23andMe FAQs

In anticipation of the United Kingdom's possible departure from the European Union, we may need to make some changes to the process for returning your kit to the laboratory for customers located in the United Kingdom.

Currently, sample collection kits mailed from the United Kingdom are first sent to our distribution warehouse in the Netherlands before being shipped in bulk to our laboratory in the United States. In the event that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, the original shipping material will no longer be valid and new shipping materials will be needed. At that time, updated instructions on how to return sample collection kits from the United Kingdom will be emailed to customers affected by this change.

23andMe encourages customers located in the United Kingdom to return their sample collection kits at their earliest convenience. At this time, the original shipping material can still be used to ship return sample collection kits from the United Kingdom.

For certain customers, local restrictions mean that participation in 23andMe Research has been paused or is not available. Your profile will be restricted from 23andMe Research if your kit was shipped to a research-restricted location.

We are pausing our research program in Canada while we make changes that will require submitting a new IRB protocol. This pause in our research efforts will not impact the results we deliver to you. This simply means that if you previously consented to participate in Research, we will not be including your genetic data in any of our research projects at this time.

While our research program is paused, the research consent setting will not be available within the Account Settings section of the site.

Important: Our estimated sample processing time is 2-3 weeks from the time your sample reaches the lab. Actual sample processing times may vary.

Your 23andMe profile homepage displays the status of your sample kit as it moves through each step of processing, from the time you order to the time you receive your results. Results typically take 2-3 weeks from the time a registered sample is received at the lab.

your account

Step 1: Register your kit

Before you submit your sample, make sure to register your kit to a 23andMe account.To begin, visit www.23andme.com/start.

Once you have successfully registered, use the return tracking link available on your profile homepage to track your kit’s progress to the lab. Samples mailed from Canada typically reach the lab within 2-3 weeks.

Step 2: Sample arrived at the lab

We'll send you an email when your sample is received at the lab and the barcode has been scanned. Once a sample is received, it enters the queue for processing.

Step 3-4: Prepping Your Sample and Extracting Your DNA

These steps include the time a sample spends in the queue at the lab, as well as the visual inspection of your sample, DNA extraction, and amplification of DNA from your sample. If your sample does not yield sufficient quantities of DNA, this step may be repeated.

Step 5:Genotyping

This step refers to the analysis of your saliva sample. We genotype your sample on our custom microarray chip.

Step 6: Reviewing the Data

Quality review is where the data returned from a set of samples is reviewed to ensure that it meets our standards for call rate and accuracy. If your sample does not yield a call rate that meets our standards, this step may be repeated.

Step 7: Final Computation

Samples proceed to this step after they pass quality review. This step compares sample data with the rest of the 23andMe database to generate results for features like DNA Relatives.

Step 8: Results Ready

Once the computation step is complete, data is loaded into and your reports are made available. You will receive an email when your results are ready.

23andMe has three features that can identify evidence of Jewish ancestry from your DNA:

Ancestry Composition

Maternal Haplogroup

Paternal Haplogroup

Ancestry Composition

First, you may have evidence of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry in your Ancestry Composition report (Figure 1). DNA clearly shows connections among those who consider themselves to be Ashkenazi Jewish: two Ashkenazi Jewish people are very likely to be "genetic cousins," sharing long stretches of identical DNA. This reflects the fact that the Ashkenazi Jewish population expanded relatively recently from a small initial population.

Y chromosome

Figure 1. The Ancestry Composition report gives the most comprehensive look at your genetic ancestry. It uses DNA from most of your genome, including contributions from recent ancestors on both sides of your family.

Haplogroup Reports

Maternal Haplogroup

Second, you may have evidence of Jewish ancestry in your mitochondrial haplogroup (also known as a maternal haplogroup), available in the MaternalHaplogroup report. The mitochondrial haplogroup is determined from your mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mothers to their children (Figure 2).

Four mitochondrial haplogroups are found at high frequency in people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and rarely found in non-Ashkenazi Europeans: N1b, K1a1b1a, K1a9, and K2a2a. Therefore, Europeans carrying one of these haplogroups likely have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry on their mothers-only line. However, approximately half of people with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry do not carry one of these four haplogroups, so having a different haplogroup does not mean you don't have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.

Figure 2. The maternal haplogroup is determined from your mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mothers to their children.

Paternal Haplogroup

Third, you may have evidence of Jewish ancestry in your Y-chromosome haplogroup (also known as a paternal haplogroup), available in the PaternalHaplogroup report. The Y-chromosome haplogroup is determined from the, which is passed from fathers to their sons (Figure 3). Only men have Y chromosomes, but if a close paternal relative (for example, your father, brother, or paternal uncle) has also been genotyped, you can learn about your paternal ancestry from his haplogroup.

As is the case for mitochondrial haplogroups, several Y-chromosome haplogroups are far more common among Ashkenazi Jews than among other Europeans. Carrying one of these paternal lineages may indicate Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.

Figure 3. The paternal haplogroup is determined from the Y chromosome, which is passed from fathers to their sons.

Important: You must provide your sample in and return your collection kit from the same country listed on your order.

Each collection kit comes with a prepaid shipping label affixed on the bottom of the box. Before preparing your sample for shipment, make sure to register your kit and replace the funnel lid with the screw-on cap. Your saliva sample is stable at a wide range of temperatures once it is mixed with the DNA stabilization buffer liquid, but we recommend that you ship your collected sample to the laboratory at your earliest convenience.

contacting Customer Care

The transportation supplies for your saliva sample are included in your kit. Simply place the collection tube containing your sample in the plastic specimen bag, and then place the bag directly into the box. The plastic clamshell should be discarded. Remove the adhesive strip on the kit flap and seal the kit.

Drop the package off at your nearest local post mailbox. The box is already pre-addressed and prepaid. We do not recommend taking your sample to a mail center as the representatives may not be familiar with our shipping materials and may erroneously charge extra fees.

If you have misplaced or discarded the return shipping supplies, please let us know by ; we will provide you with free replacement shipping materials. Only samples returned with the prepaid shipping materials provided by 23andMe will be processed.

Note: The distribution center will only accept samples delivered via the prepaid shipping materials we provide in your order.Do not attempt to drop off your sample directly at the distribution center or mail it directly to our lab as this may cause delays in transit and in analysis.

Your sample will first be shipped to our distribution center in Oss, Netherlands via local post, and then forwarded to our lab in North Carolina via FedEx. Tracking information for your returned sample will be available on your profile homepage after it reaches the distribution center and is on its way to the lab.

23andMe ships to the following countries and territories. If you do not see your country listed below, 23andMe is not available in your country. The availability of the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service depends on various issues such as transportation ease, local laws about genetic testing and sample transportation.

If your country is not listed, 23andMe cannot recommend our service to you or endorse alternative ways for you to receive our service. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Albania

American Samoa

Armenia

Australia

Austria*

Belarus

Belgium*

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria*

Canada

Croatia*

Cyprus*

Czech Republic*

Denmark*

Estonia*

Finland*

France*

Germany*

Greece*

Guam

Hungary*

Hong Kong

Iceland

Ireland*

Israel

Italy*

Latvia*

Liechtenstein

Lithuania*

Luxembourg*

Macedonia

Malta*

Moldova

Monaco

Netherlands*

New Zealand

Northern Mariana Islands

Norway

Poland*

Portugal*

Puerto Rico

Romania*

San Marino

Singapore

Slovakia*

Slovenia*

Spain*

Sweden*

Switzerland

United Kingdom*

United States

Vatican City

Virgin Islands, U.S.

*EU member state

23andMe offers standard and express delivery options.

Learn about the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service.

23andMe is an online service. You need a computer with Internet access to use our service and to view your genetic data. Throughout our website, we provide detailed information regarding the genotyping process and what you can expect or may experience from our service. Please review this information prior to purchasing. Your placement of an order from 23andMe constitutes your acceptance of our Terms of Service and your agreement that the policies below apply to your order, so be certain you understand them before placing your order.

Standard Refund Policy

If you request a refund, we will refund the balance of the total purchase price after subtracting your shipping and handling charges.

To receive a refund for an unused kit, you must notify us within thirty (30) days of placing your order in 23andMe’s online store that you request a refund and confirm that you have not yet shipped your saliva sample to our laboratory. Please review the refund restrictions and exclusions.

If you want to request a refund on your entire order, complete our online form.

If you are interested in refunding part of a multiple kit order, contact Customer Care.

In the event that you have had two sample failures, we will refund the purchase price of your kit minus shipping and handling charges. Learn more.

Restrictions and Exclusions

We will not issue a refund if (i) more than thirty (30) days have passed since your order was placed or (ii) if your saliva sample has been received at our laboratory. For kits purchased at a conference or event, 23andMe will only refund the lab fee paid directly to 23andMe. In the case of kits purchased through an authorized retailer, please consult the retailer’s refund policy to determine if your kit is eligible to receive a refund.

Health Upgrades from the Ancestry + Traits Service to the Health + Ancestry Service are non-refundable. Chip Upgrades are non-refundable.

Refund Processing

Any refunds provided under this policy will be issued to the same credit card(s) used for the purchase and will be processed within 21 business days of confirmation by our Customer Care team that the conditions of the refund have been met. If the purchasing card cannot be automatically refunded, a reward email will be sent giving the option to redeem a refund in the form of an Amazon or Visa egift card. At the time your refund is requested and we confirm that your sample has not already begun to be processed by our laboratory, we will invalidate your saliva collection kit and any sample sent to our laboratory using that kit will not be processed.

International orders paid for in US dollars are refunded at the exchange rate for USD effective at the time of the refund request. If a refund is issued after a change to the currency rate, customers may receive a refund amount greater or lesser than what they paid in their local currency. 23andMe is not responsible for currency rate changes that occur after the order is placed.

If a purchase of 2 or more kits is what qualifies your order for a discount and you request a refund on part of the order or if a sample fails analysis twice, the discounted kit price will be refunded first.

If you want to request a refund on your entire order, complete our online form.

If you are interested in refunding part of a multiple kit order, contact Customer Care.

There are several reasons why analysis of a sample may not be successful, and it is not always known why it is more difficult to analyze some samples over others. If necessary, the lab will make multiple attempts at all stages of the process in order to provide results; however, due to biological variability some people simply don't have a high enough concentration of DNA in their saliva for our technology to process.

If your sample has to repeat one of the processing steps, your sample status will update; both DNA extraction and genotyping may be repeated.

In the event of an analysis failure that requires a second sample be provided, you will see a notification within your account:

Review our full refund policy

Replacement Sample

You will also receive an email in the event a replacement needs to be requested. When submitting a replacement sample, we recommend reviewing the tips on providing a good sample, including:

Donoteat, drink, smoke, chew gum, brush your teeth, or use mouthwash for at least 30 minutes prior to providing your sample.

Collect the recommended volume of saliva.The recommended volume of saliva to provide is 2 mL, or about teaspoon. Your saliva sample should be just above the fill line.

Provide your sample and add the stabilization bufferwithin 30 minutes.The full saliva sample should be collected within 30 minutes and the funnel contents should be released into the tube immediately. Waiting longer than 30 minutes may decrease the yield and quality of your DNA.

Cap securely before shipping.Remember to remove and discard the funnel lid and place the tube cap on securely beforemailing your sample to our laboratory.

Receiving a Refund

In the event of a second sample failure, you will be able to request a refund for the purchase price of your kit after subtracting shipping and handling charges. .

23andMe orders typically ship 1-2 business days from the time of purchase. The 23andMe online store offers two shipping options - your shopping cart will display each method and the associated fees for your order. Your 23andMe order will include pre-paid return shipping supplies for each kit in your order as well as detailed return instructions.

Customers may select either of the following options for their order:

Standard Shipping:delivery within 4-5 business days from the date of shipment

Express Shipping: delivery within 3-4 business days from the date of shipment

Carrier

Est. Delivery Date

Shipping Price

Standard

PostNL

4-5 business days

9.99 / 9.99

Express *

DHL

3-4 business days

19.99 / 19.99

*Express shipping not available in the Netherlands. Orders ship from Oss, Netherlands and typically arrive to addresses in the Netherlands within 4 business days.

If your order does not arrive within the estimated timeframe, please allow an additional 2 business days before contacting Customer Support. Additionally, check with anyone who may have accepted your delivery, like other household members, neighbors, or someone who accepts mail for your building.

Please Note: Express shipping includes expedited shipping of the product purchased to the recipient and standard return shipping to the lab. We do not offer one-day or overnight return shipping options or expedited shipping to the lab.

Looking at your genetic data might uncover information that some people find surprising. This information can be relatively benign. At other times, the information you learn can have profound implications for both you and your family. 23andMe cannot provide you with an exhaustive list of all the unexpected things you might uncover during your genetic exploration, but in general these things fall into four main categories.

Health | Ancestry | Family | Relationships

Health

Each of us carries a large number of genetic variations - from differences at single DNA "letters" to duplications or deletions spanning entire chromosomes. Our Carrier Status * reports tell you about variants that may not affect your health, but could affect the health of your future family. Carrier status testing can look for some of these genetic variations that can cause inherited conditions. Being a carrier means that you have one variant for the inherited condition. Carriers typically don't have the condition but can pass the variant to their children. If you and your partner are both carriers for the same inherited condition, you may have a child with the condition. In addition, some genes are associated with more than one health condition or trait. You may learn that you are a carrier for a gene associated with multiple health conditions. Genetic counseling can help you understand your results and options. It is recommended before testing, and also if you are a carrier.

23andMe Health Predisposition * reports help you learn how your genetics can influence your chances for certain diseases. This category includes Genetic Health Risk * reports and reports based on original 23andMe Research Discoveries that are available exclusively to 23andMe customers. The Genetic Health Risk reports tell you if you have genetic variants associated with an increased risk of developing certain health conditions. Having a particular variant linked to a higher risk for a condition does not necessarily mean you will develop the condition. This is because other factors like lifestyle, environment, and family history can also affect your risk. For some of these conditions, prevention and treatment options may be available, but for others, these options may be limited or nonexistent. Learning that you have a genetic risk factor for a disease can be difficult and it is important to think about what this type of information could mean for you.

We encourage you to learn more so you can decide whether testing is right for you. A genetic counselor, a healthcare professional with special training in genetic conditions, will be able to answer your specic questions and help you make an informed decision. Talk to your healthcare provider or genetic counsellor.

