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Autosomal DNA Transfers

Introduction

If you or a family member have previously tested your autosomal DNA at AncestryDNA™, 23andMe©, or MyHeritage™, you can transfer your results to FamilyTreeDNA for free by uploading your raw data file. After transferring your file, your autosomal data is uploaded to our database, one of the world's largest genetic genealogy databases.

Family Finder™ is the name of our autosomal DNA test. If you have already taken a Family Finder test, you cannot upload data from another company to your account. Due to differences in coverage with different companies, you may see fewer matches with transfer data versus Family Finder data. This primarily only affects distant matches.

What It Includes

When you transfer, for free, you will receive a list of your autosomal matches from our database and have access to our Family Finder™ Matrix. The Matrix feature allows you to select and compare the autosomal DNA relationship between up to ten of your matches at one time.

After transferring, you can unlock all Family Finder features, which include the Chromosome Browser, myOrigins®, and ancientOrigins for only $19.

Test Results We Accept

Testing methods have changed over the years for every company. As methods change, so do the file types that contain the raw data. We can only accept file versions as listed below. If you are unsure what file type you have, checking the completion date in your MyHeritage, Ancestry DNA, or 23andMe account. The file types and date ranges are listed below:

  • AncestryDNA™ array V1 (May 2012 - April 2016)
  • AncestryDNA™ array V2 (May 2016 - Present)
  • MyHeritage™ results received after March 1, 2019
  • 23andMe© V3 (December 2010 - October 2013)
  • 23andMe© V4 (November 2013 - September 2017)
  • 23andMe© V5 (August 2017 - Present)

Test Results We Do Not Accept

Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot accept autosomal transfers from the following companies:

  • AncestryDNA™ NGS
  • CRI Genetics©
  • LivingDNA
  • Nebula Genomics
  • Some 23andMe files downloaded after December 31, 2024
  • MyHeritage tests checked into our lab before March 1, 2019 or after May 7, 2025

23andMe Files

We can accept V3, V4, and V5 files, but regardless of the time the DNA test was taken, raw data files downloaded after December 31, 2024 may be in a format we cannot accept. To determine what file type you have, open the file, and look for the following lines in the header (top of file):

# file_id:
# signature:
# timestamp:

If the above information is listed, your file is NOT compatible with our system, regardless of the date the test was first processed. We are working on improvements in order to accept these files in the future.

For more information, click here to see the Autosomal DNA Transfers Guide

MyHeritage Files

If you tested with MyHeritage before March 1, 2019, or after May 7, 2025, you may have trouble uploading your results. We know this is happening and are working with MyHeritage to resolve the issue. Please check back for updates!

 

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