How To Erase A 23andMe Data | Permanent Deletion Steps

To erase 23andMe data: log in, go to Settings > 23andMe Data > Permanently Delete Data, then click the confirmation link sent to your email.

The genetic code sitting in 23andMe’s servers right now is uniquely yours — and the company’s March 2025 bankruptcy filing means a new owner could eventually acquire that database. Knowing how to erase your 23andMe data takes about ten minutes, but one missed confirmation email leaves your profile active through the sale. Here is exactly what to do, step by step, before the window closes.

Why Erasing Your 23andMe Data: The Bankruptcy Makes This Urgent

23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025, triggering a sale process that could transfer its genetic database — roughly 15 million customers’ DNA profiles — to a new owner. Unlike a credit card number you can replace, your genetic data cannot be changed. Once a buyer acquires the database, your deletion request must go through the new entity instead of the original company.

New York State’s Attorney General has specifically urged residents to delete their data or request sample destruction. The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has published a consumer guide calling deletion a priority. The core message from every authority is the same: do it now, while 23andMe still controls the process.

What Gets Deleted And What 23andMe Keeps

Permanent deletion removes most of your personal and genetic data from the active database. But 23andMe is legally required to retain certain records — deletion logs, compliance documentation, and some aggregated data — even after your profile disappears. The table below shows exactly what goes and what stays.

An important distinction: 23andMe is a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, not a medical provider. Your data is not protected under HIPAA, which means it lacks the legal privacy safeguards that medical records carry. That makes deletion the only reliable way to control who accesses your genetic information.

How To Erase Your 23andMe Data In 5 Steps

These steps are based on the EFF’s verified deletion guide and 23andMe’s own customer care documentation. Every step matters — skipping the confirmation email is the most common reason deletion fails.

Step 1: Download Your Data First

Once you delete your account, all access to your genetic reports and raw data is gone permanently. Download anything you want to keep before you start.

• Log in at 23andMe.com and click your username in the top-right corner.
• Go to Settings and scroll down to the 23andMe Data section.
• Click View and select the files you want — Reports Summary, Ancestry Composition, Family Tree data, and Raw DNA data are available in .txt and .csv formats.
• Store downloaded files on an encrypted or password-protected device. A raw DNA file contains your full genome and should not sit unsecured on a desktop.
• The files appear in your Downloads folder with names like genome_YourName_Full.txt and ancestry_composition.csv.

Step 2: Initiate Deletion In Settings

• In Settings, scroll back to the 23andMe Data section and click View.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page to Delete Data and select Permanently Delete Data.
• Critical note: This action deletes data for every profile linked to your account — yourself, any family members you manage, and any kit tied to your login. If someone else’s profile is under your account and you want to keep it, contact 23andMe Customer Care to transfer it to a separate account before proceeding.
• Read the on-screen warning, then confirm your intent.
• The page refreshes and displays a message saying your deletion request has been submitted and a confirmation email is on its way.

Step 3: Click The Confirmation Email — This Is The Step People Miss

Clicking Permanently Delete Data inside the website does not complete the deletion. It only triggers a request. The real deletion happens when you open the confirmation email.

• Check the inbox for the email address registered on your 23andMe account. The email subject line reads “23andMe Delete Account Request”.
• Open the email and scroll to the bottom. Click the button labeled “Permanently Delete All Records”.
• The confirmation page loads and displays “Your data is being deleted”. Your login access is revoked immediately — you cannot sign back in after clicking the button.
• If the email doesn’t arrive: Check spam and promotions folders. Contact customercare@23andme.com or privacy@23andMe.com from the same email address your account uses. Note that customer service is reportedly slower than usual during the bankruptcy period.

Step 4: Destroy Your Physical DNA Sample Separately

The Permanently Delete Data action authorizes destruction of your stored saliva sample in most cases. But 23andMe customer care recommends making this request explicitly in your account preferences to remove any ambiguity.

• Log back in if your account is still active (complete this step before clicking the confirmation email in Step 3).
• Go to Settings > Preferences and change the sample storage option to Disposal.
• The preference field updates to show “Disposal requested”.

Step 5: Revoke Research Consent

If you previously opted into 23andMe’s research program, revoking that consent ensures your data cannot be used in future studies or sold to research partners.

• In Settings, find the Research and Consents section.
• Click to revoke consent for genetic data use in research projects.
• The toggle switches off and a confirmation message appears at the top of the section.

4 Mistakes That Keep Your Data Active

1. Skipping the email link. Clicking Permanently Delete Data on the website and stopping there leaves your account fully intact. The email confirmation is not optional.
2. Assuming total erasure. 23andMe legally retains deletion records and other compliance data even after your profile is removed. You cannot scrub every trace, but you can remove everything that identifies you personally.
3. Forgetting the physical sample. Deleting your account does not automatically destroy the saliva sample still stored in 23andMe’s lab unless you change the preference to disposal.
4. Waiting too long. Every week the bankruptcy sale process advances, the window for clean deletion narrows. A new owner inherits whichever profiles remain active at the close of the sale.

Your Deletion Quick Reference

Start with downloading your data, then move through each step in order. The email confirmation in Step 3 is the one that catches most people — do not close your browser until you see “Your data is being deleted” on the confirmation page. Once that message appears, your genetic profile is out of 23andMe’s active database and the bankruptcy sale cannot include it.