If you are interested in connecting with a genetic counsellor we have provided links to counselling resources by region below:

UK and Ireland: The British Society for Genetic Medicine

The Netherlands: The Dutch Association of Genetic Counsellors

Sweden: Swedish Society of Medical Genetics

Finland: Finnish Society of Medical Genetics

Denmark: Danish Society of Medical Genetics

Ancestry

Genetic information can also tell you things about your ancestry and origins, and therefore about your relationship to other groups of people across the globe. Sometimes this information will confirm things you already know about your particular heritage or origins. At other times, this information might surprise you, and you might learn that you share a genetic history with unexpected groups.

Different people feel differently about this kind of information; some people are excited about these new connections and others take more time to integrate this information into their sense of self. As with much of the information you might uncover on your genetic voyage, how this new information makes you feel will depend on your personal viewpoint.

Family

Because our genes are part of our family heritage, genetic information can sometimes reveal things about our biological relationships to other family members. In the process of learning about your genetic makeup and comparing that with others, you may discover relatives who were previously unknown to you, these could be relatives you’ve been looking for and are excited to connect with or relatives (sometimes even close relatives like brothers or sisters) that you didn’t know existed. Your genetic profile can also lead you to other, distant branches of your family tree.

Genetic information can also reveal that someone you thought you were related to is not your biological relative. This happens most frequently in the case of paternity, where someone learns that their biological father is not who they thought it was.

Individuals who have donated sperm or egg(s), or are donor-conceived themselves should note that participating in the DNA Relatives feature may reveal previously unknown relationships including the potential of close biological relatives (such as a biological father, biological child, or siblings). Some individuals may be open to exploring new biological relationships and choose to opt in to the DNA Relatives feature, while others may wish to preserve their anonymity by choosing not to participate in the DNA Relatives feature.

The 23andMe DNA Relatives feature is an optional feature and requires customers to opt-in to the feature to access it. It is a popular, interactive feature that allows you to find and connect with genetic relatives and see specific DNA segments you share with them. The DNA Relatives feature can identify relatives on any branch of your recent family tree by taking advantage of the autosomal chromosomesthe 22 chromosomes that are passed down from your ancestors on both sides of your familyand the X chromosome.

Relationships

Because genetic information is hereditary, knowing something about your genetics also tells you something about those closely related to you. Your family may or may not want to know this information as well, and relationships with others can be affected by learning about your DNA.

Everyone has different tolerances and preferences for learning information. You might be surprised by a family member who would prefer not to know something you feel is important to share. At other times, you may learn something about yourself or your family that you would prefer to keep private. You may find yourself having to weigh sharing such information with other family members against your own desire for privacy - or their desire not to know.

If you have discovered something you did not anticipate, we strongly suggest reviewing our Unexpected Relationship resource for information on how to begin processing your results.

*The 23andMe PGS test includes health predisposition and carrier status reports. Health predisposition reports include both reports that meet US FDA requirements for genetic health risks and the 23andMe Type 2 Diabetes health predisposition report which is based on 23andMe research and has not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child's risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk and carrier status report, visit 23andme.com/test-info/.

Many 23andMe customers participate with their family members, including parents, siblings, spouses, and more. When registering your kits, you can choose to establish separate accounts for each individual or place all family members in one account. There are a few aspects to consider when choosing which type of account to set up.

Separate Accounts

If you choose to create separate accounts, then each person would have their own email address and password to log in. Even if you choose to share at the extended level, you would not be sharing the following information:

Search or download the other person's raw data.

View the other person's DNA Relatives.

If applicable, reports that are not compatible with the other person’s account or older versions of reports purchased prior to November 22, 2013.

If applicable, reports that require an additional consent such as Late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

Based upon how much information you wish to share and how frequently each person will be logging in, you can choose the method which will work best for you.

Learn more about registration.

Shared Account

If you choose to place all family members in a single account:

You will all share one email address and one password to log in.

Only one person can be logged into the shared account at any given time.

Access to all of each person's genetic data would be available to everyone who shares the account.

Each person will have a unique profile and each profile would have its own unique set of surveys.

Registration

To register a kit into an existing account, click here and sign in to enter your account credentials (email address and password).

After entering the kit barcode, you will be prompted to select whether you or someone else will be using the kit in question. In most instances, the individual registering should select "I will be using this kit." You should only select the other option if you will be registering on behalf of someone else, such as a child under 13 who cannot have his or her own account.

Navigation

Once you have registered profiles into a shared account,you will be able to navigate between profiles by selecting the profile name in the upper right corner and then clicking the desired profile from the list.Note that for accounts with more than 3 profiles, you will first need to select Switch Profiles from the dropdown menu.

Sharing

When sending sharing invitations to friends or relatives in the Your Connections and DNA Relatives features, the recipient of that sharing invitation will only be able to see the reports for the profile you included in that invitation. However, you will be able to view the established sharing connection from any profile in your account. As an example, if you send a sharing request from your profile, the connection will appear as an option in the Your Connections feature for all profiles in your account not just the profile that you shared back with that person.

Because of this functionality, accounts with multiple profiles may see sharing connections in the Your Connections feature that do not share segments of DNA with each profile in the account.

Many 23andMe customers participate with their family members, including parents, children, siblings, or spouses. When registering your kits, you can choose to place all family members in one account or establish separate accounts for each individual.

If you choose to place all family members in a single account, you will all share one email address and one password to log in. Only one person can be logged into the shared account at any given time. Access to all of each person's genetic data would be available to everyone who shares the account. In this case, each person has a unique profile and each profile would have its own unique set of surveys.

To navigate between profiles in a shared account, follow these steps:

Click on the profile name in the upper right of any 23andMe page.

Select the desired profile from the list. Note that for accounts with more than 3 profiles, you will first need to selectSwitch Profilesfrom the dropdown menu.

Note: This article is applicable to residents of the United Kingdom.

23andMe is a long-time supporter of efforts to prevent genetic discrimination and to safeguard individuals' genetic privacy. 23andMe will not provide any person’s data (genetic or non-genetic) to an insurance company.

We understand that fear of discrimination by insurance companies is one of the main reasons people hesitate to pursue genetic testing. We want to ensure our UK customers understand the legal protections against genetic discrimination, as well as their limitations.

What is the Concordat and Moratorium on Genetics and Insurance?

The Concordat and Moratorium on Genetics and Insurance is a voluntary agreement (‘the Concordat’) between the UK Government and the ABI (Association of British Insurers) that prevents insurance companies from accessing or using genetic test results in making insurance coverage and rate decisions. Predictive genetic tests ordered directly by consumers from commercial providers, such as 23andMe, are covered by this agreement.

Under the agreement, individuals will not be required to reveal the results of any predictive genetic test unless the test is first approved by the Genetics and Insurance Committee (GAIC). Currently, the GIAC has only approved the use of genetic tests for Huntington’s disease by life insurance companies. As such, insurance companies may require individuals to provide their Huntington’s disease test results if the individual is applying for life insurance policies worth in excess of 500,000. 23andMe does not provide a report on Huntington’s disease.

The Concordat came into effect on 14 March 2005. The Moratorium came into effect on 1 November 2001. These policy safeguards will be in place until November 2019.

Additional Resources:

Full text of the The Concordat and Moratorium on Genetics and Insurance can be found here.

Genetic Tests and Insurance: What you need to know

Consumer guide for people considering taking a genetic test and wondering how it could affect their insurance.

Insurance and genetic conditions

What information you must disclose to insurance companies, what you do not need to disclose, and what your GP can give to the Insurance company with your permission.

Sample transit times to the lab vary depending on your region. You must provide your sample and return your kit from the same country listed on your order. To view sample transit information, please select your country from the list below:

Denmark

Finland

Ireland

Sweden

The Netherlands

United Kingdom

My country is not listed

Samples typically reach the lab within 2-4 weeks.

Your sample will first be returned to our distribution center in Oss, Netherlands via local post and then forwarded in bulk to our laboratory via FedEx. There may be a slight delay from the time your sample is received by the distribution center and when it is shipped to our laboratory. It is not uncommon for samples to be held at our distribution center for up to 1 week. Tracking information for your returned sample will be only available on your profile homepage after it reaches the distribution center.

You will receive an email when our laboratory receives your kit and scans the kit barcode.

Delivered vs. Received

There is typically a delay between the time a sample is marked as "delivered" on the tracking information and the time it is scanned as “received” by the lab. Occasionally, this delay can take up to 2 weeks. A kit is marked as “received” by our system when it is physically opened at the lab and the kit barcode is scanned - this process is referred to as accessioning.

It is not unusual for kits shipped at the same time to be received at the lab at different times. You will receive an email when our laboratory completes the accessioning process and scans your kit barcode. The status of your sample will also update on your profile homepage.

Unregistered Samples

Depending on where your kit was originally purchased, there are different ways that unregistered samples are addressed:

For kits purchased directly through our online store:

If the laboratory receives a sample kit that has not yet been registered to an account, the kit barcode and registration instructions will be sent to the email address associated with the order.

For kits received as a gift:

If you received your kit as a gift and suspect that your sample was accidentally sent in before you registered it to your account, we first advise you to contact the purchaser to see if they have received this notification email.

Once you have your kit barcode, you can register your sample collection tube by visiting https://www.23andme.com/start.

For kits purchased through one of our authorized retailers:

Unregistered kits purchased from an authorized retailer are automatically invalidated upon arrival at the lab. This is because we are unable to determine whose sample is contained within each unregistered kit.

If you purchased your kit from one of our retailers but you accidentally mailed your kit before it was registered to your account, contact us for assistance.

Learn more about registering your sample.

If your order was shipped to the United States and you provided your sample from within the United States, visit our US Help Center.

If your order was shipped to a country not already listed, please visit our International Help Centre.

Select your location:

Canada

Denmark

Finland

Ireland

Sweden

The Netherlands

United Kingdom

Canada

For certain customers, local restrictions mean that participation in 23andMe Research is not available. Your profile will be restricted from 23andMe Research if your kit was shipped to a research-restricted location.

We are pausing our research program in Canada while we make changes that will require submitting a new IRB protocol. This pause in our research efforts will not impact the results we deliver to you. This simply means that if you previously consented to participate in Research, we will not be including your genetic data in any of our research projects at this time.

While our research program is paused, the research consent setting will not be available within the Account Settings section of the site.

For certain customers, local restrictions mean that participation in 23andMe Research is not available. Your profile will be restricted from 23andMe Research if your kit was shipped to a research-restricted location.

23andMe aims to make and support scientific discoveries to advance our understanding of the role of genetics in many traits and conditions. We strive to publish those discoveries in scientific journals, and help pave the way towards prevention and treatments. By participating in 23andMe research activities, you contribute valuable data that helps us in this objective. At the same time, you can learn about some of our research findings and how your answers compare with other participants. Research activities (surveys, questions, tests) are accessible through the Research tab located at the top of your homepage.

Research tab

Survey Basics | Your Participation | Discoveries

Survey Basics

Where can I view a full list of available surveys and questions?

Questions are automatically loaded in your question stream as you continue to provide answers. Each time you visit the Research page in your account, you will be presented with unanswered questions, until you have answered them all.

How can I find more information about the survey I'm taking?

Each survey that appears in your question stream includes a brief summary of the topic.

Do you offer surveys in a printable form?

We are currently unable to provide printable surveys because of the way survey questions are generated. Many of our surveys are generated based on the answers users provide to previous survey questions. So while there may be 300 total possible questions in a survey, any one user might only be presented with a dozen or so, depending on their answers to previous questions. Thus, one user's "Allergies" survey experience may end up being very different from another user's "Allergies" survey experience. Presenting this personalized survey experience to each user - based on their previous answers - would be very difficult to achieve in paper form.

Can I edit or review my answers?

You can edit or review your answers to Research questions at any time by clicking here or by logging into your account and hovering over the Research tab located at the top of your homepage. You will see Search & Edit and you will be directed to a list of all editable questions relevant to your profile.

You can search for a specific topic or term of interest, or use the filters located on the left side of the page. These filters allow you to search for completed and incomplete surveys and quick questions. You can also filter through surveys and quick questions independently. If you search for a term that appears in both a quick question and a survey, both will be surfaced for you. If the topic or term appears in a survey, you can click on the name of the survey to see which questions in the survey match your search term.

Some surveys will not appear on this page and are not available for edits because the survey has been closed. Additionally, you may see some surveys listed in your account that you are not eligible to answer at that time. These surveys may only be available to customers that are enrolled in a specific research study.

Your Participation

What do I get in return for taking surveys?

By answering online survey questions and allowing researchers to combine your genetic data with millions of other data points, you can help drive scientific and medical discoveries. You have access to Discoveries within your account. These may show how your responses compare to other 23andMe users or may showcase 23andMe findings made possible thanks to the contribution of customers like you. Additionally, you can locate the papers 23andMe has published using consenting customer data from within your account.

Am I required to participate in Research activities?

No, your participation in 23andMe Research and responding to any survey, quick question, or test is completely optional. You can change your research consent selection at any time from within your account settings.

Why is genetic research valuable?

By comparing people who do and do not have a specific condition or disease, genetic research can help identify new or unexpected factors that influence when and how a disease develops and whom it affects. This knowledge can lead to novel therapies or treatments. For example, genetic markers associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have revealed that inflammation plays a key role in this common cause of vision loss. Based on these findings, drug treatments that target inflammation are now being investigated for AMD.

If I do not have the condition in the survey, why should I complete a survey on that condition?

Your answers are very valuable even if you do not have a certain disease or condition. For our genetic research, we need to compare people who have a condition to those who do not. By completing surveys - even if you don't think they apply to you - you can serve as a research control.

Discoveries

What are discoveries?

Discoveries are a way for us to share interesting data and findings from 23andMe with you. These can be early discoveries 23andMe has made, or more background on the genetics of a particular topic or trait. You can find these discoveries from the Research tab in your account. Keep in mind that they are preliminary and are meant for informational purposes only.

You can access 23andMe Research Discoveries from the in your account.

Important: Processing times are estimates, and should not be considered a guarantee that your results will be returned by a particular date. While samples are processed in the order in which they are received, some samples may require additional steps to be processed successfully, therefore extending the processing time.

Sample processing takes approximately 2-3 weeks from the time your sample is received at the lab. You can find up-to-date information regarding your sample status by logging into your 23andMe account.

log in to your 23andMe account

In addition, you will receive email notifications at the address associated with your 23andMe account for the following processing milestones:

When your sample has been received at the lab

In the event of an analysis failure due to insufficient DNA or a low call rate

When your results are complete and available to view within your 23andMe account

As soon as processing is complete, the labwill report your data to 23andMe. We will then compute your results and make them available to you through our website. You must on our secure website to view your information. We do not include a printed report through the mail or provide your results by email.

The 23andMe online store uses an address verification system to verify shipping locations.

