How Long Will Your DNA Test Take? — December 2019 Edition

We’re approaching the end of the year, time for cold weather and hot chocolate in the northern hemisphere, summer and ice cream in the southern, and family and gifts all around.  Some of those gifts will be DNA tests purchased during the recent sales and mailed back to the labs early in the new year.  As in previous years, we might expect the deluge of incoming kits to cause backlogs in the labs that process our DNA samples, with increased wait times to get our results.

 

How Bad Has It Been in the Past?

Genealogy DNA testing really took off in 2017, and the labs were caught unawares in early 2018 when the holiday gift kits were shipped back all at once.  In the first the months of 2018,  AncestryDNA’s average processing time increased 1.7 fold (from 21 days to 37) compared to the last three months of 2017, 23andMe’s increased 2.5 fold (from 21 days to 52), MyHeritage increased 1.4 fold (from 26 to 37), and Family Tree DNA’s was flat (from 40 days to 42).  The exception was Living DNA, which had been steadily decreasing their processing times since their founding a little over a year before.  However, they hit a bump soon after.

 

The situation was somewhat better in early 2019.  AncestryDNA actually decreased their average processing time slightly from October–December 2018 (29 days versus 25), and Living DNA’s times dropped by nearly half, from 45 days to 26 in the January–March 2019 period.  On the other hand, 23andMe’s times were up 2.1 fold (11 days versus 24) and Family Tree DNA’s times were up 1.4 fold (25 days versus 35).  Missing data prevented a comparison for MyHeritage, but they use Family Tree DNA’s lab, so their processing times were probably similarly affected.

All times are from the day the completed test was mailed back to the lab to the day results were available.

 

Other Factors Affect Processing Times

Over the years, we’ve seen other factors not related to the holiday rush increase processing times.  Living DNA’s growing pains caused a slow-down in the first half of 2018, 23andMe’s software upgrades in mid-2018 caused a massive delay, and the change-over to the GSA microarray chip, the lab equipment used to analyze the data, increased processing times for MyHeritage and Family Tree DNA in the first half of 2019.

 

What Can We Expect This Year?

If 2018 is any guide, we can expect AncestryDNA’s processing times to be largely unaffected and the times at the other companies to increase by a week or two, on average.  According to the most recent data from the ongoing DNA Processing Times Survey, AncestryDNA is averaging 16 days from mailing to results and 23andMe is averaging 13 days.  The survey does not have enough data from the other companies to calculate averages.  You can contribute your own processing times here.

60 thoughts on “How Long Will Your DNA Test Take? — December 2019 Edition”

  1. Thank you for that information.

    Outside the box, but my new matches at GEDmatch had been dead in the water for some time; but in looking yesterday, I had a big bunch of new matches. Glad to see a pick up there.

  2. Are the response times for autosomal tests only, or do they include 23andMe’s medical and FTDNA’s y, BigY, and mt-dna, which might make the response times from these two companies longer if they are included in the mix?

    1. The graph only includes autosomal tests. I collect data for any test on the market, but I don’t get enough responses for yDNA and mtDNA to graph them.

    1. Sounds like it’s been lost in the mail. I would contact their customer support department and ask them to send out a replacement test kit.

    1. The most recent report I have took 8 days from processing to results. Please update the survey when you get your results!

  3. I activated my kit March 2nd. It was received March 9th. I have been stuck in processing since.

  4. Ok so here’s an update
    Kit activated: 3/2/2020
    Sample received: 3/5/2020
    Sample processing: 3/24/2020
    DNA Extracted:3/26/2029
    DNA Analyzed: in progress
    DNA Results: Estimate date 4/14/2020

  5. Hi! I’m from Hungary, I sent my sample to the lab on March 27th. I’ve been waiting for it to arrive since then. Do you think I should worry?

    1. International kits typically take about a week to get to the lab. Expect delays because the coronavirus means staffing levels are low right now.

  6. Test: AncestryDNA
    Kit activated: 4/25/2020
    Sample received: 5/04/2020
    Sample processing: 5/12/2020
    DNA Extracted: 5/13/2029
    DNA Analyzed: In Progress
    DNA Results: Est. Date: 6/02/2020

    1. Thanks! When did you mail the kit back to the lab? And where did you mail it from (US, Europe, elsewhere)?

  7. My sister activated her Ancestry test 5/10/2020
    Mailed from U.S. 5/12
    Received 5/22
    Nothing since…

    1. The most recent report I have was about 10 days from arrival to processing. Hopefully it’ll start soon!

    1. Mine was received May 26th and still not being processed. I’m anxious for the results. Hoping to find my biological father after 40 years ?

      1. I’m anxious right there with you! That’s a long time to wait. I hope you have really great matches.

      2. I’m looking to find my father’s side as well. My kit was received on may 26th and as of today they are analyzing my dna.

  8. I decided to check online, versus checking on the Ancestry DNA app and it says the sample is processing. No date given but try going to ancestry.com and see if there’s any movement on there.

    1. Same. Mine was received on May 27th and no updates since. I also saw online that the sample is processing, but have received nothing since the text that it was received.

  9. Kit mailed July 22
    Received July 28
    It immediately said Sample Processing that same day but no date given
    Nothing since and it is August 8 now.

    My son’s was done awhile ago (preCOVID) and seemed pretty fast.
    My 23 & Me test took no time at all last month from start to finish. Faster than their pre determined estimates.

    This is pathetic

  10. I ordered the new AncestryDNA Health product (NGS). The kit was received August 20th; the ancestry part was ready September 20th and the health part was ready September 21st.

  11. I activated my kit on October 6, 2020
    Sample was verified as received on October 20, 2020
    Sample processing is in progress and it stops there. DNA not yet extracted.

  12. 11/17 – Sample Received
    12/1 – Sample Processing
    12/4 – DNA extracted
    12/9 – DNA analyzed
    12/15 – Results Ready (Original estimate was 12/22 after DNA was extracted, moved to 12/12 when DNA was analyzed)
    (US Kit with the Thanksgiving holiday on 11/26)

  13. – ORDERED 11/28/21
    – SHIPPED 11/29/21
    – ACTIVATED 12/14/21
    – MAILED 12/14/21
    – RECEIVED/REACHED DISINFECTING FACILITY 12/18/21
    – PREP & DISINFECTED 12/18-12/29
    – RECEIVED & IN PROCESSING QUEUE 12/30/21
    – 2-4 WEEKS TO GET THROUGH PROCESSING , EXTRACTING, & ANALYZING & THEN GET RESULTS
    – ESTIMATED RESULT TIME: 1/13/22-1/27/22
    Ordered from the US , so fingers crossed there are no delays and everything goes according to plan

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