How to Download Your Raw DNA Data (AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA)
Step-by-step instructions for downloading your raw DNA data from the four major consumer testing companies, what the file contains, and why we recommend it.
Your raw DNA data is the unprocessed output of the lab’s genotyping chip: a list of which letter (A, C, G, or T) appears at hundreds of thousands of positions in your genome. It is what every downstream report, match, and ethnicity estimate is built from. We recommend downloading and archiving it from any service you test with, for three reasons. It gives you a hedge if the company shuts down or changes policies, it lets you upload to other services for free additional matching, and it is the only copy you can keep on your own machine.
Below are the steps for the four major consumer companies. Do this before any deletion request, because once your account is gone, you cannot retrieve the file.
What you actually get
A raw DNA file is usually a compressed archive (.zip or .gz) containing a plain text file. Inside, each line is a single SNP: a unique rsID, the chromosome, the position, and your genotype call (for example, “rs4477212 1 82154 AA”). The full file is typically 5 to 20 MB compressed and somewhere around 600,000 to 700,000 SNPs.
It is NOT a full genome sequence. Whole genome sequencing produces a file in the gigabytes and reads every base; consumer SNP arrays sample a small slice of positions that vary across people. That slice is enough for ancestry estimation, matching, and most consumer reports, but it is not your complete genome.
AncestryDNA
Sign in at ancestry.com. Click “DNA” in the top navigation. From your DNA results page, click “Settings” on the right side.
Scroll down to “Download Raw DNA Data.” Click “Download” and confirm your password. Ancestry sends an email with a download link, which can take a few minutes to several hours to arrive. The link is time-limited, so download the file when the email comes in.
The file is a compressed text file you can open with any standard archive tool.
23andMe
Sign in at 23andme.com. Open the account menu (your profile icon) and find “Browse Raw Data” or look under your account settings for the data download option.
Click through to the download page and confirm. You will get a compressed .zip file with your raw genotype calls.
As of early 2026, 23andMe is operating under TTAM Research Institute’s ownership following the 2025 bankruptcy. The download function has remained available, but if you have ever considered exporting your data, doing so sooner rather than later is the safer move. The wording and menu paths may shift. Search the 23andMe Customer Care site if you cannot find the option.
MyHeritage
Sign in at myheritage.com. Click “DNA” in the top navigation, then “Manage DNA Kits.”
Find your kit in the list and click the three-dot menu. Choose “Download DNA data.” You will be asked to confirm your password and accept MyHeritage’s terms for downloaded data. The file arrives as a compressed text file.
FamilyTreeDNA
Sign in at familytreedna.com. Open your dashboard. Look for the “Family Finder” section, and within it, find “Download Raw Data” (the exact label has varied between dashboards).
You can typically download three formats: the autosomal Family Finder data, and if you have ordered them, your Y-DNA and mtDNA results separately. The autosomal file is what other services accept for upload.
What to do with your downloaded file
Store it in two places. One on your computer, one on cloud storage or an external drive. Treat it like any sensitive personal document.
You can also upload the file (free) to other services for additional matching:
- MyHeritage accepts uploads from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and others.
- FamilyTreeDNA accepts uploads from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage for autosomal matching.
- Living DNA accepts uploads from 23andMe and AncestryDNA.
- GEDmatch (a third-party matching service) accepts uploads from most consumer companies.
Each upload creates a copy of your data on that service’s servers, governed by that service’s privacy policy. Review the policy before uploading; this is not a free action from a privacy standpoint, just a free one financially.
Before you delete anything
The download is your one chance. Once an account is deleted, retrieval is generally not possible. See how to delete your 23andMe data and how to delete your AncestryDNA data for the deletion steps. For the broader context on why this matters, see what happens to DNA data if a company shuts down and our raw DNA data explained.
This piece is part of our Genetic Data Privacy guide.