Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Genetic information should always be interpreted in consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Do not make health decisions based solely on raw DNA data.
The day 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025, millions of customers woke up to an uncomfortable question: what happens to my DNA now? The company that held genetic data for over 15 million people suddenly became an asset in a bankruptcy estate — meaning your most intimate biological information could, in principle, be sold to the highest bidder.
But here is the part that often gets lost in the headlines: your raw DNA data is still yours. You can download it, move it, and use it on platforms that have nothing to do with 23andMe's legal fate. This guide walks you through exactly how to do that — and what you can actually learn from your genetic file once you have it in your hands.
What Actually Happened with 23andMe's Bankruptcy
23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 23, 2025, citing years of mounting losses, a data breach in 2023 that affected nearly 7 million users, and a failed attempt to pivot into pharmaceutical drug discovery. The company's board approved a restructuring plan, and CEO Anne Wojcicki resigned the same day the filing was announced.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy does not mean the company immediately shuts down. It means the company operates under court supervision while it attempts to reorganize or find a buyer for its assets. And this is where things get complicated for customers: genetic data is classified as an asset under this process.
The California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a public advisory urging 23andMe customers to delete their data before any sale could occur. Several other state attorneys general followed with similar warnings. The concern is that a buyer — potentially a data broker, insurance company, or pharmaceutical firm — might not be bound by 23andMe's existing privacy policy once they acquire the company.
The Federal Trade Commission has published guidance noting that privacy policies do not automatically transfer with asset sales. A new owner can, in many cases, change the terms under which they hold your data. While there are some legal protections (particularly under HIPAA for health data and the California Consumer Privacy Act for California residents), the legal landscape is genuinely murky.
The bottom line: download your raw data now, before a sale closes. Once data is transferred to a new entity, exercising deletion rights becomes significantly more complicated.
How to Download Your 23andMe Raw Data Right Now
The process for downloading your raw DNA file is straightforward, but you need to act while 23andMe's systems are still operational. Here is the step-by-step process:
Step 1: Log into your 23andMe account Go to 23andme.com and sign in. If you have forgotten your password, use the account recovery option immediately — do not wait.
Step 2: Navigate to Browse Raw Data
From your profile, go to Settings > 23andMe Data > View (under "Download Raw Data"). Alternatively, you can go directly to you.23andme.com/tools/data/.
Step 3: Confirm your identity 23andMe will send a verification email before allowing the download. This is a security measure. Check your inbox and click the confirmation link.
Step 4: Download the file
The file downloads as a .zip archive. Inside, you will find a .txt file formatted as a tab-separated values (TSV) document. Each row represents one SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) — a single position in your genome.
What the file contains:
- rsID (the identifier for each SNP, e.g.,
rs1801133) - Chromosome number
- Position on the chromosome
- Your genotype (two alleles, e.g.,
AG,TT,CC)
A typical 23andMe raw data file contains between 600,000 and 700,000 SNP entries. This is a small fraction of your entire genome (which has around 3 billion base pairs), but it covers the variants most studied in health and ancestry research.
Step 5: Store it securely Save the file to an encrypted location — an encrypted external drive, a password-protected cloud storage folder, or both. This file contains sensitive health-relevant information and should be treated accordingly.
Should You Delete Your 23andMe Account?
The calculus on deletion is personal, but here are the relevant facts to make an informed decision.
Arguments for deleting:
- Removes your data from any future sale transaction
- Eliminates exposure if 23andMe suffers additional data breaches during the bankruptcy period
- Several state attorneys general have explicitly recommended it
- Once deleted through 23andMe's official process, the company is obligated to destroy the data (including physical biospecimen samples if you opted in to biobanking)
Arguments for waiting:
- You retain access to your account history, reports, and relative matches
- Deletion is permanent — you cannot recover your reports or DNA relative connections afterward
- 23andMe's court-supervised process may result in a buyer who maintains existing privacy commitments
How to delete: Go to Settings > Preferences > Delete Account. You must specifically request that your biological sample (saliva) also be destroyed — this is a separate checkbox. Without checking this box, 23andMe retains your physical DNA sample even after account deletion.
The key point: download your raw data file before deleting your account. Once the account is deleted, the raw data file is gone.
What Your Raw DNA File Can Tell You About Your Health
Once you have your raw data file, you are holding a remarkably powerful document — one that 23andMe's consumer reports only partially decoded. The underlying data contains genetic variants associated with hundreds of health conditions, medication responses, nutritional needs, and physical traits that never appeared in your 23andMe dashboard.
Here is why: 23andMe's health reports are heavily restricted by FDA regulations governing direct-to-consumer health claims. The company is permitted to report on a limited set of conditions, and many potentially meaningful variants are deliberately excluded from consumer-facing reports.
Your raw data file is not subject to those same reporting restrictions. When you upload it to a third-party analysis platform, you can access research-grade interpretations of variants that 23andMe never showed you.