Sometimes a valid address cannot be verified at our store because it isn't yet listed in the system. If you are certain that your shipping address is correct, feel free to proceed with your order. Alternatively, you may purchase through one of our authorized retailers.

This article will discuss some conditions that are not included in 23andMe reports.

The 23andMe PGS test is not intended for diagnosis of disease or condition, pediatric, prenatal or pre-implementation purposes. For testing related to a personal or family history of a particular genetic disease, please consult a healthcare provider in order to ensure that you are pursuing the most appropriate test for your personal situation. Although we recognize there is interest in reports on the following topics, reports are not available on any of the following topics. The list below is not comprehensive, and conditions not listed here are not in our current 23andMe reports.

Drug response (for example: CYP2D6 and certain HLA alleles)

Copy number variations (CNVs), balanced rearrangements and mosaicism

MTHFR analysis, such as a targeted mutation analysis, methylation analysis or detox profile

Genes are recipes that provide the instructions for how our bodies work. The instructions are spelled out using 4 letters, A, T, G, or C, called nucleotides. The technology 23andMe uses looks for specific typos (variants) in the gene instructions (called SNPs or Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms). This approach to testing, called genotyping, is not designed to identify all potential variants.

23andMe is not designed to analyze for repeated, inserted, inverted, translocated or deleted segments of DNA. In most cases we cannot provide information about copy number or other genetic features that are related to the number or order of base pairs present. The 23andMe service cannot address:

Trisomies (for example trisomy 21 also known as Down syndrome) and copy number variations

Trinucleotide repeat disorders (for example Fragile X, Huntington’s disease)

Repeats, insertions, rearrangements or deletions

Trisomies and copy number variations

Typically people have 23 pairs of chromosomes. The first 22 pairs are numbered 1-22 and the 23rd pair, known as the sex chromosomes, are either XX for females or XY for males. Within each pair you receive one copy from mother and the other from dad. In some cases, a person may inherit an extra chromosome. The presence of three copies of a particular chromosome, rather than the usual two copies, is called a trisomy. Examples of trisomies include: Down syndrome (trisomy 21), and Klinefelter syndrome (XXY).

It is possible to have a trisomy, such as Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) and not be aware. In addition, it is possible to have a partial trisomy where an extra copy of just part of a chromosome has been inherited. This can be referred to as a partial trisomy or a copy number variant (because the number of copies is different than typically expected). When we analyze a person’s DNA and more than two copies of a gene or chromosome is present, our algorithms report a result for just two of the three or more copies. Thus, our algorithms cannot reliably determine from the raw genotype data whether three chromosomes are indeed present. A "Not determined" result may happen more frequently for markers in regions affected by copy number variation, but "Not determined" may also occur for other reasons.

Trinucleotide repeat disorders

We know that some genes have trinucleotide repeats, groups of three letters (e.g. CAG) that repeat over and over. However there is a limit to the number of times these trinucleotide repeats can be repeated without disrupting the gene and causing disease. Disorders that are caused by an abnormal number of repeats include Huntington's Disease and Fragile X syndrome.

The genotyping platform 23andMe uses is not capable of detecting trinucleotide repeats and therefore 23andMe does not include any reports on trinucleotide repeat disorders. Nor is there relevant data related to trinucleotide repeat disorders in the raw data.

Repeats, insertions, translocations or deletions

Disorders resulting from the addition or loss of genetic material (from part of one gene to hundreds of genes) includes DiGeorge syndrome (aka 22q11.2 deletion syndrome) and Cri du Chat syndrome (5p- where part of chromosome 5 is missing). In addition, the majority of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) cases are due to loss of genetic material (in each case just part of the gene is missing).

As our technology is not designed to analyze for repeated, inserted, inverted, translocated or deleted segments of DNA, in most cases we cannot provide information about copy number or other genetic features that are related to the number or order of base pairs present.

For more information about some of these conditions and where to inquire about testing, visit the resources below:

International Huntington Associations

The Fragile X Society

Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Lynch Syndrome International

We are excited to announce that in October 2019 we added new regional populations to our Ancestry Composition feature!

Central & South Asian Regional Populations

The Central & South Asian regional populations have increased from one (1) Broadly South Asian population to seven (7) regional populations. Below you can find the Central & South Asian populations available in Ancestry Composition:

Central Asian (New)

Northern Indian & Pakistani (New)

Bengali & Northeast Indian (New)

Gujarati Patidar (New)

Southern Indian Subgroup (New)

Malayali Subgroup (New)

Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (New)

Broadly Central & South Asian (New)

Broadly Central Asian, Northern Indian & Pakistani (New)

Broadly Southern South Asian (New)

Western Asian & North African

The Western Asian & North African regional populations increased from two (2) populations to eight (8) regional populations. Below you can find the Western Asian & North African regional population available in Ancestry Composition:

North African (New)

Egyptian (New)

Coptic Egyptian (New)

Cypriot (New)

Anatolian (New)

Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian (New)

Peninsular Arab (New)

Levantine (New)

Broadly Western Asian & North African (New)

Broadly Arab, Egyptian & Levantine (New)

Broadly Northern West Asian (New)

What is the Ancestry Composition report?

The Ancestry Composition report estimates what percent of your DNA comes from each of 45 reference populations worldwide, reaching back about 500 years. It also tells you about your connection to Recent Ancestor Locations, which are specific countries around the world where one or more of your ancestors likely lived within the last 200 years. Both of these analyses look at DNA you inherited from ancestors on both sides of your family.

The information available to you from your 23andMe Personal Genome Service is presented only in the context of our web-based tools and features. 23andMe is exclusively an online service, and we do not provide a printed or printable report via mail or email.

In order to participate in the service, you need to have a valid email address from which you can send and receive messages. You will also need access to a computer or mobile device that connects to the internet.

The 23andMe website supports the latest versions of Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. We recommend using the most up-to-date browser version available.If the system that you use does not support an upgrade to the latest version of your preferred browser, we recommend downloading Chrome for the best site experience.

In order to enjoy all of 23andMe's website content and features,the following settings are also required:

JavaScript enabled in your browser

The latest version of Adobe Flash Player installed

Cookies enabled in your browser

Please ensure that you are using one of the supported configurations above. If you experience site issues while using a supported configuration, keep in mind that some extensions or add-ons may compromise compatibility with our site, and trying a different browser may resolve the issue.

Important: The raw data provided by 23andMe has undergone a general quality review however only a subset of markers have been individually validated for accuracy. The data from 23andMe’s Browse Raw Data feature is suitable only for informational use and not for medical, diagnostic or other use. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any major lifestyle changes.

Accessing Your Raw Data

You can access your raw genetic data within your 23andMe account one of three ways:

Navigate directly to you.23andme.com/tools/data/

Click on Resource in the footer at the bottom of your homepage, and select Browse Raw Data from the available resources.

Visit your Account Settings and click on “View” under 23andMe Data. You will see a blue “Download Raw Data” button which will redirect you to the download raw data page.

The main view of the Browse Raw Data feature shows the same pictorial representation of each chromosome including a Y chromosome for all users. It is important to note that except in rare genetic cases, women do not inherit a Y chromosome and will see “not determined” for markers found on the Y chromosome.

Downloading Your Raw Data

To download your raw data, click on the Download tab from the top navigation bar within the Browse Raw Data tool and scroll down until you see the “Submit request” button. You will receive an email to the email address associated with your 23andMe account when your raw data download file is ready. Typically files are ready within 1 hour.

Take me to Raw Data Download.

Utility

The text file consists of lines of your genotype call data (your A's, T's, C's and G's). Keep in mind that having your data in hand may be of limited practical usefulness, depending on how much information you can extract from the data beyond what the 23andMe site already gives you.

Raw Data Text Document Example

Locating Your Downloaded File

After you submit a request for your raw data file, you will be emailed when the file is ready to download. Just follow the instructions provided in the “Your 23andMe raw data download is ready!” email.

The Raw Data file will be downloaded in the form of a zipped (.zip) text file, and its name begins with the word genome. If you are having trouble locating your raw data file, try searching your computer for a file containing the word “genome”. Once you have located your file in your Downloads folder or on your Desktop, you will need to double click or right click on the file to unzip it. An unzipped version of the file will then be located in your Downloads or Desktop folders.

Some computers may automatically unzip the file for you, in these cases, you will need to look for the text (.txt) file instead of the zipped (.zip) file.

Once you have located and unzipped your file, it can be opened in a text editor like WordPad or Excel.

In the 23andMe DNA Relatives feature, we estimate the genealogical relationship between two individuals. We do this by comparing your autosomal DNA (chromosomes 1-22) and X chromosome(s) with other 23andMe members who are participating in the DNA Relatives feature.

While the autosomal DNA is inherited in the same way for both genders, the X chromosome is not:

Autosomal DNA is inherited equally from both parents for both men and women.

Learn more

The X chromosome is a sex chromosome; women inherit an X chromosome from each parent, while men only receive an X chromosome from his mother. In men, the X chromosome is paired with the Y chromosome - which is only inherited from his father.

The Y chromosome is not used by the 23andMe DNA Relatives feature to detect matches.

We say that two individuals share DNA when both individuals inherited the same DNA from the same ancestor. For example, you and your sister share DNA that you both inherited from the same parent. You and your first cousin share DNA inherited from your mutual grandparents. The 23andMe DNA Relatives feature uses patterns of DNA sharing to estimate relationships.

In this article, we will discuss in more detail:

What we mean by "relative"

How the DNA Relatives feature detects a genetic relative

The probability that the DNA Relatives feature will be able to detect a genetic relationship

How the DNA Relatives feature predicts a genetic relationship

The average percent DNA shared by relationship

Common questions

What we mean by relative?

Strictly speaking, two individuals are relatives if they have a common ancestor. Therefore, all humans are relatives by definition. However, in practice, the word relative is restricted to individuals who share recent ancestors. For example, you and your first cousin have the same grandparents, while you and your second cousin have the same great-grandparents. When we say relative, we are referring to individuals who share recent ancestors, and when we say that two individuals are unrelated in this help article, we mean that their common ancestor is 9 or more generations back.

Finding genetic relatives

The first step towards finding your genetic relatives is searching our database for individuals with whom you share DNA. This is not a trivial task since we all share many small DNA segments with each other. However, on average you share longer stretches of DNA with your relatives than with unrelated individuals.

Our simulations have concluded that we can confidently detect related individuals if they have at least one continuous region of matching SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) that is longer than our minimum threshold of 7cM (centiMorgans) long and at least 700 SNPs.

Using that criteria, we estimate the likelihood of detecting a genetic relationship with a 3rd cousin to be approximately 90\%, The table below shows the average likelihood of detecting cousins of different degrees:

Cousin relationship

Probability of detecting

1st Cousin or closer

~100\%

2nd Cousin

>99\%

3rd Cousin

~90\%

4th Cousin

~45\%

5th Cousin

~15\%

6th Cousin and beyond

<5\%

The more distant the relationship, the less likely it is that a genetic relationship will be detected. Distant relatives are less likely to be detected because fewer of them share DNA segments long enough to meet our threshold. Even though the likelihood of detecting distant cousins is low, you will most likely have many distant cousins listed in the DNA Relatives feature. This is because you have more distant cousins than close ones.

Predicting a Relationship

The DNA Relatives feature estimates a predicted relationship and range using the number of segments and percent DNA shared.

In general, you share more segments and a larger percentage of DNA with close relatives than with distant ones.

A notable exception to this general rule is a parent and child relationship. If you are female, you share 23 segments with each parent, and each segment spans the entire chromosome. If you are male, you share 22 segments with father (since the DNA Relatives feature does not use the Y chromosome) and 23 segments with your mother. While you might share more segments with your brother or first cousin than with your father, those segments will be shorter.

The vast majority of genetic relatives found by the DNA Relatives feature share a common ancestorwithin the last five to ten generations. A few may be more distantly related. A predicted relationship is provided to help you locate your likely recent common ancestor. The predicted relationship uses the percent DNA shared and the number of segments to predict your likely relationship with that relative. In some cases, multiple relationships overlap in the number of segments and percentage DNA shared. Due to this overlap, some relationships can be difficult to pinpoint or can show a predicted relationship that differs from your known relationship with that relative. For distant relationships, we report uncertainty by also showing a relationship range.

We label individuals whose degree of relationship is difficult to estimate due to the small amount of DNA shared as "distant cousins".

Lastly, if the predicted relationship is not what you know the relationship to be, you can set the known relationship instead. You can do this by clicking on the predicted relationship in the DNA Relatives feature.

Percent DNA Shared by Relationship

To help in interpreting your results in the DNA Relatives feature, the following summarizes the average percent (\%) DNA shared for different types of relationships. You may notice that several relationships share the same average percent (\%) DNA.

Relationship

Average \% DNA Shared

Range [ 1 ]

Identical Twin

100\%

N/A

Parent / Child

Full Sibling

50\%

Varies by specific relationship

Grandparent / Grandchild

Aunt / Uncle

Niece / Nephew

Half Sibling

25\%

Varies by specific relationship

1stCousin

12.5\%

7.31\% - 13.8\%

1st Cousin once removed

6.25\%

3.3\% - 8.51\%

2nd Cousin

3.13\%

2.85\% - 5.04\%

2nd Cousin once removed

1.5\%

0.57\% - 2.54\%

3rd Cousin

0.78\%

0.3\% - 2.0\%

4th Cousin

0.20\%

0.07\% - 0.5\%

5th Cousin

0.05\%

Variable

6th Cousin

0.01\%

Variable

You can find a list of the average percent of autosomal DNA shared by close relatives on the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) website.

[1] The observed ranges by known relationship reported by 23andMe customers on the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) website.

Common Questions

Can DNA Relatives distinguish between a full and half-sibling?

Yes, your relationship to your sibling would be labeled as "Siblings" if full or "Half-siblings" if partial. The DNA Relatives feature uses the length and number of identical segments to predict the relationship between people. Full siblings share approximately 50\% of their DNA, while half-siblings share approximately 25\% of their DNA.

Why isn't an expected relative listed in DNA Relatives?

There are a couple of reasons why an expected relative would not be listed in the DNA Relatives feature:

Your relative is not participating in the DNA Relatives feature. Participation in this feature is optional. If your relative has selected not to participate, he or she will not be listed as a relative. Learn more

Your list has not yet been updated to show the relative. There may be a delay between when a genetic relative is added to the DNA Relatives database and when he or she can be seen in your list. Frequently visiting this feature will help keep your list up-to-date.

