Changes Coming to Matching Thresholds for Family Tree DNA's Family Finder Test

Family Tree DNA

Earlier this week Family Tree DNA announced it will soon be changing its FamilyFinder (autosomal DNA) matching threshold levels. This change will likely cause some changes in your match list.

Several genealogy/genetic bloggers have covered what this change will likely mean for FamilyFinder test kit holders. See The Genetic Genealogist, DNAeXplained, and The Legal Genealogist.

If you are curious about how this change effects you, then make sure you download either a CSV or Excel file of your Match List AND in your Chromosome Browser download ALL matches to an Excel (CSV) file. You will need to do this for every FamilyFinder test kit that you manage since each test you manage is accessed individually. Downloading this information now will give you something to compare to after the change.

Both of these tasks are really simple to do.

First, sign into one of your FamilyFinder test kits. At your welcome/dashboard you'll see your "Matches" and your "Chromosome Browser."

Image 1:  Your Family Tree DNA FamilyFinder Dashboard

To download your Match List:
From your Welcome/Dashboard, click on Matches. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on either the orange "CSV" or orange "Excel" button. Both buttons download the same information. The difference is the file type -- a CSV file that can be opened or imported in a variety of programs or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file. Don't worry it does download ALL of your Matches not just that page's ten matches.

Image 2:  Scroll to the bottom of your match list to find the download buttons. (Note: I have blurred info for privacy.)

The information preserved by the Match List download includes each match's: Full Name; First name; Middle Name; Last Name; Match Date; Relationship Range; Suggested Relationship; Shared cM (centimorgans); Longest Block (of cM); Known Relationship (if you have added this); Email; Ancestral Surnames; Y-DNA Haplogroup (if tested); mtDNA Haplogroup (if tested); and Notes (if you have typed anything into the notes for that match.)

So if you lose any matches that do not meet the coming new match threshold, at least you have the contact information saved. Yes, autosomal DNA is best for closer generations but I have found matches with more distant cousins (proved by paper trails) and I want to preserve that DNA information in case those matches disappear. I am also curious as to how this threshold change effects certain matches.

To download your Chromosome Browser ALL Matches:
From your Welcome/Dashboard, click on Chromosome Browser (see Image 2 above) which is where you see how your test and up to five other tests match on each chromosome graphically. At the top of the Chromosome Browser page are two download options. Use the one on the right to download an Excel (CSV) file for ALL of your Matches.

Image 3:  Two download Options for the Chromosome Browser: just the Compared Matches or ALL Matches

The Chromosome Browser download file contains seven columns of data:  Name (test kit person); Match Name; Chromosome (number); Start Location; End Location; Centimorgans; Matching SNPS. This is the spreadsheet version of the chromosome graphic.

To download your Chromosome Browser Comparisons:
If you have several matches (your own tests or other match tests) that you would like to compare, you can select those (up to five at a time) and compare them in the Chromosome Browser. You can then download the Chromosome Browser data for just these compared matches. Doing this can save you time extracting the same data from your All Matches download file.

To compare matches in the Chromosome browser, go to your match list and click on the "Show Full View" at the top of your match list. This opens up another information line (see Image 2) for each match. 

Image 4:  Click on Show Full View to see additional information for each match. See second image above.

Then go through your match list and click on the "Compare in Chromosome browser" for those matches (up to five) you want to compare. A list of select matches appears at the top of the page. When you are done selecting, click on the blue "compare" arrow. 

Image 5:  When done selecting matches to compare, click on the blue arrow. (Note: I have blurred info for privacy.)

At the chromosome browser you will see a graphic representation of where on each chromosome your selected matches match your test. You can download just the information for these selected matches using the download option on the left. (See Image 3 above.)

You can also add matches to compare directly in the Chromosome Browser using the filter list but all you will see is the match name. To see your notes or other details you have to go to your match list.

Image 6:  Family Tree DNA Chromosome Browser

Besides doing a comparison of the four tests I manage to each other and downloading that Chromosome Match information, I also did some comparisons with match tests of some cousins that share some surnames I have been working on in particular. In downloading this information and saving comparison matches, I think I may have made a realization/discovery that I had missed before. 

It happened when I was comparing some screen shots I took of a couple different chromosome browser graphic comparisons. (That's another idea, take screen shots of your chromosome browser graphics. It is really just for visual reference since the image is often too small or must be done in two sections and does not contain specific data points.) I then did another chromosome browser comparison mixing a couple match tests from each of the first two comparisons so I could see them at one time in one chromosome graphic. That new comparison data was downloaded and the graphic image saved too.

I will have to submit some questions to FTDNA to find out if I am seeing what I think I am seeing correctly. If I am, it is happy dance time. Now I am really anxious for a cousin to take and send in her FamilyFinder test for processing. (No pressure cuz', I know you are taking care of it.)

This would be why AncestryDNA needs a chromosome browser.

Oh, and while you are saving data/information did you remember to download your autosomal DNA data file after receiving your results if you tested directly with Family Tree DNA? If you didn't, now would be a good time. I would take a screen shot of your ethnicity mix too for good measure. I don't think that is changing at this time but it's good for reference without having to be connected to the internet.

The promised post about the Process of Searching for Land Patents will be coming. We had a new computer come into the house. It is not for me but as resident tech it falls to me to clean up and backup files on the old; install software and transfer files to the new. The sooner I get that done (I wrap up today), the sooner I get time to do what I need to do. Thanks for your patience. In the meantime, I hope you find this post useful.

©2016 All Rights Reserved, 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.

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.