My AncestryDNA Tests Switched to the New Algorithm Today ... Wonder What We'll Find

At some point late this morning or early afternoon my AncestryDNA tests were switched to the "new algorithm." I was working on some DNA stuff late last night/early this morning so I knew it didn't happen while I slept since I didn't go to bed until 3:30 a.m.

Around about April 19, Ancestry and various genealogy DNA bloggers started talking about this change and that it would be happening in "about one to two weeks."

I discovered this change when I went back to check something about 10 minutes ago. I haven't clicked further yet to see what has changed. At least I followed the advice to star and/or add notes to those entries I did not want to forget about if I lost them after the algorithm change.

Yes, It IS a New Feature on AncestryDNA ... Shared Matches

When I wrote my previous post, New Feature on AncestryDNA ???, there was nothing out there announcing a new feature on AncestryDNA. I checked multiple times in multiple places.

But apparently while I was writing and likely minutes before I hit my publish button Ancestry.com hit the publish button on its own blog. I discovered this less than ten minutes after publishing my post.

Now the answer is clear. The "Shared Matches" are those shared in common between your test that you are viewing and that selected DNA match.

Apparently there is supposed to be a Father and Mother filter if you have tested your father or mother. I have my mother tested but I don't have a Mother filter yet. I suspect this is because it will take a few days or more for Ancestry to catalog/index the matches in common for each test that you manage.

Here's a link to Ancestry's video about the new feature to learn more about the new feature.

©2015, goneresearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

New Feature on AncestryDNA ????

Has anyone else noticed something new with their AncestryDNA?

I did not notice this before today but two things are different.

The first change is just plain annoying -- shame on you Ancestry.com! An advertisement now appears below your first DNA match encouraging you to buy an ... AncestryDNA test. Hey Ancestry, if I have an AncestryDNA test I already know how/where to buy one. I'm a customer already -- I don't need another ad. (What I need is a chromosome browser.)

Luckily, it seems that once you close the ad it will no longer appear even if you sign out and sign back into your account. I don't know if it will reappear tomorrow or at a later date as that is yet to be seen. 

The second change is that there is now a "Shared Matches" tab between the "Pedigree and Surnames" tab and the "Map and Locations" tab which are located just under the Individual Match Overview.

New Feature on AncestryDNA  Shared Matches ^^^

I haven't found any explanation of the feature yet.

Is it a feature that will show you:

• what DNA matches you and that DNA match have in common?
• or which of your DNA tests that you manage also have a match to that DNA match?

If it is the first then that is great. If it is the second then this seems to be Ancestry's answer to the AncestryDNA Helper extension's "Compare two tests for common matches" AncestryDNA Helper feature. AncestryDNA Helper extension is an extension for Google's Chrome browser that was developed by an AncestryDNA user. It adds features that sadly Ancestry.com failed to provide its customers.

AncestryDNA Helper's features added to an AncestryDNA page.

Looking at my first test that I manage and skipping it's DNA matches that I manage, I tested the feature on a 2nd cousin match. Clicking the tab, it showed shared matches -- all the tests I manage. I'm not sure if any of my other matches also match that 2nd cousin.

Going a little further down the test's match list I tested another match that I know shares a match to another of the test's DNA matches -- meaning we have a match in common. (I know because I have communicated with that cousin and we've compared results when searching certain surnames.) But nothing appears -- not even the other tests I manage where I know the match also appears in those tests' match lists.

I also tested this feature for the last/newest AncestryDNA test of a sister that I manage. Selecting the DNA match of another sister (not the first test in my list) and clicking the Shared Matches tab resulted in ... nothing -- no matches in common. And yet I know that all the other tests I manage should appear on that list. A little while ago I finally got a few matches in common to appear.

I suspect that the feature rolls itself out slowly similar to how when you first get your AncestryDNA test results and it takes Ancestry a few days or more to "index" the trees of your matches so that when you search by surname or birth location you get a complete results list.

It will be interesting to see what this new feature will actually entail. Perhaps it will be a usable tool. But we still need a chromosome browser. Relying on online family trees where data is more often wrong than right is just not sound science.

©2015, goneresearching. All text and photos in this post are copyrighted & owned by me (goneresearching) unless indicated otherwise. No republication (commercial or non-commercial) without prior permission. You may share (tell others) of this blog as long as you give credit and link to this site (not by downloading or copying any post). Thank you.