A genetic relationship could not be found. This is more likely to happen if the expected relative is a distant cousin with whom you share short segments. There is nothing wrong with sharing short segments with distant cousins. In fact, this is expected because of the randomness associated with how DNA is passed over generations. However, confidently detecting short segments is harder than long ones, and we might not be able to find all of the short segments. The probability of detecting a relationship decreases as the number of generations between two individuals increases. We can detect a first cousin or closer relationship with a probability of approximately 100\%. Learn more

Why is my half-sibling predicted as an aunt/uncle/grandparent?

The DNA Relatives feature estimates a Predicted Relationship and range using the number of segments and percent DNA shared. Different relationships can share the same percentage of DNA.

Half-siblings share the same percentage of DNA as:

An uncle and a niece or nephew

An aunt and a niece or nephew

A grandparent and grandchild

If a Predicted Relationship doesn't match your known relationship, you can update the relationship by clicking on the Predicted Relationship and choosing the correct relationship from the drop-down menu. Learn more

DNA Relatives says we are third cousins, but I know our relationship must be more distant. How can this happen?

For more distant relationships, the Predicted Relationship should be treated as an estimate, and you should use the Relationship Range as the bounds of the relationship. The reason lies in the random nature of DNA transmission across generations. On average, you will share more DNA with a third cousin than fourth; however, a few fourth cousins could share more DNA with you than a particular third cousin shares with you. As an example, a maternal fourth cousin might share more autosomal DNA with you than a paternal third cousin.

Because of DNA’s random nature, pinpointing the exact relationship for more distant cousinships can be difficult. Additionally, some populations have higher than average DNA sharing, which can skew the Predicted Relationship to a closer relationship.

Are you categorizing cousins differently for people with Ashkenazi ancestry?

Yes, we are making relationship predictions that take into account the higher than average DNA sharing found in people with Ashkenazi ancestry. In many of these cases, this results in a "distant" cousin prediction.

How can a child have a match that doesn't appear in either of their parents' DNA Relatives?

It does happen that a child sometimes shows a match that's not visible in either parent. In these cases, it's almost always the case that the match is indeed present in one of the parents, but the segment identification algorithm has missed the segment in the parent. This typically happens with short segments, where it is more likely that a candidate segment will fall just under one of the algorithm's thresholds.

Am I related to my spouse?

If you are seeing a few regions of identity or half-identity between two unrelated people, that does not necessarily mean that the people are recently related.

It is possible that the relationship is very distant in time and the two people happened to inherit the same piece of DNA from a long-gone ancestor. Finally, it is possible that our algorithm detected a matching segment between two individuals that do not share a recent common ancestor. This is more likely to happen when both people come from a genetically homogeneous population. For example, two people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry may often have regions of common ancestry, because many Ashkenazi Jews are actually distant (fifth or sixth) cousins, sharing multiple common ancestors many generations ago.

As scientific knowledge improves and our database grows we will be able to provide increasingly precise and accurate estimates.

We're here to help! Below are a few ways you can speak with a Customer Care Representative:

1-800-309-8081

Email

Phone Support

Monday - Friday 3am-8pm PT

Saturday and Sunday 8am-4pm PT

Important: Our estimated sample processing time is 2-3 weeks from the time your sample reaches the lab. Actual sample processing times may vary.

Your 23andMe profile homepage displays the status of your sample kit as it moves through each step of processing, from the time you order to the time you receive your results. Results typically take 2-3 weeks from the time a registered sample is received at the lab.

your account

Step 1: Register your kit

Before you submit your sample, make sure to register your kit to a 23andMe account.To begin, visit www.23andme.com/start.

Step 2: Sample arrived at the lab

Samples typically reach the lab within 2-4 weeks. Your sample will be returned to our distribution center in Oss, Netherlands via local post and then forwarded in bulk to our laboratory located in Burlington, North Carolina via FedEx. Tracking information for your returned sample will be available on your profile homepage after it reaches the distribution center and is on its way to the lab.

We'll send you an email when your sample is received at the lab and the barcode has been scanned. Once a sample is received, it enters the queue for processing.

Step 3-4: Prepping Your Sample and Extracting Your DNA

These steps include the time a sample spends in the queue at the lab, as well as the visual inspection of your sample, DNA extraction, and amplification of DNA from your sample. If your sample does not yield sufficient quantities of DNA, this step may be repeated.

Step 5:Genotyping

This step refers to the analysis of your saliva sample. We genotype your sample on our custom microarray chip.

Step 6: Reviewing the Data

Quality review is where the data returned from a set of samples is reviewed to ensure that it meets our standards for call rate and accuracy. If your sample does not yield a call rate that meets our standards, this step may be repeated.

Step 7: Final Computation

Samples proceed to this step after they pass quality review. This step compares sample data with the rest of the 23andMe database to generate results for features like DNA Relatives.

Step 8: Results Ready

Once the computation step is complete, data is loaded into and your reports are made available. You will receive an email when your results are ready.

Important: For certain customers, participation in 23andMe Research is not available.

23andMe gives you the opportunity to participate in research that could improve understanding of how genetics influences our lives.

When you register your 23andMe kit, you choose whether or not to give consent to participate in research. You may review or update your research consent choice at any time from within your 23andMe account.

Your consent selection is displayed on your Account Settings page;to change your consent, click the change consent link.

Giving consentmeans that you agree to let 23andMe researchers use your Genetic & Self-Reported Information in an aggregated form by 23andMe for peer-reviewed scientific research."Genetic & Self-Reported Information" refers to:

Your genetic data

Information you enter into surveys, forms and other features labeled with the 23andMe Research logo

Data you authorize us to import for research

Your age and ethnicity

Your name and contact information are not analyzed in combination with your genetic and other personal information, and are not shared with external research partners. 23andMe will never release your individual-level data to any third party without asking for and receiving your explicit authorization to do so. For more details about research consent and privacy, you can review the complete consent document here.

If you choose to opt out of research, any of your data that have already been entered into a study cannot be withdrawn, but your data will not be included in studies that start more than 30 days after you withdraw.

We have some exciting news! On October 1, 2019, 23andMe updated its ancestry offering to include traitreports for customers with an order shipping to an address in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, or Ireland.

Existing Ancestry Service customers who received their results before October 1, 2019, will receive the 30+ Trait reports in his or her account in the coming weeks. If you purchased the Ancestry Service and are sharing at the Ancestry + Health level, your Traits reports will automatically be shared with your connection after October 15, 2019. If you prefer not to share Traits reports, you can change the sharing level to Ancestry Only anytime.

New Ancestry + Traits Service customers or existing Ancestry Service customers who receive results after October 1, 2019, will receive the 30+ Traits reports when results become available in his or her account.

Find out how your genetics shape your chances. Explore 30+ more 23andMe Trait reports.

Traits Report Name

Bunions (only available for new, V4, and V5 customers)

Flat Feet (only available for new, V4, and V5 customers)

Fear of Public Speaking (only available for new, V4, and V5 customers)

Ice Cream Flavor Preference (only available for new, V4, and V5 customers)

Ability to Match Musical Pitch

Asparagus Odor Detection

Cheek Dimples

Cleft Chin

Dandruff

Earlobe Type

Earwax Type

Eye Color

Fear of Heights

Finger Length Ratio

Freckles

Hair Photobleaching

Hair Texture

Hair Thickness

Light or Dark Hair

Misophonia

Mosquito Bite Frequency

Motion Sickness

Newborn Hair

Photic Sneeze Reflex

Red Hair

Skin Pigmentation

Stretch Marks

Toe Length Ratio

Unibrow

Widow's Peak

Navigate to Traits reports.

A maternal haplogroup is a family of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that traces back to a single common ancestor. Your maternal haplogroup assignment is based on your mitochondrial DNA, which you inherited from your mother. The Maternal Haplogroup report tells you about your maternal-line ancestors, from your mother through her mother and beyond. Both males and females inherit their mitochondrial DNA and, therefore, their haplogroup assignment from their mothers. Haplogroups are defined by specific sets of shared genetic variation. Be sure to check out our “ Getting Started with the Haplogroup Reports ” for a brief overview of this report and where to find the report within your account.

Learn more about paternal haplogroups

Maps | Naming Structure | Phylogenetic Tree | Science Behind | Common Questions

Maternal Haplogroup Maps

The Maternal Haplogroup report displays a series of maps showing the migration of humans with a certain haplogroup. These maps reflect human migration over tens of thousands of years, a period in which humans migrated from eastern Africa to inhabit every continent on Earth except Antarctica. As they spread out geographically, they also diversified genetically. When a genetic variant arises in an individual and is passed down through the maternal lines, it will be present in living descendants.

Since members of a haplogroup tend to be found in the same region of the world, your maternal haplogroup can say something about where some of your maternal-line ancestors lived. Geneticists use global haplogroup distributions to trace significant events in human prehistory, such as the migration of people to the Americas or the expansion of agriculture from the Middle East. In many cases, we can offer accounts of where and when a haplogroup originated.

Maternal Haplogroup Naming Structure

Maternal haplogroups begin with a capital letter (occasionally two) that designates a major branch of the mitochondrial DNA tree. That capital letter is often followed by a series of numbers and lower-case letters, each corresponding to a subsequent branch of the tree.

All lineages of a subgroup share one or more mutations, but sometimes there are a few lineages that don't fit into any named subgroup of a haplogroup. Since there isn't a known mutation linking these lineages, they don't get their own subgroup. Instead, these lineages are given the main haplogroup label plus a star (*) to indicate that they are part of the main haplogroup but don't fit into any of the known subgroups. An example of these "star" lineages is I1*. Sometimes new research leads to the discovery of mutations that link several of the "star" lineages. When that happens the lineages get a new name and lose their "star" designation.

Phylogenetic Tree

Maternal haplogroups are named with sequences of letters and numbers that reflect the structure of the tree and how the branches relate to one another. The framework used to identify different haplogroups, and how they relate, is called a phylogenetic tree. To see your haplogroup highlighted in a phylogenetic tree, click " Scientific Details " located near the top of the page.

At the left edge of the tree is the most recent common female-line ancestor (MRCA) of all living people. Though she was one of perhaps thousands of women alive at the time, only the diverse branches of her haplogroup (L) have survived to today. The story of your maternal line begins with her.

To the the right are her descendants. Each major branch of each tree is named with a letter, and deeper branches within the tree are labeled with sequences of numbers and letters. Each branch is thousands or tens of thousands of years old.

You may notice that some haplogroups are solid circles, while others are not. Haplogroups with additional subgroups have solid circles located under the haplogroup label; click the solid circle to reveal any subgroups. There may be additional expandable haplogroups, so keep an eye out for more solid circles. Clicking on the tree and dragging enables you to move the tree around to view different sections.

Science Behind

Haplogroup is the term scientists use to describe a group of mitochondrial (maternal haplogroups) or Y-chromosome (paternal haplogroup) sequences that are more closely related to one another than to others. The term haplogroup is a combination of haplotype and group. In this context, haplotype refers either to the DNA sequence of one's mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from one's mother, or to the DNA sequence of one's Y chromosome, which is passed from fathers to their sons. Due to their unusual pattern of inheritance, the mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome contain information about your maternal and paternal lines, respectively. But together, they make up less than 1\% of all your DNA, and only represent a small fraction of your ancestry.

Maternal haplogroups are assigned by detecting certain genetic variants unique to each haplogroup. Our platform probes single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are known to vary from one person to the next. These SNPs, selected because they are common and/or useful in determining your particular maternal haplogroup, include some in the coding region as well as some in the Hypervariable Region. While these SNPs yield a high level of resolution, they are less detailed than full sequencing of all 16,569 base pairs of the mitochondrial genome would be, so this analysis does not include some of the less common mtDNA variation you might have. If our haplogroup assignment looks different from other assignments you may have received, it may be because different reference trees were used and/or a different set of SNPs were analyzed.

Common Questions

Who will receive a maternal haplogroup?

Both men and women will receive the Maternal Haplogroup report. This is because both males and females inherit mitochondrial DNA from their mothers and, therefore, their haplogroup assignment from their mothers.

What do the numbers and letters in my haplogroup mean?

Maternal haplogroups are named with sequences of letters and numbers that reflect the structure of the tree and how the branches relate to one another.

Why doesn’t my haplogroup match what I know about my ancestors?

The information in this report does not represent all the ancestors on your mother’s side. Rather, your maternal haplogroup tells you about a specific line of ancestry.

Your maternal haplogroup tells you about your maternal-line ancestors, from your mother to her mother and beyond. So your maternal haplogroup helps you trace your ancestry through your mother’s mother but not through your mother’s father. This is because maternal haplogroups are based on mitochondrial DNA, which is passed exclusively from mothers to their offspring, generation after generation.

Your family history is unique; the example populations and regions provided in this report may differ from what you know about your ancestors for a variety of reasons. For example, your ancestors may have migrated away from other people with the same haplogroup, or there may be other considerations specific to your family.

Additional Resources

Getting started with your Haplogroup reports

The 23andMe Personal Genetic Service can be purchased at:

23andMe’s online store

Amazon.com (United Kingdom residents only)

Boots.com (United Kingdom residents only)

Each individual who wants to participate in 23andMe needs his or her own saliva collection kit. Individuals must provide a sample and return the collection kit from the same country to which the kit was shipped by 23andMe.

Note: 23andMe can only guarantee services and provide support for kits purchased directly through our website or through one of our authorized retailers. The resale of our kits is prohibited, and kits purchased on any external website, such as eBay or craigslist, among others, may not be authentic or functional. To protect our customers and prevent privacy and billing issues, 23andMe routinely deactivates kit barcodes found to be resold by unauthorized retailers.

Several features become even more powerful if one or both of your biological parents are a 23andMe customer. To take advantage of the additional functionality, you must either be on the same account with your parent(s) or connect with them through either the Your Connections feature or the DNA Relatives feature. To learn more about how these features become even more powerful when a parent is connected, select the feature you are interested in:

DNA Relatives

Ancestry Composition

DNA Relatives

You can opt-in to the DNA Relatives feature which allows you to find and connect with genetic relatives and see specific DNA segments you share with them. The DNA Relatives tool can identify relatives on any branch of your recent family tree by taking advantage of the autosomal chromosomesthe 22 chromosomes that are passed down from your ancestors on both sides of your familyand the X chromosome.

If one or both of your biological parents is a 23andMe customer, and you are sharing with them, DNA Relatives can determine whether a match is likely to be on your mother's side or your father's side. You can then filter your matches by which side of the family they’re on. This can help narrow your search if you’re looking for a common ancestor with one of your matches or surface certain matches.

Mother’s Side and Father’s Side Matching

Relatives labeled as “Father’s side” match both you and your father.