Examples of health-relevant SNPs in your raw data file:
| Gene | SNP | What It Affects |
|---|---|---|
| MTHFR | rs1801133 | Folate metabolism, cardiovascular risk |
| MTHFR | rs1801131 | Folate processing efficiency |
| COMT | rs4680 | Dopamine metabolism, stress response |
| APOE | rs429358 + rs7412 | Alzheimer's risk, cardiovascular disease |
| CYP1A2 | rs762551 | Caffeine metabolism speed |
| SLC23A1 | rs33972313 | Vitamin C absorption |
| VDR | rs2228570 | Vitamin D receptor function |
| FTO | rs9939609 | Obesity-associated variant |
| BCMO1 | rs12934922 | Beta-carotene to vitamin A conversion |
| CYP2C19 | rs4244285 | Drug metabolism (clopidogrel, PPIs, SSRIs) |
For example, the MTHFR gene — one of the most clinically discussed variants in functional medicine — is present in your 23andMe raw data as rs1801133 and rs1801131, but 23andMe removed MTHFR from its consumer health reports in 2018. If you want to know your MTHFR status, you need to look at your raw data directly. Our guide on how to check your MTHFR variant in raw DNA data walks through this in detail.
Best Platforms to Upload and Analyze Your 23andMe Raw Data
The ecosystem of raw DNA analysis tools has matured significantly. Here is an overview of the major options, with honest assessments of each.
| Platform | Cost | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promethease | $12 one-time | Comprehensive SNP database (SNPedia), research citations | Dense, overwhelming output; not beginner-friendly |
| SelfDecode | $99–$397/year | Health reports, supplement recommendations | Expensive; some reports are superficial |
| Genetic Genie | Free | MTHFR, methylation, detox panels | Very narrow scope |
| Xcode Life | $10–$30 per report | Affordable specialized reports | No interactivity; static PDFs |
| AskMyDNA | Free (3 questions, no credit card) | Conversational AI; asks questions in plain language | Newer platform; growing SNP coverage |
Each platform has a different philosophy. Promethease gives you raw research citations and lets you draw your own conclusions — powerful but requires literacy in research literature. SelfDecode wraps genetic data in curated health reports with supplement recommendations. Genetic Genie focuses narrowly on methylation pathways, which is useful if that is your specific concern.
AskMyDNA takes a different approach: instead of presenting you with a static report, it lets you have a conversation with your genetic data. You can ask specific questions — "Do I have the fast or slow caffeine metabolism variant?" or "What does my APOE status mean for my cardiovascular risk?" — and get answers grounded in your actual genotype. The platform offers 3 free questions with no credit card required, which makes it a low-friction starting point if you are new to raw data analysis.
For a more detailed comparison, see our breakdown of Promethease alternatives in 2026 and the best DNA upload sites in 2026.
How to Read Your Raw Data File Manually
You do not need a third-party platform to extract basic information from your raw data file. If you are comfortable opening a spreadsheet, you can look up specific SNPs directly.
Opening the file:
The raw data .txt file is tab-separated. Open it with Excel, Google Sheets, or any text editor. The first several rows are comment lines starting with # — these contain metadata about your file, including the chip version used and the date of genotyping.
Finding a specific SNP:
Use Ctrl+F (or Command+F on Mac) to search for an rsID. For example, search for rs1801133 to find your MTHFR C677T variant.
Interpreting the genotype:
Your result will show two letters — your two alleles at that position. For rs1801133 (MTHFR C677T):
CC= no copies of the variant; normal MTHFR functionCT= one copy (heterozygous); moderately reduced enzyme activity (~35% reduction)TT= two copies (homozygous); significantly reduced enzyme activity (~70% reduction)
Cross-referencing with research: For any rsID, you can look it up on ClinVar, dbSNP, or SNPedia to find the associated research. ClinVar is particularly useful for variants with clinical significance ratings.
Keep in mind that individual SNPs rarely tell the complete story. Most complex traits and disease risks involve dozens or hundreds of variants interacting with each other and with environmental factors. This is why polygenic risk scores — which aggregate many variants simultaneously — have largely replaced single-variant interpretation in clinical genetics research.
Your Legal Rights: What the Law Says About Your Genetic Data
Understanding your legal protections is important, especially in the context of a bankruptcy sale.
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA): Federal law that prohibits health insurers and employers from discriminating based on genetic information. Important limitation: GINA does not cover life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance.
HIPAA: Applies to healthcare providers and their business associates. Does not apply to direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies like 23andMe in most circumstances, because 23andMe is not a healthcare provider.
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) / California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA): California residents have specific rights to request deletion of their data, opt out of data sales, and receive information about how their data is used. These rights survive a bankruptcy sale, though enforcing them against a new owner is complex.
State genetic privacy laws: Several states have passed stronger genetic privacy laws than federal standards. Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Washington have laws that provide additional protections. Your protections depend significantly on where you live.
23andMe's Terms of Service: The existing privacy policy states that 23andMe will not sell individual-level genetic data to third parties without explicit consent. However, as noted by the FTC, privacy policies can change when a company is sold in bankruptcy. The new owner would need to provide notice and, in some jurisdictions, obtain fresh consent — but enforcement of these requirements against a distressed acquirer is uncertain.