Back in September 2014, I wrote a post on our experience with "the wait" for various DNA tests from two of the DNA/Genealogy testing companies. I had delayed making that post so I could include "the wait" for an autosomal transfer from Ancestry to FamilyTree DNA.

Very recently, FamilyTree DNA made a change in its autosomal transfer option for FamilyFinder. Prior to this an autosomal transfer from AncestryDNA or from 23andMe (V3 chip tests prior to December 2013) cost $69 at regular price.

Now FamilyTree DNA is offering an autosomal transfer for free. Information on FamilyTree DNA's own website is surprisingly lacking about what you get for free. So from what I can tell from other sources and from my own experience, here is the deal.

For free, you get to upload your raw DNA data and after it is processed you get to see your first 20 closest matches. Essentially it is a look at what is behind the curtain. [Note: After uploading one test at about 4 p.m. on a Friday, it said I should have results in one hour. I imagine FamilyTreeDNA might be a little busy today. It has just passed one hour and my results are not in yet. (I'll let you know how long it really took in the comments for this post or in a follow-up post.)]

Now you don't have a lot of options of doing anything with these matches. You can't contact the matches, see their trees, you see your own results in the chromosome browser (which Ancestry does not offer) but I believe you can not do any comparisons with those 20 matches. You also do not get to learn your ethnicity mix based on FamilyTree DNA's recipe for determining ethnic ancestry.

But once you have your transfer results, for $39 you can unlock your test and have the complete FamilyFinder experience: that is see all your additional matches, have the ability to contact your matches, do comparisons in the chromosome browser, view your matches' trees if they have one and see your ethnicity mix as per FamilyTree DNA.

But there is also the option of referring four friends (who have had their DNA tested at Ancestry or 23andMe) to upload their autosomal DNA data with a special link created for you that will unlock your full FamilyFinder test for free once you have four friends use that link when they upload their data.

So essentially, FamilyTree DNA has cut the price of an autosomal transfer from $69 to $39. And has given an option to possibly get a fully unlocked transfer for free with a referral program.

(Hint: So that your friends (a.k.a. cousins) use your link, do not pick them all from the same surname that way they too might be able to get their test unlocked for free also. You can also refer just a friend-friend that you know has done autosomal testing.)

Here are some blogs the deal a lot with genealogy and using DNA testing. Most of them have some information on the latest DNA conference, this new offer from FamilyTree DNA and coming changes to your AncestryDNA match results.

The Genetic Genealogist by Blaine Bettinger
Kitty Cooper's Blog by Kitty Cooper
The Legal Genealogist by Judy G. Russell
DNA eXplained  by Roberta Estes


NOTE: Just to be clear, no person or company asked me to write this or payed me to do so. It is something I saw and thought others may be interested in knowing too.

AncestryDNA $49 Reduced Price Has Expired

Just before I signed into Ancestry.com tonight, I thought to check on the reduced price webpage for an AncestryDNA test. It appears the reduced pricing of $49 is now over and the cost of an Ancestry DNA test is now back to $99.

If you missed it, I advise to checking the website often to keep an eye out for any future sales.

Update on: Thank You Ancestry.com for a Simple and Uncomplicated Refund

This is an update to my post on July 4th, "Thank You Ancestry.com for a Simple and Uncomplicated Refund for my Non-Processed Y-DNA and mtDNA Tests."

Ancestry.com's retired test kits for Y-DNA and mtDNA.

It's July 14th. The refund from Ancestry.com for my unused Y-DNA and mtDNA tests did not make my latest credit card statement so I was contemplating calling the card company to see if the refund had arrived after the statement was sent out.

But no need to do so. 

Today's postal mail contained a check from Ancestry.com (written on July 10th) for the complete price I paid for both tests and the sales tax I paid. So the only thing I lost was $6.19 -- the cost of postage. I can deal with that.

Thank you, Ancestry.com.

We may not like that you exited the Y-DNA and mtDNA marketplace, but in our case your decision got our butts in gear. Our other tests are performed, mailed and being processed as I write. We have autosomal tests at both Ancestry.com and FamilyTree DNA. It will be interesting to see how the ethnicity reports of the two companies compare. I'm not expecting anything surprising or exotic though I do have a couple unknowns in Dad's side of the tree in the only non-German branch.

Hey, FamilyTree DNA how about a sale on the entry Y-DNA tests sometime this year? I may have the money now but I really like a deal.