Relatives labeled as “Mother’s side” match both you and your mother.

Full siblings show DNA shared with both parents.

Ancestry Composition

The Ancestry Composition report uses DNA you inherited from both sides of your family and estimates the proportion of your DNA that comes from each of 45worldwide genetic populations, offering a detailed view of your ancestry from before ocean-crossing ships and airplanes were on the scene. The report also compares your DNA to individuals of known ancestry from over 1,000 countries and territories in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, telling you more about where your ancestors may have lived within the last 200 years.

Ancestry Composition is even more powerful if you have a biological parent who is also in the 23andMe database and sharing with you. Here are a few of the benefits:

You’ll get an extra result! You'll be able to see the Parental Inheritance section, which shows the contribution of your father to your ancestry on one side and the contribution of your mother to your ancestry on the other. We can't provide these results if you don't have a parent connected. Learn more about Parental Inheritance.

Your Connections

Connecting with a parent may also increase the resolution of your assignments. That translates into better Ancestry Composition results, in the sense that you might see more assignment to the fine-resolution ancestries: more Scandinavian, less Northwestern European. Learn more.

Additionally, if a female connects with her father via DNA Relatives or, her Paternal Haplogroup report is automatically updated to show his paternal haplogroup. The Paternal Haplogroup report traces the path of her paternal-line ancestors over tens of thousands of years.

The Family Tree is a new feature that automatically predicts a family tree based on the DNA you share with your relatives in 23andMe. The Family Tree feature is listed in the Family & Friends menu.

How it works

When you opt-in and participate in DNA Relatives or make one-to-one connections with other 23andMe customers, 23andMe compares your DNA and ages and predicts your genetic relationships.

To build your predicted family tree, we then go a step further: we also look at the predicted relationships between your relatives, and calculate many different ways you could all be related to each other. The tree you see represents the most likely tree out of all the possibilities we calculated.

If you choose to opt in to DNA Relatives, your Family Tree shows your close family members (3rd cousin or closer) that have been genotyped by 23andMe and who have also opted into the DNA Relatives tool. Additionally, any close family members with whom you have established a sharing connection will also be added to your tree.

Because the Family Tree predictions use only DNA and age, the identities of your predicted ancestors are unknown. When you determine which of your family members or ancestors links you to a particular DNA relative, you can manually write them in to the correct position in the tree. Only you can view the information you add about living family members. Any information you add about ancestors that you mark as deceased can be seen by DNA relatives and connections.

Editing Your Tree

At this time, you are only able to add information about certain non-genotyped relatives. To add information about one of these relatives, to a node:

Click on their relationship and select the “Add information” button.

Fill in the information panel that appears.

Be sure to click save to have this information added to your tree.

Privacy

The information you add to your tree about living relatives will only be visible to you. At this time, your full Family Tree is visible only to you.

Once our lab receives your sample, DNA is extracted from cells contained in your saliva. The lab then copies the DNA many timesa process called amplificationduplicating the tiny amount extracted from your saliva until there is enough to be genotyped.

In order to be genotyped, the amplified DNA is “cut” into smaller pieces, which are then applied to our DNA chip (also known as a microarray), a small glass slide with millions of microscopic “beads” on its surface. Each bead is attached to a “probe," a bit of DNA that matches one of the genetic variants that we test. The cut pieces of your DNA stick to the matching DNA probes. A fluorescent label on each probe identifies which version of that genetic variant your DNA corresponds to.

The following video gives you a behind-the-scenes look at some of these steps taking place at our lab:

Paternal haplogroups are families of Y chromosomes defined by specific sets of shared genetic variants. If you are male, the PaternalHaplogroup report provides information about your Y-chromosome haplogroup, which we also call a "paternal haplogroup" because it is passed down from fathers to their sons through the generations.

Learn about maternal haplogroups

Only males will receive a Y-chromosome (paternal) haplogroup assignment. Because females do not have Y chromosomes, females do not have paternal haplogroups. However, a woman can learn about the origins of some of her paternal ancestors from the paternal haplogroup of her male-line relatives. If a female customer connects with her father or full brother via DNA Relatives or Share and Compare, her Paternal Haplogroup report is automatically updated to show his paternal haplogroup.

Be sure to check out our “ Getting Started with the Haplogroup Reports ” for a brief overview of this report and where to find the report within your account.

Maps | Naming Structure | Phylogenetic Tree | Science Behind | Common Questions

Paternal Haplogroup Maps

The Paternal Haplogroup report displays a series of maps showing the migration of humans with a certain haplogroup. These maps reflect human migration over tens of thousands of years, a period in which humans migrated from eastern Africa to inhabit every continent on Earth except Antarctica. As they spread out geographically, they also diversified genetically. When a genetic variant arises in an individual and is passed down through the paternal lines, it will be present in living descendants.

Since members of a haplogroup tend to be found in the same region of the world, your paternal haplogroup can say something about where some of your paternal-line ancestors lived. Geneticists use global haplogroup distributions to trace significant events in human prehistory, such as the migration of people to the Americas or the expansion of agriculture from the Middle East. In many cases we can offer accounts of where and when a haplogroup originated.

Paternal Haplogroup Naming Structure

Each paternal haplogroup is named with the letter of the major cluster of branches to which it belongs, followed by the name of a representative genetic marker. All lineages of a subgroup share one or more mutations, but sometimes there are a few lineages that don't fit into any named subgroup of a haplogroup. Since there isn't a known mutation linking these lineages, they don't get their own subgroup. Instead, these lineages are given the main haplogroup label plus a star (*) to indicate that they are part of the main haplogroup but don't fit into any of the known subgroups. An example of these "star" lineages is I1*. Sometimes new research leads to the discovery of mutations that link several of the "star" lineages. When that happens the lineages get a new name and lose their "star" designation.

In November 2016, we updated the way we refer to each haplogroup. Paternal haplogroup names now consist of a letter corresponding to the major branch and the name of a representative genetic marker instead of the long-form haplogroup names previously used. For example, if we previously reported a haplogroup as “Q1a3a,” we now report it as “Q-M3,” indicating that the Y-chromosome lineage belongs to a subgroup of haplogroup Q that bears the M3 marker. We made this change because the long-form paternal haplogroup names can change from year-to-year, whereas the short-form names are relatively stable.

Although the new assignment may look different from a previous assignment you received from 23andMe, in most cases, the new haplogroup assignment is equivalent to your previous assignment. The major change is how your haplogroup relates to other groups on the Y-chromosome tree. This often leads to a more specific picture of the geographic distribution of your haplogroup around the world.

Phylogenetic Tree

To trace the genetic history of paternal lineages, researchers compare the variants found in Y-DNA sequences from around the world. The result is a tree of Y chromosomes that shows how all paternal lines are related called a phylogenetic tree. To see your haplogroup highlighted in a phylogenetic tree, click " Scientific Details " located near the top of the page.

At the left edge of the tree is the most recent common paternal-line ancestor (MRCA) of all living people. Current evidence suggests he was one of thousands of men who lived in eastern Africa at the time. However, while his male-line descendants passed down their Y chromosomes generation after generation, the lineages from the other men died out. Over time his lineage alone gave rise to all other haplogroups that exist today.

To the the right are his descendants. Each major branch of each tree is named with one or more capital letters, and deeper branches within the tree are labeled with sequences of numbers and letters. Each haplogroup name starts with the letter of the major branch from which it stems and ends with the name of a variant that identifies a particular subgroup.

You may notice that some haplogroups are solid circles, while others are not. Haplogroups with additional subgroups have solid circles located under the haplogroup label; click the solid circle to reveal any subgroups. There may be additional expandable haplogroups, so keep an eye out for more solid circles. Clicking on the tree and dragging enables you to move the tree around to view different sections.

Science Behind

Haplogroup is the term scientists use to describe a group of Y-chromosome (or mitochondrial) sequences that are more closely related to one another than to others. The term haplogroup is a combination of haplotype and group. In this context, haplotype refers either to the DNA sequence of one's mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from one's mother, or to the DNA sequence of one's Y chromosome, which is passed from fathers to their sons. Due to their unusual pattern of inheritance, the mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome contain information about your maternal and paternal lines, respectively. But together, they make up less than 1\% of all your DNA, and only represent a small fraction of your ancestry.

Haplogroups are assigned by detecting certain genetic variants unique to each haplogroup. Our platform includes hundreds of Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In contrast, many other genetic ancestry services analyze short tandem repeats (STRs), a different type of genetic variation. Although a single STR may be more informative than a single SNP, SNPs contain more information overall because there are so many more of them.

Common Questions

I’m a female; why didn’t I receive a paternal haplogroup?

Paternal haplogroups are based on the Y chromosome, which females don't inherit. If you connect with your father or brother via DNA Relatives or Share and Compare, your Paternal Haplogroup report is automatically updated to show their paternal haplogroup. Learn more.

From your own report, you can learn about your recent paternal ancestors in our Ancestry Composition report. Learn more.

I’m a female; can I learn about my paternal ancestry even though I didn’t receive a paternal haplogroup?

The Paternal Haplogroup report only represents the men of your direct paternal line, from your father, to his father, to his father and beyond. Women can learn about their recent paternal ancestors in our Ancestry Composition report since the Ancestry Composition report uses DNA that people inherit from both parents. Learn more.

Paternal haplogroups are based on the Y chromosome, which is only passed from a father to his sons. Females do not have paternal haplogroups because they do not inherit Y chromosomes. If a woman connects with her father or brother via DNA Relatives or Share and Compare, her Paternal Haplogroup report is automatically updated to show their paternal haplogroup. Learn more.

I can't connect to a father or brother [in 23andMe]. Can I connect with a different male-line relative?

At the moment, only a father or a brother can be connected to a female's Paternal Haplogroup report. If you have identified another male relative [who is related to your father along a direct male line], you can ask your relative to share a link to their published paternal haplogroup report.

How can I view my relative’s Paternal Haplogroup assignment?

You can view with your male relative’s paternal haplogroup by establishing a sharing connection and comparing results in the Share and Compare tool. Or, you can ask your relative to share a link to their published paternal haplogroup report.

What do the numbers and letters in my haplogroup mean?

Paternal Haplogroups start with one or more letters representing a major group, followed by the name of a representative marker carried by a specific subgroup.

Why doesn’t my haplogroup match what I know about my ancestors?

The information in this report does not represent all the ancestors on your father’s side. Rather, your paternal haplogroup tells you about a specific line of ancestry.

Your paternal haplogroup tells you about your paternal-line ancestors, from your father to his father and beyond. So your paternal haplogroup helps you trace your ancestry through your father’s father but not through your father’s mother. This is because paternal haplogroups are based on Y-chromosome DNA, which is passed exclusively from father’s to their sons, generation after generation.

Your family history is unique; the example populations and regions provided in this report may differ from what you know about your ancestors for a variety of reasons. For example, your ancestors may have migrated away from other people with the same haplogroup, or there may be other considerations specific to your family.

My paternal haplogroup changed in the last year, Why?

You may have seen changes in your paternal haplogroup assignment as a result of the updates we recently made to how 23andMe reports paternal haplogroups. Paternal haplogroup assignments now include the name of the major branch and the name of a representative genetic marker. For example, if we previously reported your haplogroup as “Q1a3a,” we now report it as “Q-M3,” indicating that your Y-chromosome lineage belongs to a subgroup of haplogroup Q that bears the M3 marker.

Additional Resources

Getting started with your Haplogroups report

23andMe recently streamlined and automated our account deletion process. If at any time you are no longer interested in participating in our Services, you may delete your 23andMe account and personal data directly within your Account Settings.

Once you submit your request, we will send an email to the email address linked to your 23andMe account detailing our account deletion policy and requesting that you to confirm your request. After you review our policy and confirm your request to permanently delete your data, your account will no longer be accessible. Once confirmed, this process cannot be canceled, undone, withdrawn, or reversed.

The following applies when your account and data are deleted:

If you chose to consent to 23andMe Research by agreeing to an applicable 23andMe Research consent document, any research involving your data that has already been performed or published prior to our receipt of your request will not be reversed, undone, or withdrawn.

Any samples for which you gave consent to be stored (biobanked) will be discarded.

23andMe and our third party genotyping laboratory will retain your genetic information, date of birth, and sex as required for compliance with applicable legal obligations, including the U.S. Federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), California Business and Professional Code Section 1265, and College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation requirements.

23andMe will retain limited information related to your data deletion request, such as your email address and Account Deletion Request Identifier, as necessary to fulfill your request and for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

We recommend that you review our full Privacy Statement, or email [email protected], for more information about deleting your data before submitting your request.

Pursuant to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), individuals in the EU, who have purchased the Personal Genetic Service available in the EU, may also submit a request to delete data held by our third party service providers. To learn more about submitting such a request, please review our guide, Exercise Your Rights: The 23andMe Guide to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten), here.

Select the option that best represents how you identify your own ancestry or ethnicity - similar to what you would enter on a census.

If you think that your ancestors came from two or more regions, please select the "Multiple ancestries" option. If you aren't sure, select your best guess or "I'm not sure." This information is used to personalize your 23andMe experience, improve our services to you, and facilitate research.

The 23andMe Personal Genetic Service analyzes the DNA in your sample using microarray genotyping. 23andMe periodically updates its genotyping chip in order to take advantage of improvements in technology, to make updates to information provided in the Personal Genetic Service, or to offer flexibility for future research.

The genotyping chip your sample was tested on impacts which genetic markers are included in your raw data, and in some cases, the reports available in your account. The most notable difference between genotyping chips are the health-related reports available to you in your online account, access to the most recent population updates in the Ancestry Composition feature, and a more seamless sharing experience with individuals on our V5 chip.

This article will address the following topics:

Key Information about 23andMe Chip Upgrades

The health-related reports offered to each chip version

The most commonly asked questions about Chip Upgrade

Tip: You can view which chip version was used to process your sample from within your account. The genotyping chip version is listed in the Personal Information section of your Account Settings.

Key Information About 23andMe Chip Upgrades

Currently, Chip Upgrades are only available to customers who were genotyped on V1, V2, V3, and V4 platforms.

The 23andMe kit that you receive as part of the Chip Upgrade purchase must only be used by the person for whom the kit was intended.

You will need to provide a new sample into the collection kit, and this kit will be automatically registered to the profile for which the upgrade order was placed.

New results will be applied to your existing 23andMe profile.

Chip Upgrades are non-refundable.

Health-related Reports Offered to Each Chip Version

Health-related reports offered after a chip upgrade for customers genotyped on V1 or V2

Customers who were genotyped on version 1 and version 2 chips havethe option to upgrade to the current chip version and receive all available reports in the Health Predisposition Reports * and Carrier Status * categories.

