Help needed searching ANCESTRY messages by content

[Katharine75]

Hi all.
Hope someone can help. When I go into search my messages on ancestry it gives the search box but only searches by contact. I want to search by content but it gives me no option to change it.
I have already checked the FAQs at ancestry to fix it, but it is of no help.
Any ideas?
Katharine.

[Biggles50]

That is all there is, if there is any setting to give better searching I am not aware of it and with 12 years on Ancestry a lot of messages has been sent.

[Katharine75]

Thankyou for reply.

Mine is most definitely stuck on searching contacts only!!
I have also been a member for numerous years and was previously able to search for words mentioned in messages to other members. This is what I want to do as I have forgotten the member I messaged a few years back, but I know what family name the message was regarding.

I can see my most recent messages at the top of the screen. One of the words in the content was mountain. I put it in the search box and it came up with no matches.
Another message I mentioned the name Donna. When I searched that name it only came up with one hit and that was for a member who's profile is Donna ----.
Even though I can see these words in my messages it is still only searching the contacts.

In the search box it clearly says 'Search Contacts'.
I have no way to change it.
Anyone have any suggestions?

[ggrocott]

I am fairly sure you used to be able to search content in the 'good old days' when you could also create your own 'filing system' but you can't now.  Basically the messaging system is no longer fit for purpose and hasn't been for a very long time.

[Katharine75]

Well that sounds very unhelpful of the ANCESTRY site!!
Thanks.
 

[Pheno]

If I recollect correctly didn't Ancestry update their messaging system a few years ago and, because all old messages would be lost, we were given the option of downloading and storing them ourselves.

It might be that it can't be found because it is prior to the update and therefore doesn't exist within Ancestry any more.

Pjeno

[Katharine75]

I was searching words that I could see on the page in front of me, but they still didn't come up.

I ended up phoning ancestry and discussing the issue with them. They told me they were unaware of this issue  and thanked me for letting them know. I directed them to their own help page where it clearly shows the ability to search contacts OR search content.

She assured me this will be corrected by the technical team on my account within the next 72 hours and they will then look at rectifying this site wide. Not sure if any of that will happen, but fingers crossed.

[Pheno]

That's good.  Let's hope what you are searching for is after they archived all messages, I am sure they did that.

Pheno

[Gadget]

I'd be interested to see if they add that facility to your messages, Katharine. I've just checked mine and it only allows to search for contacts, I don't remember if they ever allowed searching messages  by content 

Gadget

Add - I joined Ancestry in March 2003!!