a web browser with the same username and password.
- Restart the program and your computer, then try the sync again.
- Try signing in through the program’s Ancestry menu rather than an old saved login.
- If it still fails, contact MacKiev support, since they know what is currently supported. If they say your version is no longer supported, a newer FTM release may be the answer, which you can confirm on their site before buying.
Make a backup of your tree file before any sync attempt. The guide to organizing genealogy research suggests keeping a desktop file as your master copy.
If sync does not work: use a GEDCOM
You can still move data without syncing:
- From Ancestry to your computer: export a GEDCOM from the tree settings and import it into FTM or another program. See how to print or download your Ancestry tree for notes on exporting.
- From your computer to Ancestry: export a GEDCOM from the software and upload it to create a new tree on Ancestry.
A GEDCOM is a one-time copy, not a live link, and it can lose some media or record connections. If you upload a new tree, you will have two separate trees to keep consistent. To tidy things afterward, see how to link to someone’s tree on Ancestry and how to delete a family tree on Ancestry for removing a superseded copy once you are certain the new one is complete.
Can I download my Ancestry tree to Family Tree Maker?
Yes, in principle. Either use the sync feature if it works for your version, or import an exported GEDCOM. Syncing keeps more of the attached data, while a GEDCOM is a snapshot.
Free alternatives
If you want free software, Gramps is a well-known open-source program that imports GEDCOM files. RootsMagic has offered a free version with limits. Neither is a drop-in replacement for the Ancestry sync, and each has its own learning curve. Check each program’s site for its current features.
Ancestry vs desktop software
An online tree is convenient for hints and for sharing with relatives; see sharing family trees on Ancestry. Desktop software gives you more control over charts and files stored on your own computer. Many researchers use both and keep backups in each.