New Reports Available to V1 and V2 Customers with a Chip Upgrade

All available reports in the Health Predisposition category

All available reports in the Carrier Status category

Deep Sleep Wellness Report

Bunions Traits Report

Flat Feet Traits Report

Fear of Public Speaking Trait Reports

Ice Cream Flavor Preference

Health-related reports offered after a chip upgrade for customers genotyped on V3 or V4A

Customers who were genotyped on version 3 or version 4 have the option to upgrade to the current chip and receive reports certain reports only available to customers on the current genotyping chip.

New Reports Available to V3 and V4A with a Chip Upgrade

Type 2 Diabetes Health Predisposition Report (Powered by 23andMe Research)

Familial Hypercholesterolemia Genetic Health Risk Report *

Hereditary Amyloidosis TTR-Related Genetic Health Risk Report *

MUTYH-Associated Polyposis Genetic Health Risk Report *

Familial Mediterranean Fever Carrier Status Report *

Bunions Traits Report

Flat Feet Traits Report

Fear of Public Speaking Traits Report

Ice Cream Flavor Preference

23andMe Health Reports by Chip Version

Health Predisposition Reports

Carrier Status Reports

Wellness Reports

Traits Reports

See All

Health Predisposition Reports *

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

MUTYH-Associated Polyposis

Type 2 Diabetes (Powered by 23andMe Research)

Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Hereditary Amyloidosis TTR-Related

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants)

Celiac Disease

G6PD Deficiency

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HFE-Related)

Hereditary Thrombophilia

Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease

Carrier Status Reports *

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

Familial Mediterranean Fever

Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum with Peripheral Neuropathy

ARSACS

Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease

Beta Thalassemia and Related Hemoglobinopathies

Bloom Syndrome

Canavan Disease

Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation Type 1a (PMM2-CDG)

Cystic Fibrosis

D-Bifunctional Protein Deficiency

Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Familial Dysautonomia

Familial Hyperinsulinism (ABCC8-Related)

Fanconi Anemia Group C

Gaucher Disease Type 1

Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia

Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ib

GRACILE Syndrome

Hereditary Fructose Intolerance

Herlitz Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (LAMB3-Related)

Leigh Syndrome, French Canadian Type

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2D

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2E

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2I

Maple Syrup Urine Disease Type 1B

MCAD Deficiency

Mucolipidosis Type IV

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CLN5-Related)

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (PPT1-Related)

Niemann-Pick Disease Type A

Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome

Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss and Deafness, DFNB1 (GJB2-Related)

Pendred Syndrome and DFNB4 Hearing Loss

Phenylketonuria and Related Disorders

Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 2

Rhizomelic Chondrodysplasia Punctata Type 1

Salla Disease

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sjgren-Larsson Syndrome

Tay-Sachs Disease

Tyrosinemia Type I

Usher Syndrome Type 1F

Usher Syndrome Type 3A

Zellweger Syndrome Spectrum (PEX1-Related)

Wellness Reports

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

Deep Sleep

Alcohol Flush Reaction

Caffeine Consumption

Genetic Weight

Lactose Intolerance

Muscle Composition

Saturated Fat and Weight

Sleep Movement

Traits Reports

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

Bunions

Bunions

Flat Feet

Fear of Public Speaking

Ice Cream Flavor Preference

Ability to Match Musical Pitch

Asparagus Odor Detection

Back Hair (available for men only)

Bald Spot (available for men only)

Bitter Taste

Cheek Dimples

Cilantro Taste Aversion

Cleft Chin

Dandruff

Earlobe Type

Early Hair Loss (available for men only)

Earwax Type

Eye Color

Fear of Heights

Finger Length Ratio

Freckles

Hair Photobleaching

Hair Texture

Hair Thickness

Light or Dark Hair

Misophonia

Mosquito Bite Frequency

Motion Sickness

Newborn Hair

Photic Sneeze Reflex

Red Hair

Skin Pigmentation

Stretch Marks

Sweet vs Salty

Toe Length Ratio

Unibrow

Wake-up Time

Widow's Peak

Health Predisposition Reports *

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

MUTYH-Associated Polyposis

Type 2 Diabetes (Powered by 23andMe Research)

Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Hereditary Amyloidosis TTR-Related

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants)

Celiac Disease

G6PD Deficiency

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HFE-Related)

Hereditary Thrombophilia

Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease

Carrier Status Reports *

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

Familial Mediterranean Fever

Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum with Peripheral Neuropathy

ARSACS

Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease

Beta Thalassemia and Related Hemoglobinopathies

Bloom Syndrome

Canavan Disease

Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation Type 1a (PMM2-CDG)

Cystic Fibrosis

D-Bifunctional Protein Deficiency

Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Familial Dysautonomia

Familial Hyperinsulinism (ABCC8-Related)

Fanconi Anemia Group C

Gaucher Disease Type 1

Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia

Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ib

GRACILE Syndrome

Hereditary Fructose Intolerance

Herlitz Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (LAMB3-Related)

Leigh Syndrome, French Canadian Type

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2D

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2E

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2I

Maple Syrup Urine Disease Type 1B

MCAD Deficiency

Mucolipidosis Type IV

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CLN5-Related)

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (PPT1-Related)

Niemann-Pick Disease Type A

Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome

Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss and Deafness, DFNB1 (GJB2-Related)

Pendred Syndrome and DFNB4 Hearing Loss

Phenylketonuria and Related Disorders

Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 2

Rhizomelic Chondrodysplasia Punctata Type 1

Salla Disease

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sjgren-Larsson Syndrome

Tay-Sachs Disease

Tyrosinemia Type I

Usher Syndrome Type 1F

Usher Syndrome Type 3A

Zellweger Syndrome Spectrum (PEX1-Related)

Wellness Reports

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

Deep Sleep

Alcohol Flush Reaction

Caffeine Consumption

Genetic Weight

Lactose Intolerance

Muscle Composition

Saturated Fat and Weight

Sleep Movement

Traits Reports

Report Name

V1

V2

V3

V4A

V4

V5

Bunions

Flat Feet

Fear of Public Speaking

Ice Cream Flavor Preference

Ability to Match Musical Pitch

Asparagus Odor Detection

Back Hair (available for men only)

Bald Spot (available for men only)

Bitter Taste

Cheek Dimples

Cilantro Taste Aversion

Cleft Chin

Dandruff

Earlobe Type

Early Hair Loss (available for men only)

Earwax Type

Eye Color

Fear of Heights

Finger Length Ratio

Freckles

Hair Photobleaching

Hair Texture

Hair Thickness

Light or Dark Hair

Misophonia

Mosquito Bite Frequency

Motion Sickness

Newborn Hair

Photic Sneeze Reflex

Red Hair

Skin Pigmentation

Stretch Marks

Sweet vs Salty

Toe Length Ratio

Unibrow

Wake-up Time

Widow's Peak

Common Questions

How do I purchase a chip upgrade?

You can purchase a chip upgrade by visiting: https://you.23andme.com/chip-upgrade/

Who is eligible for an upgrade?

Most customers genotyped on a previous version of the 23andMe platform are eligible to purchase a chip upgrade. At this time, we are genotyping customers on the V5 chip. Therefore customers genotyped on V1-V4 are eligible to purchase a chip upgrade.

If I moved outside of the country where my kit was originally shipped, what should I do?

If you no longer reside in the same country that your kit was originally shipped to **, you are not eligible to purchase a chip upgrade. The product offering available in each country is dependent on the regulatory environment in that region. For this reason, we cannot send an upgrade kit to a different country. You will need to purchase a new kit, and create a new profile if you’d like the most up-to-date product experience available in your current place of residence.

**Note, if you originally resided in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, or The Netherlands and currently reside in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, or The Netherlands, you will have the ability to purchase a chip upgrade.

Why can’t my stored sample be used?

The option to use a stored sample to upgrade to the newest platform is not available at this time. By providing a new kit, we are ensuring the most effective retest experience for our customers.

Do I have to upgrade?

No, 23andMe will not take away any reports that are currently available to each customer. However, choosing not to upgrade means that you may not receive newly released reports. You may be eligible to upgrade to the latest chip in the future if you do not upgrade now.

What happens to my raw data?

Raw data generated from both analyses will be combined in the Browse Raw Data file. Please note, you will be unable to filter which positions were processed using the V3 chip and which were processed on the v5 chip. Learn more about Raw Data.

What happens to my sharing connections?

The new kit for your upgrade will be automatically registered to your existing profile. As such, your connections will not be erased or affected. Please be aware that with the exception of sensitive health reports, (BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants), Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and MUTYH-associated Polyposis) any new reports, as well as updated results will automatically be shared to your existing connections once you’ve been upgraded.

*The 23andMe PGS test includes health predisposition and carrier status reports. Health predisposition reports include both reports that meet US FDA requirements for genetic health risks and the 23andMe Type 2 Diabetes health predisposition report which is based on 23andMe research and has not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child's risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. Warnings & Limitations: The 23andMe PGS Genetic Health Risk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) is indicated for reporting of the 185delAG and 5382insC variants in the BRCA1 gene and the 6174delT variant in the BRCA2 gene. The report describes if a woman is at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a man is at increased risk of developing breast cancer or may be at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The three variants included in this report are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and do not represent the majority of BRCA1/BRCA2 variants in the general population. The MUTYH-Associated Polyposis Genetic Health Risk Report is indicated for reporting the Y179C and G396D variants in the MUTYH gene and an increased risk for colorectal cancer. The two variants included in this report are most common in people of Northern European descent. These reports do not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in these reports do not rule out the presence of other genetic variants that may impact cancer risk. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional for recommended screenings or appropriate follow-up. Results should be confirmed in a clinical setting before taking any medical action. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, visit https://www.23andme.com/test-info.

Thank you for helping us make 23andMe an even better service for customers like you. The 23andMe Beta program allows customers to sign up to test new features before they are available generally to our customers. Our intention with this program is to widen our testing reach and deliver an improved product based on diverse customer experiences. The feedback you provide on quality and usability helps us identify solutions, enact them, and make 23andMe features even better for all customers. Please note that since the Beta features have not yet been released by 23andMe, you may notice that they contain errors and may not function as well as our other features. A goal of Beta testing is for our teams to catch these errors and fix them.

Common Questions

How do I take part in the 23andMe Beta program?

You can sign up within your Account Settings under the Preferences section by selecting "Become a tester." You can choose to leave the Beta program at any time by editing your Preferences in Account Settings and selecting “Stop participating in program.”

What happens if multiple profiles are associated with one account?

All profiles associated with your account will be enrolled once you sign up.

How do I provide my feedback to 23andMe?

As a Beta tester, you will receive pre-release features from time to time. We ask that you browse 23andMe as you normally would, but when you experience an issue or have feedback on the feature, submit a report via the Feedback module on the bottom of the pre-release feature that you are testing. Please note that any improvement, modifications or changes 23andMe makes based on your feedback will be the property of 23andMe.

How do I know which features are being tested via the Beta program?

Anything marked with a "Beta" tag will be included in the Beta program. We may in certain circumstances include new or updated features without the tag for testing purposes.

How do I know if I’m eligible to participate?

Any 23andMe customer that is the age of legal majority in the country in which s/he resides can join the 23andMe Beta program.

Do I have to pay to join the program? Will I receive compensation for participating?

No, the 23andMe Beta program is voluntary. There is no compensation provided to participants.

Will participating in the Beta program affect or change my results?

Through participation in the Beta program, you may see changes to your Ancestry results if the Beta feature you’re testing affects the way we calculate your Ancestry Composition. Your Health report information will not change or otherwise be affected by your participation in the Beta program.

How do I stop participating in the 23andMe Beta program?

To leave the program, select “Stop participating in program” via the edit mode of your Preferences in Account Settings. Once you stop participating, it will affect all profiles associated with that account.

23andMe takes seriously the trust you place in us. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, to maintain data accuracy, and to ensure the appropriate use of information, 23andMe uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative measures to safeguard your Personal Information, in accordance with current technological and industry standards. In particular, all connections to and from our website are encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.

Please recognize that protecting your Personal Information is also your responsibility. We ask you to be responsible for safeguarding your password and other authentication information you use to access our Services. You should not disclose your authentication information to any third party and should immediately notify 23andMe of any unauthorized use of your password. 23andMe cannot secure Personal Information that you release on your own or that you request us to release.

We encourage you to read our full Privacy Statement for additional information on our privacy and security practices.

The Chromosome Painting feature is an in-depth way of looking at your Ancestry Composition results. It shows a colorful representation of the 23 sets of chromosomes that make up your genome.

The chromosomes are shown in pairs and labeled with numbers (1 through 22) or the letters X; females will see two copies of the X chromosome, while men only see one copy of the X chromosome and a gray diagram of the Y chromosome. This is because women inherit an X chromosome from each parent while men only inherit an X chromosome from their mothers. Instead of a second copy of the X chromosome, men inherit a Y chromosome from their fathers. The Y chromosome follows a special pattern of inheritance and isn’t used to generate your Ancestry Composition report, so it is shown in gray.

Gray regions in chromosomes 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22 represent parts of the genome where the DNA sequences in those regions are highly repetitive, hard to measure, and don't contain as much interpretable information. 23andMe doesn’t test any markers in these regions, which are called "acrosomes."

Go to your Ancestry Composition report (opens in a new tab).

Exploring Your Genetic Ancestry

Segment Color | Segment Length | Segment Location

Segment Color

In Chromosome Painting, your genome is “painted” with colors representing up to 45 different ancestries. You can hover over or click on the different ancestries in your Chromosome Painting to learn where they’re found in your genome.

Segment Length

The colors in your Chromosome Painting tell you about your Ancestry Composition, but you can learn even more by looking at the number and length of the DNA segments assigned to each ancestry. This is the information that your Ancestry Timeline is based on.

Segment Location

Even if you are not connected with either of your parents through 23andMe, you may be able to learn a little bit about their ancestry by looking at the location of segments in your Chromosome Painting :

If you are male, you inherited all of the ancestry painted on your X chromosome from your mother. Because men and women inherit this chromosome differently, only certain ancestors could have contributed to your X chromosome. Note: To read the pedigree chart below, start with the blue square at the bottom of the chart (which represents you), and work your way through each generation to the top of the chart. Each ancestor is represented by either a circle or a square; female ancestors are represented by circles, and male ancestors are represented by squares. Ancestors that could have contributed to the X chromosome are highlighted in blue.

