23andMe Shutting Down? How to Download and Use Your Raw Data (2026)

What's Happening with 23andMe

23andMe has been in financial difficulty for several years. The company's stock price declined more than 98% from its 2021 peak, it was delisted from the Nasdaq exchange, and in late 2024 the entire board of directors resigned except for CEO Anne Wojcicki. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025.

Following the bankruptcy filing, 23andMe began exploring the sale of its assets — including its database of genetic information from more than 15 million customers. This prompted privacy concerns from regulators, state attorneys general, and customers about what would happen to that data under new ownership.

Regardless of how the company's situation resolves, one thing is clear: if you have a 23andMe account, you should download your raw data now. It takes two minutes, it's free, and it ensures you retain access to genetic information you already paid for.

Step 1: Download Your Raw Data Now

Your raw data file is yours. 23andMe allows you to download it at any time while your account is active. Here is how:

1. Log in to your 23andMe account at you.23andme.com
2. Click your name or profile icon in the top-right corner
3. Select Settings
4. Scroll down to 23andMe Data and click Download Raw Data (you may also see it under View → Browse Raw Data)
5. Enter your password when prompted
6. Click Submit Request
7. You will receive an email with a download link. The file is a .txt file, typically 15–25 MB
8. Save this file somewhere safe — your computer, a cloud drive, or both

Do this now, regardless of whether you plan to use the data immediately. If 23andMe changes ownership, restricts access, or shuts down its platform, having this file means you have not lost anything.

For a more detailed walkthrough with screenshots and troubleshooting: 23andMe raw data upload guide.

Step 2: Understand What Your Raw Data Contains

Your 23andMe raw data file contains results for roughly 600,000 to 700,000 genetic variants (SNPs). Most people who used 23andMe only looked at ancestry composition and trait reports. But your raw data contains far more than that.

Buried in that file are variants in pharmacogenomic genes — the genes that determine how your body metabolizes medications. These include CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, SLCO1B1, MTHFR, VKORC1, and others. 23andMe never showed you this information in its consumer reports (apart from a limited pharmacogenomics add-on that was discontinued). But the data is there, in the raw file you just downloaded.

This is the most clinically useful information in your entire 23andMe dataset — and most people never knew they had it. To understand why it matters: what is pharmacogenomics.

What You Can Do With Your Raw Data

Once you have your raw data file, you can upload it to DecodeMyBio and get clinician-ready pharmacogenomic reports. Here is what is available:

Medication Safety Report

See how your genetics affect 48+ commonly prescribed medications — including antidepressants, pain medications, blood thinners, statins, PPIs, and more. Each medication includes your metabolizer status, clinical implications, and CPIC-based guidance. See a sample report.

Psychiatric Medications

Antidepressants, ADHD medications, anti-anxiety drugs, and antipsychotics are among the most pharmacogenomically relevant drug classes. If you or someone you know has struggled with finding the right psychiatric medication, genetics is often the missing piece. Psychiatric Medication Report.

Pain & Surgery Prep

Know which pain medications will work for you before you need them. CYP2D6 determines whether codeine and tramadol provide any pain relief at all. If you have surgery coming up, this information is directly actionable. Pain & Anesthesia Report.

Cannabis & CBD

Understand how your genetics affect THC and CBD metabolism. CYP2C9 affects THC clearance, CYP3A4/CYP2C19 affect CBD processing, and AKT1 is associated with psychosis risk. Cannabis & CBD Report.

Nutrition & MTHFR

MTHFR variants affect folate metabolism and methylation. Your raw data also contains variants relevant to vitamin D, vitamin B12, caffeine metabolism, and lactose tolerance. Nutrition & Methylation Report.

Celiac Screening

HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 variants are required for celiac disease to develop. A negative result rules out celiac with greater than 99% certainty. Your 23andMe data contains the tag SNPs needed to check. Celiac & Gluten Screening Report.

What About AncestryDNA?

Everything above applies equally to AncestryDNA. If you have an AncestryDNA account, download your raw data from the AncestryDNA settings page. The file format is slightly different, but DecodeMyBio supports it natively — no conversion needed.

AncestryDNA uses a different genotyping array than 23andMe, but it covers the same core pharmacogenomic variants. In practice, report coverage is comparable between the two providers. For details: AncestryDNA pharmacogenomic reports.

What About Privacy?

One of the concerns driving people to download their 23andMe data is privacy. If the company is sold, who gets access to your genetic information?

When you upload your data to DecodeMyBio, your raw data is encrypted in transit and at rest. It is automatically deleted 30 days after upload. DecodeMyBio does not sell, share, or monetize your genetic data. Your reports are generated and stored — your raw data is not retained long-term. For full details: privacy policy.

What You Cannot Do With Raw Data

Raw data from consumer genotyping services has real limitations that are important to understand:

• It is not clinical-grade sequencing. Genotyping checks specific known positions. It does not sequence your entire genome. Rare or novel variants may be missed.
• It does not replace a doctor's clinical judgment. Pharmacogenomic reports provide information about your genetic metabolism. They do not account for kidney function, liver disease, drug-drug interactions, or other clinical factors. Always discuss results with your prescriber.
• Structural variants (especially CYP2D6) are partially covered. Gene deletions and duplications that affect CYP2D6 are not fully detectable from genotyping arrays. DecodeMyBio flags this limitation in every report.

For a balanced assessment of what PGx testing can and cannot do: is pharmacogenomic testing worth it?