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Deletion guides / 23andMe

How to delete your 23andMe data and DNA sample

23andMe went bankrupt in 2025, and its genetic data and business were sold to TTAM Research Institute. The service still runs, and you can still delete your data. Here is how, and what deletion does and doesn't cover.

Last checked October 2026

Quick answer

Sign in, go to Settings, open the 23andMe Data section, download anything you want to keep, then choose Permanently Delete Data and confirm through the email 23andMe sends you. Deleting also withdraws your research consent and authorizes destruction of a stored saliva sample. 23andMe says its lab still keeps your genetic information, birth date, and sex to meet lab regulations.

Step 1: Download your data first (optional)

  1. Sign in at 23andme.com, click your name, then Settings.
  2. Scroll to the 23andMe Data section and click View.
  3. Download what you want to keep, such as your raw data, reports summary, and ancestry composition. You can't get these back after deletion.

Your raw DNA file is sensitive. Store it somewhere safe, such as an encrypted drive, not a shared folder.

Step 2: Permanently delete your data

  1. On the same 23andMe Data page, scroll to the bottom and click Permanently Delete Data.
  2. Check your email for a message titled 23andMe Delete Account Request.
  3. Click the link in that email and choose Permanently Delete All Records. You may need to sign in again.

Step 3: Make sure your saliva sample is destroyed

If you chose to have 23andMe store your saliva sample, deleting your data authorizes the company to destroy it, and deleting also withdraws your consent to research. If you want to be sure, check Settings > Preferences for sample storage and research consent before you delete, or contact 23andMe Customer Care and ask for written confirmation.

What 23andMe keeps anyway

23andMe's privacy policy says it and its genotyping lab keep your genetic information, date of birth, and sex to meet clinical lab regulations, plus limited records about your account and deletion request. Data you already allowed researchers to use can't be pulled back from studies that are underway or finished, though it won't be used in new ones.

Your legal right to deletion

If you live in a state with a consumer privacy law, such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, or Oregon, 23andMe generally has to honor your deletion request and respond within the deadline your state sets, except for information it is legally required to keep. See what your state's law requires.

23andMe is probably not the only one

Most people have dozens of companies holding their information, from old shopping accounts to apps they've forgotten. DataTrail scans your inbox (read-only) to find them all, flags the ones with data breaches, and writes the deletion requests for you.

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Sources: EFF: How to delete your 23andMe data, Malwarebytes on what 23andMe retains, and GuideToGenetics. DataTrail isn't affiliated with 23andMe. Menus and policies change; if a step looks different, check 23andMe's help center. This guide is general information, not legal advice.