Ancestry Timeline

If you have the same ancestry painted in the same place on both copies of a chromosome, then you inherited the same ancestry from both of your parents in that region of your genome. Below you can see an example of someone who inherited British & Irish ancestry (dark blue) on both copies of chromosome 15.

If your parents come from different genetic backgrounds, then you may be able to guess which chromosomes you inherited from which of your parents just by looking at the ancestries painted on each chromosome. Below you can see an example of someone with two parents from different genetic backgrounds. For technical reasons, this will work even better if you are connected with a parent * because our computational algorithm will be able to phase your raw data with more accuracy.

*If you have a biological parent who is also a 23andMe user, you can connect with him or her to improve the resolution of your Ancestry Composition results.

Using Confidence Levels

If you’d like to explore at an even more advanced level, click on “Change confidence level” and move the slider that appears above your Chromosome Painting. You can explore the different views of your Chromosome Painting at different confidence levels, and you can also compare those different views to each other.

The algorithm we use to calculate your Ancestry Composition analyzes one small piece of your DNA at a time. For each piece of your DNA, we calculate the probability of that piece coming from each of 45 different populations. The confidence slider on the Chromosome Painting allows you to explore our estimates of your genetic ancestry at different probability cutoffs. For example, if a segment of your DNA has a 55 percent chance of being Japanese, then that segment will be painted as Japanese at the 50 percent confidence level, but it will be painted with a more broad ancestry (one of Broadly Japanese & Korean, Broadly East Asian & Native American, or Unassigned) at the 60 to 90 percent confidence levels.

For a detailed technical explanation of how we calculate your ancestry and paint your chromosomes, check out the Ancestry Composition Guide.

Common Questions

Do the chromosome numbers (1 through 22) mean anything?

In Chromosome Painting, your chromosomes are shown in pairs and are approximately ordered by the length of the chromosomechromosome 1 is the longest and chromosome 22 is the shortest. You received DNA on these chromosomes from recent ancestors on all branches of your family. Because the DNA on these chromosomes is randomly shuffled each generation, it is the length and the number of segments from a particular ancestry, not the specific chromosome number (e.g. chromosome 1), that is informative about your ancestry. We recommend visiting to learn how many generations ago you may have had a single ancestor who descended from a single population.

The saliva collection kit includes a buffer solution that is added to your saliva immediately after you finish providing your sample. This solution stabilizes the DNA and prevents bacterial contamination.

Buffered samples are stable at a wide range of temperatures (-20C to 50C or -4F to 122F) for up to 6 months. Unused kits also remain stable even if exposed to temperatures in this range during transit or storage.

The saliva collection kits are easy to use, and detailed instructions are included in each kit. If your order contains more than one kit, please make sure that each individual being genotyped uses the collection tube from the kit they have registered or intend to register.

You can provide your sample under varying health circumstances, including while you are pregnant, while you have a cold or the flu, and while you are taking common medications, including those for acid reflux or heartburn. However, if you are undergoing medical treatment that reduces your white blood cell count, such as chemotherapy, it is best to wait at least two weeks after your last treatment or until your white blood cell count has returned to normal.

Your saliva sample is stable at a wide range of temperatures (-20C to 50C or -4F to 122F) once it is mixed with the DNA stabilization buffer liquid. We recommend that you ship your collected sample to the laboratory at your earliest convenience.

The collection and shipping process is composed of a few basic steps - instructions are included in your kit materials.There are a few things to keep in mind while providing your sample:

Return your sample

Donoteat, drink, smoke, chew gum, brush your teeth, or use mouthwash for at least 30 minutes prior to providing your sample.

Collect the recommended volume of saliva.The recommended volume of saliva to provide is 2 mL, or about teaspoon. Your saliva sample should be just above the fill line.

Provide your sample and add the stabilization bufferwithin 30 minutes.The full saliva sample should be collected within 30 minutes and the funnel contents should be released into the tube immediately.Waiting longer than 30 minutes may decrease the yield and quality of your DNA.

Cap securely before shipping.Remember to remove and discard the funnel lid and place the tube cap on securely beforemailing your sample to our laboratory.

The transportation supplies for your saliva sample are included in your kit. Simply place the collection tube containing your sample in the plastic specimen bag, and then place the bag directly into the box. The plastic clamshell should be discarded. Remove the adhesive strip on the kit flap and seal the kit.

by dropping the package off at your nearest local post mailbox. The transportation supplies for your saliva sample are included in your kit and return shipping is prepaid. We do not recommend taking your sample to a mail center as the representatives may not be familiar with our shipping materials and may erroneously charge extra fees. Keep in mind that the distribution center will only accept samples delivered via the prepaid shipping materials we provide in your order. Do not attempt to drop off your sample directly at the distribution center or mail it directly to our lab as this may cause delays in transit and in analysis.

To protect your privacy, receiving personnel at the laboratory will remove and discard any identifying information (e.g. name, address) included with saliva samples before testing personnel receive the samples for genotyping. Receiving personnel do not perform testing, and testing personnel only handle samples labelled with the unique barcode.

The Senate’s Bill S-201, the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, regulates the use of Genetic Information by insurers, employers, and other organizations.

This Act, which received Royal Assent and became law in May 2017, prevents employers and insurance companies from requiring individuals to take a genetic test or to disclose results from such testing. S-201 does not cover tests required by healthcare practitioners and researchers. Learn more about S-201.

23andMe strongly opposes genetic discrimination and was an active supporter of S-201 in Canada. We will continue to advocate for legislation and other actions that will protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of genetic information.

Telling us about your ethnicity is important because certain variants are more common or have been studied more in certain ethnicities. This means that your ethnicity may impact how relevant a particular report is for you. In addition, some reports explain your results in the context of your ethnicity. You can learn more about how your ethnicity applies to each type of report below:

Health Predisposition *

Our Health Predisposition reports (which include Genetic Health Risk reports) provide information about genetic variants that may influence your chances of developing certain health conditions. The variants in many of our Genetic Health Risk reports have been studied more in certain ethnicities than in others. The effect of these variants on the likelihood of developing a disease is expected to be similar in people of other ethnicities, but the exact numbers are not as well understood. In addition, our reports do not include all possible genetic variants associated with each health condition. For example, many of our Genetic Health Risk reports test for variants that are more common in certain ethnicities than in others. So if you are of a different ethnicity and receive a "Variant(s) not detected" result, it's especially important to remember that you could have a variant not included in our test.

Within the How To Use This Test section of each Genetic Health Risk report, the "Important Ethnicities" area lists the ethnicities in which the variants included in our test are most common or have been studied the most.

Carrier Status *

Our Carrier Status reports provide information about variants that may not affect your health, but could affect your children's health. Some of the conditions we test for in our Carrier Status reports are more common in certain ethnicities. In addition, many of the variants we test for occur more frequently in some ethnicities than in others; this means that we can detect a larger proportion of carriers in certain ethnicities. Because of this, receiving a "Variant not detected" result may be more informative for certain ethnicities than for others For more information about why some Carrier Status reports are more relevant for certain ethnicities, see this help article.

In addition, some of our Carrier Status reports provide unique content that's tailored based on the ethnicity you report to us. For example, if your ethnicity has been well studied, you may receive more detailed information, such as the average carrier frequency in people of your ethnicity or your post-test carrier risk (how likely it is that you're still a carrier if you receive a "Variant(s) not detected" result).

Within the How To Use This Test section of each Carrier Status report, the "Important Ethnicities" area lists ethnicities for which our test is most relevant. Within the About [Condition Name] section of the report, the “Ethnicities most affected” area lists the ethnicities that the condition is most common in. In addition, the Test Details section of the Scientific Details page lists all ethnicities for which we know the carrier detection rate of the test (how well the test is able to detect carriers of a particular ethnicity).

Wellness and Traits

Our Wellness reports provide information about how your DNA may affect your body's response to diet, exercise, and sleep. Traits reports provide information about the genetics behind your appearance and senses. Many of these reports provide information on genetic variants that have been studied more in certain ethnicities than in others. The effect of these variants are expected to be similar in people of other ethnicities, but the exact impact is not as well understood and there may be differences between people of different ethnicities. When available, some reports provide results based on your genetic information paired with the ethnicity you report to us. Additionally, other factors like lifestyle and environment may differentially influence report results of people from different ethnicities. These other factors are not fully captured in the reports.

*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child's risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk.

For such a powerful product, the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service process is fairly simple: order, spit, see your data. But between you putting your sample in the mail and us alerting you that your data is ready, there's actually quite a bit that goes on at our laboratory. For details about the steps taking place at our lab, continue reading this article or watch this short video:

Step 1: The Visual Exam

Samples arrive at our lab every day. The first thing technicians do with each new sample is scan the barcode on it, because, for privacy reasons, that's the only identifying information the laboratory has.

As soon as a sample has been scanned, it undergoes its first test a visual inspection to make sure it contains fluid up to the "fill line" on the side of the tube. Occasionally a sample will not pass this step, either because it leaked in transit or because the preservative solution wasn't released into the tube when the customer snapped the oblong cap onto the collection funnel. Either way, if a sample tube doesn't contain enough liquid we immediately contact the customer and ship a replacement kit so he or she can spit again.

Step 2: DNA Extraction

If a sample passes the visual inspection, it is time for DNA extraction. The process our laboratory uses to isolate and purify the DNA in your saliva is simply an automated version of the same one you can do at home. Once the DNA is extracted from the saliva sample, the concentration is measured to make sure there is enough for the actual analysis process on the genotyping chip.

If the first attempt at DNA extraction does not yield satisfactory results, a second attempt is made with some saliva that was set aside before the process was started. If this second try fails, we contact the customer and send a free replacement kit so he or she can spit again. The hope is that this second sample will be DNA-rich and ready to go!

The most common cause of low DNA is that the preservative solution is not fully released into the tube. But some people just naturally have low DNA in their saliva. If a customer is sent a replacement kit, and two tries on the new saliva sample still don't yield enough DNA, then unfortunately the customer probably won't be able to use our service and a refund for the kit fee minus shipping and handling is provided. Luckily, this is a very rare occurrence.

Step 3: Genotyping

Samples that yield sufficient quantities of DNA are submitted for genotyping on our custom SNP chip. This process is performed in batches of 96 samples. We monitor the process to make sure it is going as expected. If a particular sample fails to give information for at least 98.5\% of the markers we test for, we go back to the saliva sample that was set aside in the extraction step and try again. If a second attempt at genotyping fails, we ship a free replacement kit to the customer so he or she can spit again.

Step 4: Data Return

Once a sample has been successfully analyzed, the laboratory sends the resulting data to 23andMe along with the barcode that came with the sample. This allows us to return the information to the proper account and begin interpreting your data.

The DNA Relatives feature is a popular, interactive 23andMe feature that allows you to find and connect with genetic relatives who are also 23andMe users participating in this feature, and to learn more about your family story. This feature is optional; other 23andMe users will not be able to see you as a genetic match unless you opt in to the feature. Likewise, you will not be able to view your genetic matches in DNA Relatives unless you consent to participate.

The DNA Relatives feature has multiple privacy options to suit your individual preferences. For complete privacy, you can opt out of DNA Relatives entirely. For the most visibility, you can choose to show your ancestry results.

You can update any of these settings at any time from the “ Manage Preferences ” link in DNA Relatives and in your Account Settings under the the Privacy/Sharing section.

Participation in DNA Relatives

If you choose to opt in and participate in DNA Relatives, all of your matches will be able to view the following information about you:

Your display name

Your profile sex (Male/Female)

Your profile picture

The percent DNA and number of segments you share, but not the location of those segments

Relatives in Common

How to start and stop sharing

Additionally, any family information you enter into your DNA Relatives profile, such as surnames or family locations, will be shown when a match clicks on your entry.

It is important to note that each user participating in DNA Relatives has the option to download a file containing their list of DNA Relatives, including display names, profile sexes, and predicted relationships, as well as any additional information the match has chosen to share through the "enhance your profile" step.

Yourdisplay name

Your display name is how your profile name will appear to genetic relatives and other participants. You can choose to participate using your name, your initials, or a combination of the two.

Genetic Ancestry Results

Showing your genetic ancestry results makes select information available to your matches in DNA Relatives without an individual request to share reports. This information includes:

Your Ancestry Composition Report results

Your Maternal and Paternal Haplogroup results

Your Neanderthal Ancestry results

The location of your overlapping/identical/shared DNA segments

Opting out of DNA Relatives

If you would like to stop participating in DNA Relatives, you may opt out of the feature by selecting the Manage Preferences option within DNA Relatives or from your Account Settings page. If you opt out, you will not appear in other people's DNA Relatives results, and your profile will not be able to access DNA Relatives to view or contact relatives. However, you may change your mind and opt in at any time.

Additional Resources

DNA Relatives: The Basics

What can I do once I make a connection with a relative through DNA Relatives?

What unexpected things might I learn from 23andMe?

Specific shipping and kit costs vary depending on the type of service and number of kits included in an order as well as the shipping method.

For a price estimate for your online 23andMe order:

Add the desired number of kits to your cart and click "checkout"

In the shipping sections of the subsequent page, enter the shipping and contact information, select the preferred shipping method and click "continue to billing".

A total will be displayed at the bottom of the page in the Order Review box:

Learn more.

If you’d like to complete your order, enter your payment details in the Billing section of the store. Be sure to select “Enter a new address” if necessary.

In addition to 23andMe’s online store, the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service can be purchased through a few authorized retailers.

23andMe typically ships orders within 1-2 business days. You will receive an email at the address associated with your order as soon as your order ships. If you have not received the “Your Order has Shipped” email, your order has not yet shipped.

Orders are typically received within 7 business days. Shipping times vary based on address and demand, and we cannot guarantee a specific delivery date.

If it has been more than 10 business days since your order was shipped and you have not received it, contact Customer Care for assistance.

23andMe brings the world of genetics to you. 23andMe analyses variations at specific positions in your genome. These variations, called SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms), have the potential to tell you about your ancestry, your traitssuch as eye or hair colorand certain health conditions.

The 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service includes:

Carrier Status Reports

Health Predisposition Reports

Wellness Reports

Ancestry Composition Report

DNA Relatives Feature

Traits Reports

Haplogroup Reports

Neanderthal Ancestry Report

Additional Features

Carrier Status Reports

The 23andMe Carrier Status * reports are included in the Health + Ancestry Service. The 23andMe Carrier Status reports tell you about variants that may not affect your health, but could affect the health of your future family. Being a "carrier" means you "carry" one genetic variant for a condition. Carriers do not typically have the genetic condition, but they can pass a genetic variant down to their children. Understanding your carrier status helps you work with your doctor to prepare for the health of your future family.

