Linking AncestryDNA Results to Another Account

What people usually mean by this question

When someone asks whether they can link their AncestryDNA to another account, they usually mean one of a few different things:

• giving a relative or research partner access to see their DNA results,
• managing a test taken by a family member from their own account,
• getting results seen in a second Ancestry account they created, or
• connecting their Ancestry results to a different company, such as MyHeritage or 23andMe.

These are different tasks with different answers. The first two are supported through sharing features. The last two work differently, as explained below.

Sharing access to your DNA results

Ancestry allows a test owner to share access to their DNA results with other Ancestry users. The shared person does not need to be a DNA match. In general, the process looks like this, although menu names may change:

1. Sign in to the account that owns the test.
2. Open your account settings and go to the DNA settings.
3. Find the sharing preferences for your test.
4. Choose to add a person and enter the details of the person you want to share with, usually through an invitation.
5. Select the level of access to grant.
6. The other person accepts the invitation from their own Ancestry account.

Experienced genetic genealogists commonly describe two broad levels:

• View access. The person can see your results, matches and related information but cannot change settings. This is the common choice for collaborators.
• Manager access. The person can manage the test, which can include changing settings. Only give this to someone you trust fully, such as a relative who tested for you.

Check Ancestry’s current help pages, because access names and capabilities can change.

Sharing DNA is not the same as sharing a tree

Sharing DNA access does not automatically share your family tree. Trees have their own sharing and privacy controls, covered in Sharing Family Trees on Ancestry: Who Can See What. If you want a collaborator to see your tree, you need to invite them to the tree separately and choose their role, such as viewer or editor.

This matters because someone looking at a DNA match benefits from seeing the tree behind it. If you share DNA but not the tree, they may not be able to trace the connection.

If a relative took the test for you

If a relative tested and does not want to manage the results, they can set up sharing so that you manage the kit from your account. This keeps the results under one person’s control and avoids sharing a password. It is generally safer to share access than to give someone your login details.

Moving a test to a different account

Ancestry tests are tied to an account. Readers often hope they can simply move a test to a new account. This may be possible in limited situations, for example when a kit was activated in the wrong account, but it usually requires help from Ancestry customer support. If you need this, contact Ancestry and explain the situation rather than trying to work around the system.

Note that Ancestry’s policies apply, so check with support about what they can do.

Can I test with Ancestry more than once?

Some readers wonder if they can take a second AncestryDNA test. Ancestry offers tests for purchase, and the DNA kits are activated to an account. Whether a repeat test is useful depends on your reason. Ethnicity estimates can change when the company updates its methods, which does not require a new test. If you want an additional test because of a failed sample, contact support.

Linking to a tree is a separate step

Sharing access and tree linking are different. Each test should still be linked to the correct person in a tree. See our walkthrough on how to link your DNA results to your Ancestry tree.

Uploading Ancestry DNA data elsewhere

Another common meaning of linking to a different account is using your results at another company. You cannot connect the two accounts directly, but you can generally download your raw DNA data from Ancestry and upload it to some other sites, such as MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, GEDmatch or Living DNA, which accept uploads from other companies. Policies and fees vary and change, so check each site. Our article on transferring AncestryDNA to 23andMe explains why 23andMe is different.

Before you upload to any site, read its privacy terms. Genetic data is sensitive, and relatives share part of that DNA, so consider family members’ wishes.

Privacy and safety tips

• Share only with people you know and trust.
• Prefer view access over manager access unless you need the other person to manage the test.
• Review who has access from time to time, and remove people you no longer work with.
• Do not share login credentials.
• Consider what you want to happen to your account over the long term, as some researchers share access so collaborators can continue to use their results.

Troubleshooting

• The invitation was not received. Ask the person to check spam and to sign in using the same email address you invited.
• They can see the DNA but not the tree. Share the tree separately.
• You cannot find the sharing option. Make sure you are signed in as the test owner.
• You want to remove access. Return to the sharing settings and remove the person from the list.