The Service
Witness helps you explore your family history: import a family tree (GEDCOM) file, browse and map your ancestors, and receive research suggestions. Some findings are generated with the help of artificial intelligence, or surfaced from historical archives, and are presented as leads worth investigating, not verified facts. You are responsible for independently verifying any genealogical conclusion before relying on it.
Your Account
You need an account to use Witness, and the same account works across iOS, iPad, and the web. Keep your credentials secure — you are responsible for activity under your account. You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country) to create an account.
Subscriptions
Witness Premium is an auto-renewing subscription of $19.99 (USD) per year, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers.
- On iOS and iPad, payment is charged to your Apple Account when the free trial ends and at the start of each renewal period; manage or cancel anytime in Settings › Apple Account › Subscriptions.
- On the web, payment is processed by Stripe through RevenueCat's checkout; manage or cancel from your account page at app.witnesslives.com.
- A subscription started on one platform unlocks Witness on both — there's no separate purchase required.
- The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
- If you cancel during the free trial, you will not be charged.
- Prices may change; you will be notified before any change takes effect.
Your Content
Your family tree data belongs to you. When you import a file, Witness stores a copy so the app can work with it; nothing changes on the platform you exported it from. You grant us only the limited rights needed to store, process, and display your data to you in order to provide the Service. If you choose to share a piece of your tree — an ancestor's story card, or a research brief — that's opt-in and revocable; see our Privacy Policy for how sharing and your data generally are handled.
Acceptable Use
Don't misuse the Service: no unauthorized access, scraping, reverse engineering, interfering with operation, or uploading content that is unlawful or that you don't have the right to use.
Intellectual Property
The Service, including its design, software, and content we create, is owned by Witness and protected by law. These terms don't grant you any rights to our trademarks or branding.
Disclaimers
The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, to the maximum extent permitted by law. Historical records and AI-assisted research suggestions may contain errors or gaps, and we don't guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or availability of the Service.
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Witness will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim arose.
Termination
You can stop using the Service and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (such as Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability) survive.
Changes to These Terms
We may update these terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll update the effective date above and provide notice in the app or by email. Continuing to use the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated terms.
Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Contact
Questions about these terms? Write to support@witnesslives.com — a real person will reply.