View full list of reports.

Customers who purchase the Ancestry + Traits Service will have the option to add all of the existing Carrier Status *, Health Predisposition *, and Wellness reports later for an additional fee.

Health Predisposition Reports

The 23andMe Health Predispositions * reports are included in the Health + Ancestry Service. Our Health Predisposition reports help you learn how your genetics can influence your chances of developing certain health conditions. This category includes Genetic Health Risk * reports and reports that are powered by 23andMe research. Reports and features powered by 23andMe research are developed by 23andMe scientists using data and insights gathered from thousands of customers who have consented to participate in our research

The 23andMe Genetic Health Risk reports are included in the Health + Ancestry Service. The 23andMe Genetic Health Risk reports tell you if you have genetic variants associated with an increased risk of developing certain health conditions - such as Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease * or Parkinson's Disease *. While having a particular variant can be linked to a higher risk for a condition, it does not necessarily mean you will develop the condition. It is important to remember that these reports do not cover all possible genetic variants that could influence risk for these conditions and that other non-genetic factors, such as environment and lifestyle, can also influence risk for these conditions.

View full list of reports.

Customers who purchase the Ancestry + Traits Service will have the option to add all of the existing Carrier Status *, Health Predisposition *, and Wellness reports later for an additional fee.

Wellness Reports

The 23andMe Wellness reports are included in the Health + Ancestry Service. The 23andMe Wellness reports can help you make more informed choices that may relate to healthy living. Find out how your DNA may influence your caffeine consumption, lactose digestion and your muscle type.

View full list of reports.

Customers who purchase the Ancestry + Traits Service will have the option to add all of the existing Carrier Status *, Health Predisposition *, and Wellness reports later for an additional fee.

Ancestry Composition

The Ancestry Composition report uses DNA you inherited from recent ancestors on both sides of your family and tells you the proportion of your DNA that comes from each of 45 worldwide populations, offering a detailed view of your genetic ancestry.

DNA Relatives Feature

The 23andMe DNA Relatives feature requires customers to opt-in to the feature to access it. This is a popular, interactive feature that allows you to find and connect with genetic relatives and see specific DNA segments you share with them. The DNA Relatives feature can identify relatives on any branch of your recent family tree by taking advantage of the autosomal chromosomesthe 22 chromosomes that are passed down from your ancestors on both sides of your familyand the X chromosome.

Traits

The 23andMe Traits reports are included in both the Ancestry + Traits Service and the Health + Ancestry Service. Our Traits reports are a fun way to explore how your DNA makes you unique, from your food preferences to physical features.

View full list of reports.

Customers who purchase the Ancestry + Traits Service will have the option to add all of the existing Carrier Status *, Health Predisposition *, and Wellness reports later for an additional fee.

Haplogroups Report

These reports tell you about the ancient origins of your matrilineal and patrilineal ancestors. Haplogroups are assigned by finding the genetic variants that are unique to each group. These genetic variants typically originated tens of thousands of years ago. Women and men both receive Maternal Haplogroup report based on their mitochondrial DNA; men also receive a Paternal Haplogroup report based on their Y chromosomes.

Note: Your matrilineal ancestors include your mother, her mother, her mother's mother, etc., and your patrilineal ancestors include your father, his father, his father's father, etc.

Neanderthal Ancestry Report

Even though Neanderthals vanished about 40,000 years ago, their DNA lives on in us. Based on research, Neanderthals interbred with humans around 60,000 years ago. Our Neanderthal Ancestry feature will tell you how much of your ancestry can be traced back to Neanderthals using SNPs located across all of your autosomes and your X chromosome(s).

Additional Features

The Health + Ancestry Service also includes:

Access to your raw, uninterpreted genetic data file ** (Must not be used for medical or diagnostic purposes). Learn more.

Access to share, compare and discover more with friends and family. Allowing you to trace DNA through your close family and explore the genetic similarities and differences between you and family members.

*The 23andMe PGS test includes health predisposition and carrier status reports. Health predisposition reports include both reports that meet US FDA requirements for genetic health risks and the 23andMe Type 2 Diabetes health predisposition report which is based on 23andMe research and has not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child's risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk and carrier status report, visit 23andme.com/test-info/. The Late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting of the 4 variant in the APOE gene and describes if a person has a variant associated with an increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The 4 variant included in this report is found and has been studied in many ethnicities. Detailed risk estimates have been studied the most in people of European descent. The Parkinson’s Disease genetic health risk report is indicated for reporting of the G2019S variant in the LRRK2 gene, and the N370S variant in the GBA gene and describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The variants included in this report are most common and best studied in people of European, Ashkenazi Jewish, and North African Berber descent.

**This data has undergone a general quality review however only a subset of markers have been individually validated for accuracy. The data from 23andMe’s Browse Raw Data feature is suitable only for informational use and not for medical, diagnostic or other use. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any major lifestyle changes.

Customers who are eligible to receive a chip upgrade can place an upgrade order from within his or her account by going to the Settings page, and clicking the “ Learn more about chip upgrades ” link. Next, click the “Upgrade now” button and complete the order details.

Commonly Asked Questions

Who is eligible for a chip upgrade?

Customers are eligible for a chip upgrade when the customer was genotyped on a previous version of the 23andMe platform (V1, V2, V3, or V4).

You can view which chip version was used to process your sample from within your account. The genotyping chip version is listed in the Personal Information section of your Account Settings.

Do I have to upgrade?

No, 23andMe will not take away any reports that are currently available to each customer. There are a few benefits to upgrading your genotyping chip to the current version. The most noticeable benefit is access to certain reports that are not available to customers genotyped on previous chip versions. Learn more.

Keep in mind, 23andMe periodically updates its genotyping chip and you may be eligible to upgrade to the latest chip in the future.

Your sample will not be processed until registration is completed. When your unregistered sample is received at the lab, an email titled "Action Required" will be sent to the email address provided when the order was placed. This email will contain your sample's barcode (see example below), which you can use to register online.

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Keep in mind that if you received your kit as a gift, the purchaser will receive this email if their email address was provided when placing the order. You may need to contact them directly for your kit’s barcode.

If you're in the UK and you purchased your collection kit through an authorized retailer, an email address is not connected with the collection tube’s unique barcode and we will be unable to provide you with your kit’s barcode. In order to receive the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service, a new sample will need to be provided. for further assistance.

The 23andMe Haplogroupreports can shed light on the origins of some of our ancestors and on their migrations over tens of thousands of years. Your Maternal Haplogroup reporttells you about your maternal-line ancestors, from your mother through her mother and beyond. If you are male, your Paternal Haplogroup report tells you about your paternal-line ancestors, from your father to his father and beyond. Haplogroups are assigned by detecting certain genetic variants unique to each haplogroup.

Select a topic below to learn more about haplogroups:

About Haplogroups

About the Maternal Haplogroup

About the Paternal Haplogroup

What the Haplogroup Reports Can Tell You

About Haplogroups

Haplogroup is the term scientists use to describe a group of mitochondrial or Y-chromosome sequences that are more closely related to one another than to other sequences. The term haplogroup is a combination of haplotype and group. In this context, haplotype refers either to the DNA sequence of one's mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from one's mother, or to the DNA sequence of one's Y chromosome, which is passed from fathers to their sons.

Due to their unusual pattern of inheritance, the mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome contain information about your maternal and paternal lines, respectively. But together, they make up less than 1\% of all your DNA, and only represent a small fraction of your ancestry. Everyone can trace their maternal ancestry back to a single woman, but members of a mitochondrial (maternal) haplogroup can trace their maternal ancestry back to a more recent common ancestor, and the same applies to paternal ancestry and the Y chromosome for males.

The Haplogroup reports provides haplogroup assignments which allow you to trace your ancestry from your mother through her mother and beyond and, for men, from your father through his father and beyond.

About the Maternal Haplogroup

A maternal haplogroup is a family of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that traces back to a single common ancestor. Geneticists use global haplogroup distributions to trace significant events in human prehistory, such as the migration of people to the Americas or the expansion of agriculture from the Middle East.

The Maternal Haplogroup report is provided to both males and females. This haplogroup assignment is based on your mitochondrial DNA, which you inherited from your mother, who inherited it from her mother, who inherited it from her mother, and so on. Both males and females inherited their mitochondrial DNA, and therefore their maternal haplogroup, from their mother.

Go to the Maternal Haplogroup report

About the Paternal Haplogroup

Paternal haplogroups are families of Y chromosomes that are defined by specific sets of shared mutations. Geneticists can use patterns of Y-chromosome variation to trace significant events in human prehistory, such as the migration of people to the Americas or the expansion of agriculture from the Middle East.

The Paternal Haplogroup report is available for males*. This haplogroup assignment provides information about your Y-chromosome haplogroup, which we also call paternal haplogroup because it is passed down from fathers to their sons through the generations.

*Because females do not have Y chromosomes, they do not have paternal haplogroups. Females can connect with a father or brother to learn about their father’s haplogroup. Both males and females can learn about still learn about their recent paternal ancestors in the Ancestry Composition report. Learn more.

What the Haplogroup Reports Can Tell You

Your haplogroup is a clue to your maternal or paternal ancestry. Humans migrated from eastern Africa to inhabit every continent on Earth except Antarctica over tens of thousands of years. The Haplogroup reports show the migration patterns of people with a given haplogroup. Before the age of European exploration ~500 years ago, people rarely moved between continents, so the report shows where people with a particular haplogroup lived for thousands of years.

As humans spread out geographically, they also diversified genetically. Your maternal haplogroup is assigned by identifying a set of variants in your mitochondrial DNA. If you are male, your paternal haplogroup is assigned by identifying a set of variants in your Y-chromosome DNA as well. When a variant arises in an individual and is passed down through the paternal or maternal lines, it will be present in living descendants. So by looking at the pattern of variants in present-day populations, geneticists can trace human genetic and migration history.

A haplogroup is a family of maternal or paternal lineages that descend from a common ancestor. The framework that is used to identify different haplogroups, and how they relate, is called a phylogenetic tree. The phylogenetic tree can be found by clicking on the Scientific Details tab.

View and Print | Women and Paternal Haplogroups | Common Questions

View and Print

The Maternal Haplogroup and Paternal Haplogroup reports are two of the 23andMe Ancestry reports and are located under the Reports tab in the top navigational menu. In the Haplogroups report, you can choose to see your assignment and information about the geographic distribution of your haplogroup using the Summary tab, or you can dive deeper to see how your haplogroups relate to others by viewing the phylogenetic tree located on the Scientific Details tab. Scroll down the page to see any additional information about your haplogroup assignment or the report in general.

You can print the Haplogroup reports using the Print button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Women and Paternal Haplogroups

Paternal haplogroups are defined by sets of genetic variants on the Y chromosome. Although women inherit roughly 50\% of their DNA from their fathers, they do not inherit Y chromosomes and as a result, do not have paternal haplogroups. However by connecting results with certain male relatives on 23andMe, women can learn about the paternal haplogroup assignments of their fathers.

After connecting results with one of the relatives listed below, your Paternal Haplogroup report will be updated to reflect his results:

A biological father

A brother (full sibling)

Common Questions

I’m a female; why didn’t I receive a paternal haplogroup?

Paternal haplogroups are based on the Y chromosome, which females don't inherit. If you connect with your father or brother via DNA Relatives or Share and Compare, your Paternal Haplogroup report is automatically updated to show their paternal haplogroup. Learn more.

From your own report, you can learn about your recent paternal ancestors in our Ancestry Composition report. Learn more.

How can I link a male relatives results to my haplogroup report?

You can connect your male relative’s results to your Paternal Haplogroup report by following the steps below:

Connect with your father or brother (full sibling) using Share and Compare, DNA Relatives, or invite them to share by clicking the “Connect with them now” link in the Paternal Haplogroup report.

Check back. After you have connected with an eligible male relative, your paternal haplogroup report will automatically update to reflect his results.

I’m a female; can I learn about my paternal ancestry even though I didn’t receive a paternal haplogroup?

The Paternal Haplogroup report only represents the men of your direct paternal line, from your father, to his father, to his father and beyond. Women can learn about their recent paternal ancestors in our Ancestry Composition report since the Ancestry Composition report uses DNA that people inherit from both parents. Learn more.

Paternal haplogroups are based on the Y chromosome, which is only passed from a father to his sons. Females do not have paternal haplogroups because they do not inherit Y chromosomes. If a woman connects with her father or brother via DNA Relatives or Share and Compare, her Paternal Haplogroup report is automatically updated to show their paternal haplogroup. Learn more.

I can't connect to a father or brother [in 23andMe]. Can I connect with a different male-line relative?

At the moment, only a father or a brother can be connected to a female's Paternal Haplogroup report. If you have identified another male relative [who is related to your father along a direct male line], you can ask your relative to share a link to their published paternal haplogroup report.

How can I view my relative’s Paternal Haplogroup assignment?

You can view with your male relative’s paternal haplogroup by establishing a sharing connection and comparing results in the Share and Compare tool. By connecting with a father or brother (full sibling), your Paternal Haplogroup report will update to reflect his assignment.

Or, you can ask your relative to share a link to their published paternal haplogroup report.

What do the numbers and letters in my haplogroup mean?

Maternal haplogroups are named with sequences of letters and numbers that reflect the structure of the tree and how the branches relate to one another.

Paternal Haplogroups start with one or more letters representing a major group, followed by the name of a representative marker carried by a specific subgroup.

Why doesn’t my haplogroup match what I know about my ancestors?

The information in this report does not represent all the ancestors on your mother’s or father’s sides. Rather, your maternal (and paternal) haplogroups tell you about specific lines of ancestry.

Your maternal haplogroup tells you about your maternal-line ancestors, from your mother to her mother and beyond. So your maternal haplogroup helps you trace your ancestry through your mother’s mother but not through your mother’s father. This is because maternal haplogroups are based on mitochondrial DNA, which is passed exclusively from mothers to their offspring, generation after generation.

If you are male, your paternal haplogroup tells you about your paternal-line ancestors, from your father to his father and beyond. So your paternal haplogroup helps you trace your ancestry through your father’s father but not through your father’s mother. This is because paternal haplogroups are based on Y-chromosome DNA, which is passed exclusively from fathers to their sons, generation after generation.

Your family history is unique; the example populations and regions provided in this report may differ from what you know about your ancestors for a variety of reasons. For example, your ancestors may have migrated away from other people with the same haplogroup, or there may be other considerations specific to your family.

Additional Resources

Learn more about paternal haplogroups

Learn more about maternal haplogroups

Go to the Paternal Haplogroup report