Guide · Last checked 6 October 2026

How to download your raw DNA data from AncestryDNA, 23andMe and MyHeritage

Your DNA test company keeps a copy of your “raw data”: the genotype letters measured at hundreds of thousands of positions in your DNA. You can download it yourself, for free, from your own account. This guide puts each company’s official steps in one place, explains what is inside the file, and covers how to keep it private.

Steps below are summarised from each company’s own help centre, linked in every section. If their screens have changed, follow their page. GeneMap is not affiliated with Ancestry, 23andMe or MyHeritage.

Before you start: use a computer if you can. MyHeritage says its download does not work on an iPhone or iPad, and a desktop makes it much easier to find, unzip and keep the file.

AncestryDNA: step by step

Sign in to Ancestry and open DNA Settings for the test you want to download.
Scroll to the Download or Delete section and select Download DNA data.
Tick the box to confirm you understand, then click Continue.
Verify it is you: enter your current password, or ask for a code by email and type it in.
Wait for Ancestry’s email. Ancestry says it can take up to 24 hours; check your junk folder too.
Click Download DNA Data in the email, then again on the page that opens. The file is not attached to the email itself.
Find the file in your Downloads folder. Ancestry names it dna-data-(date).zip.

Good to know: only the newest emailed link works, each link can be used once, and Ancestry says links expire after a week. If yours has expired, start again from step 1. Only the test owner, or someone the owner made a manager, can download the data.

Source: Ancestry Help — Downloading DNA Data

23andMe: step by step

23andMe lists three ways to reach the raw data page from your account:

Go straight to you.23andme.com/tools/data/, or
Click your profile name (top right) → Resources → Browse Raw Genotyping Data → Download, or
Open Account Settings and click View under 23andMe Data.

Then:

Confirm the date of birth on the profile you are downloading.
Read the notes on the page, tick the box, and select Submit request.
Wait for the “Your 23andMe raw data download is ready!” email. 23andMe says this usually takes about a week and can take up to thirty days.
Follow the email, confirm the birthdate again, and download.
You get a zipped text file whose name begins with genome. Search your computer for “genome” if you can’t find it.

23andMe also notes that only a subset of markers in the raw file have been individually validated, and that the raw data is suitable for informational use only, not medical or diagnostic use.

Source: 23andMe Support — Accessing Your Raw Genetic Data

MyHeritage: step by step

MyHeritage lists a few conditions first: the Download option appears only once your results are published, only the kit manager (not the assignee) can download, it works on a computer or Android device but not on an iPhone or iPad, and kits that were uploaded to MyHeritage from another company can’t be downloaded there.

Hover over the DNA tab and choose Manage DNA kits.
Click the three dots next to your MyHeritage kit and choose Download.
Read the pop-up and click Continue.
Accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Continue.
Open the email MyHeritage sends and click the download link. MyHeritage says the link is valid for 24 hours; if it lapses, repeat the steps.
On the MyHeritage page that opens, enter your password and click Download.

Source: MyHeritage Help — How do I download my raw DNA data file?

How long each one takes

Company	Wait for the email	Link validity	What you get
AncestryDNA	Up to 24 hours	One use; expires after a week	`dna-data-(date).zip` with a .txt inside
23andMe	About a week, up to 30 days	Follow the “ready” email	Zipped .txt starting with `genome`
MyHeritage	Email with a link	24 hours	Raw DNA data file

All figures are as stated on each company’s help page on 6 October 2026.

What is inside a raw DNA file

Open the unzipped file in a text editor and you will see a short header, then one line per marker. Ancestry and MyHeritage describe the same basic layout:

rsID: the marker’s public reference ID (for example rs4577212).
Chromosome and position: where the marker sits.
Two alleles: the letters (A, C, G, T) measured on your two copies. Some files also use I and D for insertions and deletions.

MyHeritage says its test produces about 700,000 such data points. Ancestry says it reports genotypes on the forward strand of the GRCh37 human reference genome.

Two things a raw file is not: it is not whole-genome sequencing (consumer kits read selected positions, not all ~3 billion bases), and it is not a clinical test result. As MedlinePlus explains, consumer results usually need additional testing through a healthcare provider before they can be used to diagnose a condition or make healthcare decisions.

Sources: Ancestry Help · MyHeritage Help — How should I interpret my raw DNA data?

Keeping your file private

Once the file is on your device, it is no longer covered by your testing company’s security. Ancestry and 23andMe both say this on their help pages, and MyHeritage advises checking a site’s security before you upload anywhere. A few simple habits help:

Keep an untouched original in a private folder, and work from a copy.
Never share your testing-company password. A trustworthy service asks you to upload the file you downloaded, not to log in as you.
Read the privacy policy first. Ancestry suggests checking that a site explains how it secures data, lets you delete your data, and uses a secure, password-protected website. MyHeritage suggests checking for two-factor authentication.
Upload only where you need to. Every copy you upload is another copy to keep track of.

What you can do with your raw file

People commonly use their raw file for genealogy matching on other sites, for learning what individual markers mean in public research databases, or for an easy-to-read summary built from the file they already own.

That last one is what GeneMap does. You upload the raw file from your own AncestryDNA, 23andMe or MyHeritage account (.txt, .csv or .zip), and GeneMap maps 40 well-studied markers to plain-language themes, such as everyday traits like caffeine and lactose, vitamin D–related metabolism, and pharmacogenomic markers you may want to discuss with a clinician. Where available, evidence chips point to public sources such as CPIC, PharmGKB and the GWAS Catalog. We never ask for your testing-company login. It is an educational map, not a diagnosis.

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Still waiting on your results? Leave your email on the start page and we’ll send the how-to so you can come back when your file is ready.

Educational information only. This guide and GeneMap reports are not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and GeneMap is not a clinical genetic test. Talk to a qualified clinician before changing medicines, diet or supplements. GeneMap is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Ancestry.com, AncestryDNA, 23andMe or MyHeritage. Product names are used only to describe where your file comes from.