Ancestry App Not Working? [How to Fix It!]

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Is your Ancestry app not working? Does it crash while you’re using it? Let’s jump right into the most common reasons why, as well as how to fix it.

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Most common reasons why your Ancestry app is not working

Connection issues

Wi-fi or mobile data isn’t working properly
You’re on low data mode for an app that requires higher data usage
You’re using a VPN service

Compatibility issues

The app does not work with your phone model
The app hasn’t been updated in awhile
The phone hasn’t been updated in awhile

Technical issues

App cache is full

Issues outside your control

Bug or glitch in the app
Server down for maintenance

Ways to fix your Ancestry app not working

Restart your phone
Alternate between wi-fi and phone data for your connection
Update your phone to the latest version
Update the Ancestry app itself
Delete and reinstall the app
Clear your cache
Turn off low data mode
Check your wi-fi or phone data
Check whether the Ancestry app is down
Check if your phone is compatible with the app
Disable your VPN service

Don’t worry, we’re going to go into detail for each one of these fixes. Some fixes require more work than others, but they’re all fairly simple to do.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #1

Restart your phone

When you restart your phone, you’re doing a couple of things to help. One, you’re allowing your phone to reset its operating system. Two, you’re forcing your Ancestry app to close and doing a hard reset on it. By turning your phone on and off, as cliché as it may seem, you’re doing the most efficient thing possible to try and get your app working, effectively hitting two birds with one stone.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #2

Alternate between wi-fi and phone data for your connection

If you’ve just restarted your phone and the app still doesn’t work, perhaps wait a bit longer to allow your phone to connect online. Sometimes, when you’re on wi-fi and it isn’t connecting, you may have to toggle to phone data and back to get it working, as there could be a hang-up preventing your wi-fi from connecting. The same goes for phone data, if that’s what you prefer or normally use.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #3

Update your phone to the latest version

To keep your phone secure, your phone should always be updated to the latest patch. Each patch includes fixes and improvements, whether they be related to newly found security issues or simply to improve user experience and speed. Additionally, phone apps are often updated as well and rely on the phone to be of a certain operating system version in order to work at its full potential.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #4

Update the app itself

Similarly, the Ancestry app is often updated for security flaws and/or user experience. Even if you’ve grown to like the current version of the app and don’t want the user interface to change in any way, you still should be updating the app. This allows you to prevent hacks and breaches as much as possible on your end. If you don’t like the changes to the app, you can always take it up to the app company, and if enough users agree with you, they might make the changes.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #5

Delete and reinstall the app

Deleting and reinstalling the Ancestry app also does a couple of things at once. One, it allows you to force a reset on your app and its data. Two, you’re making yourself update to the latest version of the app if you weren’t on the latest version already. This one often works the best when your Ancestry app isn’t working.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #6

Clear your cache

Your cache is there to help the phone access the app and its data more quickly and efficiently. However, it comes at a cost. In order to do so, it has to store data. And the more you use your app, the more data it stores. If space is being pushed to its limit on your phone, this could be the cause of your Ancestry app either working sluggishly, crashing, or not working at all. Fortunately, the fix is quite easy. Simply follow the steps below:

For iPhone users

Go to ‘Settings’ -> ‘General’ -> ‘iPhone Storage’
Find the Ancestry app and click on it
Choose ‘Offload App’
After it is completed, click on ‘Reinstall App’
Data cache is now cleared

For Android users

Go to ‘Settings’
Find the Ancestry app and tap on it
Tap ‘Clear Cache’
Data cache is now cleared

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #7

Check your wi-fi or phone data

First off, if you have limited phone data every month, make sure that you haven’t run out of data for the month. If you’re speed is downgraded after a certain amount of data, this could cause some issues as well. Secondly, be sure your modem/router is working normally. It may help to reset the modem/router by unplugging and plugging the cable back in, or by pressing the reset or on/off button.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #8

Turn off low data mode

If your phone is on low data mode, try and turn it off to see if that fixes the problem. Follow the steps below to do so:

For iPhone users on wi-fi

Go to ‘Settings’ -> ‘Wi-Fi’
Tap on your network
Turn ‘Low Data Mode’ off by toggling the switch

For iPhone users on cellular data

Go to ‘Settings’ -> ‘Mobile Data’
Tap ‘Mobile Data Options’
Turn ‘Low Data Mode’ off by toggling the switch

For Android users on wi-fi

Go to ‘Settings’ -> ‘Connections’
Tap ‘Data usage’
Tap ‘Data saver’
Toggle the ‘Turn on now’ switch off

For Android users on cellular data

Go to ‘Settings’ -> ‘SIM cards & mobile networks’
Tap ‘Data saver’
Toggle the ‘Turn on now’ switch off

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #9

Check whether the app server is down

You can check on the status of the Ancestry app by Googling “Ancestry app status page” and finding either the official website status page or one of a number of third-party status detector websites. Additionally, lots of apps have status updates on their official Twitter account, so be sure to check that as well.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #10

Check if your phone is compatible with the app

If your phone isn’t compatible with the Ancestry app, then there might not be much you can do about it aside from getting a new phone that’s compatible with it. This is probably the most expensive fix on this list, so we hope you don’t need the app enough to have to buy a new phone.

You can check on this by going to the Ancestry app on the Apple Store or Google Play Store to see if your particular phone is compatible with the app in its current state.

Your Ancestry app isn’t working: Fix #11

Disable your VPN service

If you’re a VPN user, this may cause problems with using the app. Try turning it off to see if that resolves the issue. If it does, you may have to resort to not using a VPN when using the app.

In conclusion

There’s a number of things that can cause your Ancestry app to not work properly. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of fixes that should resolve this issue.

To recap, try the following fixes if your Ancestry app is not working properly:

Restart your phone
Alternate between wi-fi and phone data for your connection
Update your phone to the latest version
Update the Ancestry app itself
Delete and reinstall the app
Clear your cache
Turn off low data mode
Check your wi-fi or phone data
Check whether the app server is down
Check if your phone is compatible with the app
Disable your VPN service

All of these fixes are fairly easy to do, and one or more of these fixes should do the trick.