Introducing MyHeritage DNA

We’re excited to announce the launch of MyHeritage DNA, our new global genetic testing service, fully integrated into MyHeritage. This is big news: we now offer a simple, affordable and easy-to-use DNA home testing kit that can reveal valuable family history information and tell you more about your origins.

Order a MyHeritage DNA kit today to uncover your ethnic origins and find new relatives.

About the MyHeritage DNA kit

DNA is the hereditary material in the cells of the human body and it carries within it a unique genetic record. The MyHeritage DNA kit enables you to test your DNA to make new family history discoveries.

MyHeritage DNA kit’s components

MyHeritage DNA kits are available at the affordable introductory price of $79 + shipping (prices vary by location). To order, visit MyHeritage DNA. You can track your kit’s progress on MyHeritage throughout the entire process.

Your kit will include instructions on how to activate the kit and collect your DNA sample by swabbing your cheek; the test does not involve taking blood or spitting. The entire process takes only a few minutes. You then simply mail the sample to our lab for analysis. You will be invited to view your results on your MyHeritage family site in 3–4 weeks. All DNA data is kept private and secure.

Tracking DNA status

MyHeritage DNA provides two main features: DNA Matching for finding relatives, and detailed ethnicity reports that map the user’s ethnic and geographic origins. Additional features and capabilities are planned for the future.

DNA Matching

DNA Matching compares the DNA data of all individuals uploaded to MyHeritage to find matches based on shared DNA. DNA Matching can introduce you to relatives you may not have known about and open up exciting new research directions.

If you share a common ancestor with someone, then it is likely that you will have some percentage of shared DNA that you have both inherited from that ancestor. DNA Matching can reveal the possible relationship between two matches. For example, if you and your match share 50% of your DNA, then you probably have a parent/child relationship, or you might be full siblings. That might come as no surprise if you deliberately tested yourself and your parent, but may be a life-changing revelation if you were adopted and are searching for a biological parent.

MyHeritage displays the matches under the DNA tab, listing all DNA Matches sorted by the amount of shared DNA. Every match will show basic information about the person who matched your DNA, the possible relationship(s) between you and that person as implied by the DNA characteristics, information about the DNA Match quality, and family tree details if your match has a family tree.

For every DNA Match, we show the possible relationship(s) as indicated by DNA between you and the person, such as first cousin once removed or second cousin twice removed. It’s sometimes difficult to visualize these relationships — for example, a second cousin 3 times removed — so we provide you with a handy relationship helper window that shows you what the relationships mean. To view the relationship helper window, click the question mark icon next to “Possible relationships”.  If more than one relationship is possible, the various possibilities will be highlighted in that window.

Possible relationship details

MyHeritage has already amassed a significant number of DNA kits uploaded by its users from other DNA services, providing valuable matches on MyHeritage from day one.

If you’ve already tested your DNA, we invite you to export your raw DNA data from the service you tested with and import this data to MyHeritage for free to benefit from free DNA Matches. For example, AncestryDNA customers who want to be matched with 23andMe customers and vice versa cannot enjoy that on those services but will be able to benefit from cross-matching on MyHeritage, and it is completely free of charge.

Follow these simple instructions to export your raw DNA data from the service you tested with and import this data to MyHeritage.

Ethnicity Reports

In addition to DNA Matching, the DNA results include a fascinating breakdown of your ancestral ethnicity. You will be able to see the percentage of your DNA that comes from different populations around the world. This breakdown, displayed in a list and on a world map, may confirm long-held beliefs about your family origins, or perhaps reveal that you have roots in some unexpected places.

The initial ethnicity reports include 25 ethnicities, but this number will grow significantly thanks to the fascinating project described below.

MyHeritage’s Founder Populations Project

Founder Populations are modern groups that descend from a few individuals who left one area to settle another for political, religious, or social reasons. Founder populations amplify certain gene variants while maintaining significant stretches of uniformity in other DNA sequences. We have reached out to thousands of MyHeritage users from all around the world who are members of Founder Populations — their family trees exemplify consistent heritage from the same region or ethnicity for many generations. We are very happy that 5000 of those users have confirmed their participation in the project. In the past few months, we have been sending DNA kits to project participants far and wide, from Uzbekistan to Fiji, from Greenland to South Africa, and every corner of the globe. The results of these tests will yield a rich DNA data set of more than 100 ethnicities. The largest study of this kind ever conducted, the Founder Population project will enable us to show you your ancestral roots with far greater resolution than any other DNA service.

Standard ethnicity reports are currently available as part of your MyHeritage DNA test results, with the expert reports to be released at no additional cost following the completion of this project.

MyHeritage DNA mobile app
Today we’ve released a new dedicated mobile app, called MyHeritage DNA, for ordering a MyHeritage DNA test kit and viewing the results, on the go.

MyHeritage DNA mobile app

Combining DNA with family history research

Taking a DNA test is the perfect complement to building your family tree and researching historical records. DNA can be used to prove or disprove a documented family tree connection or tell you for sure if someone who has the same last name as you is actually related to you. DNA can also be super helpful in breaking through brick walls in traditional research. For example, adoptees who have no access to their adoption records can use DNA to try to find their biological family. On the other hand, when DNA matches you with someone with whom you share a common ancestor, family trees and historical records are often essential for piecing together exactly how you are related.

Why test with MyHeritage DNA?

• We are the most global company in the family history space. So testing with us will give you the best chances of being matched with relatives in other countries.
• We support 42 languages. You can get customer support natively in more than 20 languages.
• We have a huge database with over 2.1 billion profiles, 7 billion historical records, and 85 million registered users. On a typical day, MyHeritage users add 2 million profiles to their trees. This enhances the DNA results. For most DNA Matches, you will be able to view your match’s family tree and see surnames and geographies you have in common. This is a feature not possible with other services such as 23andMe.
• We have amazing engineering. We are a technology company and are known for our matching technologies. DNA Matching augments our other matching technologies, it is just out of Beta and it will get better and better quickly.

Order a MyHeritage DNA kit today

An exciting new chapter

DNA testing is one of the most exciting developments in family history. Combined with our family trees, records collections, and matching technologies, MyHeritage DNA enables you to gain a deeper understanding of the ethnic and geographic origins of your ancestors and construct an even more complete picture of your family’s past.

We look forward to harnessing this awesome technology to reunite families, engage in pro bono activities, and enrich the lives of our 85 million users.