After preparing your DNA results, Ancestry will post them to your secure online account and send you an email notification to view your results. It’s important to note that Ancestry does not send your detailed DNA results directly through email or physical mail. To access your genetic information, you’ll need to log in to your Ancestry account and navigate to the DNA results section, often found on a page like “Locating AncestryDNA Results” or your DNA homepage.
Why Does Ancestry Post Results Online?
There are several key reasons why Ancestry chooses to provide DNA results exclusively online:
- Dynamic Data and Ongoing Discoveries: Your AncestryDNA results, particularly your DNA matches, are not static. They can change and update over time. Mailed DNA results would only offer a snapshot at a specific moment and would quickly become outdated. This is especially true for DNA matches, which are frequently updated as new people take the AncestryDNA test.
- Ethnicity Estimate Updates: Similarly, the ethnicity estimates Ancestry provides can also be refined as their reference panels and algorithms improve. Mailed results wouldn’t reflect these important updates to your ancestral origins.
- Real-Time Updates and New Features: By posting DNA results online, Ancestry can deliver these updates in real-time. This platform also allows them to roll out new tools and features as they are developed, enhancing your experience and understanding of your DNA story.
Essentially, online delivery ensures you always have access to the most current and comprehensive version of your DNA results and features.
Printing Your AncestryDNA Results
If you’d like a physical copy of your DNA insights, you can print them from the Ancestry website. Here’s a general guide:
- Navigate to Your DNA Results: Log in to the Ancestry website. Click on the “DNA” tab in the main navigation menu and then select an option like “DNA Story” or “DNA Summary” to view your ethnicity estimate and other results.
- Look for a Print Option: On your DNA results page (often your “DNA Story” page for the ethnicity breakdown or the match list page for relatives), look for a print icon. This is often found near the top of the page or within a “Tools” menu.
- Choose What to Print: Some sections might offer different views or levels of detail. For instance, you might have an option to print a summary page of your ethnicity or a more detailed report. If you want to print different sections (e.g., your ethnicity estimate and your DNA matches), you may need to navigate to each section and print them separately.
- To print a one-page summary of your ethnicity results, ensure that view is displayed.
- To print a more detailed DNA report or your list of DNA matches, navigate to those specific sections.
- Preview and Print: After selecting the print option, a print preview window will usually appear. Here, you can adjust settings if your browser allows. Click “Print” or “OK” to send the information to your printer.
Conclusion
So, if you’ve been wondering why your AncestryDNA results won’t arrive in your physical mailbox or as a detailed email attachment, it’s because Ancestry is committed to providing you with the most up-to-date and feature-rich experience online. This article has explained the reasons for this online-only approach and has also guided you through the process of printing your DNA results directly from the Ancestry website should you wish to have a hard copy.
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