Practical recommendation: Exercise your deletion rights proactively rather than relying on legal protections to be enforced retroactively.
Transferring Your DNA Data to a New Testing Service
If you want to continue using genetic analysis services going forward, you have options beyond re-testing from scratch. Most major platforms accept raw data uploads from 23andMe files.
AncestryDNA: Does not accept raw data uploads from other services. If you want AncestryDNA's family matching features, you would need to purchase a new kit.
MyHeritage DNA: Accepts free raw data uploads from 23andMe. Provides ancestry reports and family matching. Health reports require a paid subscription.
FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA): Accepts 23andMe raw data uploads. Strong family matching database, especially for mtDNA and Y-DNA analysis.
LivingDNA: Accepts uploads; particularly strong for UK and European regional ancestry breakdowns.
Gedmatch: A third-party database that accepts uploads from any testing company. Focused on genealogy matching across different testing platforms.
For health-focused analysis, uploading to a platform like AskMyDNA or using your AncestryDNA raw data for health insights is complementary to genealogy-focused platforms — they serve different purposes.
What Happens to Your DNA Relatives and Shared Matches
One underappreciated consequence of 23andMe's bankruptcy is what happens to the DNA relative database — the network of genetic matches that many customers used for genealogy research or to discover previously unknown biological relatives.
23andMe's relative database is one of its most valuable assets. With over 15 million customers, it is one of the largest consumer genetic databases in the world. In a bankruptcy sale, this database — including the network of genetic relationships — would likely transfer to the buyer.
This raises specific concerns:
Adoptees and donor-conceived individuals: Many people used 23andMe specifically to find biological relatives. If the database is sold or significantly modified, these connections may be disrupted.
Opt-out of relative matching: If you want to remove yourself from the relative-matching database before any sale, you can do so in Settings > DNA Relatives > turn off DNA Relatives. Note that this does not delete your account or your raw data — it only removes you from the matching network.
Downloading your relative list: You can export a list of your DNA relatives and their contact information before deleting your account. Go to DNA Relatives > scroll to the bottom > Download DNA Relatives Data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still use 23andMe's services during the bankruptcy?
Yes, as of early 2026, 23andMe continues to operate its consumer services under bankruptcy court supervision. Existing accounts remain accessible, and the raw data download function is still available. This could change if a sale closes or if the court-supervised operations are wound down. There is no guarantee of continued service availability — act now rather than waiting.
Will my 23andMe results still be accurate on other platforms?
Yes. Your raw DNA data is a record of your actual genotype — it does not change or expire. The same SNP measurements that 23andMe recorded are valid on any analysis platform that supports 23andMe file formats. Some platforms cover more SNPs than others, and coverage may vary based on which 23andMe chip version was used when you were genotyped (v3, v4, or v5).
Is it safe to upload my raw DNA data to third-party platforms?
This depends on the platform's security practices and privacy policy. Before uploading, review the platform's privacy policy: Does it share data with third parties? Can you delete your data? Is it encrypted at rest? Reputable platforms like AskMyDNA, SelfDecode, and Promethease have clear data handling policies. You can also analyze your raw data locally — some tools run entirely on your own computer without uploading anything.
Can my health insurer or employer access my genetic data if 23andMe is sold?
Under GINA, health insurers and employers are prohibited from discriminating based on genetic information. However, GINA does not cover life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance. In a bankruptcy sale scenario, a buyer in those industries could, theoretically, acquire the data — though using it for underwriting would still violate GINA for the covered categories. This is one reason legal experts and attorneys general have recommended deletion rather than reliance on post-sale legal enforcement.
What if I already deleted my account — can I recover my data?
No. Once your 23andMe account is fully deleted and you have confirmed the deletion, the data is permanently removed from 23andMe's systems. There is no recovery process. This is why the order of operations matters: download first, delete second.
Does 23andMe's bankruptcy affect my DNA relative matches?
Your existing relative matches are still visible in your account as long as it is active. However, the future of the relative-matching database after a sale is uncertain. If genealogy matching is important to you, download your relative data now and consider uploading to Gedmatch or FamilyTreeDNA, which aggregate matches across multiple testing platforms.
Conclusion
23andMe's bankruptcy is an uncomfortable reminder that genetic data, once shared with a corporation, exists in a legal and commercial ecosystem you do not fully control. But it is also an opportunity to take that control back.
Downloading your raw data file takes about ten minutes. It gives you a portable, platform-independent record of your genotype — one you can analyze on any service, now or in the future, without depending on any single company's survival. The 600,000+ SNPs in that file contain information about your health, your ancestry, and your biology that extends far beyond what any one consumer report has shown you.
The situation with 23andMe will resolve one way or another: through a sale, a reorganization, or a wind-down. In any of those scenarios, having your raw data already downloaded puts you in a far better position than waiting to see what happens. And understanding what that data actually contains — through platforms like AskMyDNA that let you ask specific questions about your own genome — turns a moment of corporate disruption into something genuinely useful for your long-term health.
Download your data. Understand what it says. Own your genetics.