If you delete your Ancestry® account, all information on your account (including, but not limited to, family trees, records, photos, and DNA results) will be permanently deleted. If you just want to cancel your subscription, click here.
If you have concerns about your privacy or the security of your personal information, please consider these other options before you delete your Ancestry account:
Deleting your account
Account deletion permanently erases all your personal data from our systems, and that data will no longer be accessible. If you wish to download your family tree, raw DNA data, or other notes or files you have saved to Ancestry, you must do so before deleting your account. Once you delete your account, you will lose access to your account and to all related data, effective immediately. Once you've deleted your account, neither you nor Ancestry can stop or reverse the process. Because account deletion is permanent and irreversible, we encourage you to read through steps 1–10 before beginning the account deletion process.
- Start deleting your Ancestry account.
- Make sure the email address you see on the page is yours, is a valid and working email address, and is associated with the Ancestry account you wish to delete. If you’re not signed in to your Ancestry account, sign in. If you’re in the wrong account, click your name or username in the top-right corner and select Sign Out. Then, sign in to the correct account and start over at step 1. If you need to update your email address, go here, update your email address, and start over at step 1.
- In the Your Subscription section, if you understand that the subscription(s) listed will be canceled, check the box. If you have an All Access subscription (which includes Fold3 or Forces War Records and Newspapers.com), all of your subscriptions will be canceled automatically when you complete the deletion process. If you have separate accounts on Archives.com, Fold3, Forces War Records or Newspapers.com, you must log in to the corresponding site to cancel those subscriptions separately. Please refer to our Renewal and Cancellation Terms for information on how to cancel these memberships.
- In the Your Trees section, if you understand that the tree(s) listed will be deleted, check the box. Content you’ve shared with others may remain on Ancestry.
- In the Your DNA Tests section, if you understand that the DNA test results listed will be deleted and that the saliva sample and physical DNA sample(s) associated with the test(s) will also be destroyed, check the box.
- At the bottom of the page, choose the reason you're deleting your account and click Continue.
- In the menu that appears, click Next step to delete your account. Do not close this window; you'll come back to this page. Open a new tab or window for the next step. If you close the window, you will need to start the process over again.
- When your account is deleted, you'll no longer have access to your Ancestry account, and you won't be able to undo the deletion process. Ancestry will delete all your personal data from our systems within 30 days. Even though it takes some time for Ancestry systems to delete your personal data, effective immediately after completing the process, you will no longer have access to your Ancestry account, to any family tree, or to DNA test results.
- When you click Next step, an email containing a verification code will be sent to the email address on file for your Ancestry account. The verification code expires after 2 hours, so we recommend checking your email right after clicking this button and completing the process right away. Your account will not be deleted until you enter the verification code from the email into the box in step 9.
- A verification code will be emailed to you. Do not close this window; you'll come back to this page. Open a new tab or window to view your emailed code. If you close the window, you will need to start the process over again.
- In a new tab or window, check the email address associated with your Ancestry account for the email containing the verification code. The verification code will not appear in your Ancestry messages.
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Once you have the verification code from your email, go back to the tab or window you left open and type the code into the Confirm Account Delete box. Click Delete account. This step is irreversible. Once you click Delete account, you will immediately be permanently signed out of Ancestry, and you will longer have that Ancestry username or password. If you closed the page you were using with steps 1–7 before reaching this step, you'll need to restart the deletion process, including submitting a new request for a verification code.
- You'll receive an email confirming that your account deletion has been initiated. The deletion process begins immediately, and you will no longer have access to your Ancestry account or to anything in your account. The entire process of deleting your account and associated content and data will be completed within 30 days. Because your email address will be deleted from our system, you will not receive any other emails from us confirming that the deletion is complete.
Troubleshooting
Didn't receive the DNA Data email
It can take up to 24 hours for the email to arrive.
Invalid code
Only one code is valid at a time and it's your most recently requested verification code. Check your inbox for the most recently emailed code.
Frequently asked questions
Accounts and subscriptions
What if I have multiple Ancestry® accounts?
If you have multiple Ancestry accounts and would like multiple accounts to be deleted, you'll need to delete each account individually. It's not possible to link accounts together and delete multiple accounts at once.
Will I receive a refund for my subscription?
If you have a subscription at the time your account is deleted, your subscription will be canceled immediately. If you’re within the subscription’s refund window, you will receive a full refund. The refund will be posted back to your original method of payment within 7–10 business days. If you’re outside the refund window, you will not receive a refund. No refund is available for monthly subscriptions.
What will happen to my subscriptions to Fold3, Forces War Records and Newspapers.com?
If you have an All Access subscription (which includes Fold3 or Forces War Records and Newspapers.com), all of your subscriptions will be canceled automatically when you complete the deletion process. If you have separate accounts on Archives.com, Fold3, Forces War Records, or Newspapers.com, you must cancel those subscriptions separately.
What if I purchased my subscription through the Ancestry app?
If you purchased an Ancestry subscription through another company and then delete your Ancestry account, you’ll continue to be billed until you cancel your subscription through that company. Click here for more information.
Family trees
What will happen with family trees I've shared with others?
After you delete your account, all shared trees will be removed from Ancestry. No one you shared your trees with will be able to access or see your trees after you delete them.
What will happen to photos, files, or stories I uploaded to my tree?
Upon deletion, any photos, files, or stories connected to a public tree (or to a private tree you shared with someone) will be deleted from your own family tree when your tree is deleted. If you uploaded any photos, files, or stories and made your tree public at any time, or if you invited anyone else to view your private tree, then it’s possible that other Ancestry users have copied the photos, files, or stories. Anything other people have copied from your tree to theirs will remain on the site. For more details, see our Terms and Conditions. If your tree was always private and no one was ever invited to view it, then any photos, files, or stories you uploaded (if they are not owned or uploaded by anyone else) will be deleted when your tree is deleted.
Can I delete my family trees without deleting my account?
Yes; you can delete trees from your account at any time or make your trees private without deleting your Ancestry account.
AncestryDNA®
What will happen with the AncestryDNA tests on my account?
Your test results and the test results of anyone else whose DNA kit was activated on your account will be deleted. This includes your origins results, DNA match lists, ThruLines®, Traits, raw DNA data, and all other AncestryDNA product features. If you shared your test results with other users or provided anyone with access to your results in the role of viewer, collaborator, or manager, they will no longer be able to view or access your results or the results of other tests you activated.
Will I receive a refund for my AncestryDNA test?
To determine whether you are eligible for a refund, please see our Renewal and Cancellation Terms. Because refunds are returned to the original method of payment and we delete your method of payment from our system when deleting your account, we cannot refund a payment for an account that has been deleted. To request a refund, please give us a call before deleting your account. If a refund is processed, wait to delete your account until you receive the refund.
Will I be able to upload my raw DNA data to a new Ancestry® account?
No. Once your account is deleted, you will need to purchase another AncestryDNA test if you want to view your AncestryDNA results.
What if someone has shared their results with me?
Anyone who shared their test results with you will not be affected by the deletion of your account. You will no longer have your Ancestry account to view their test results, so you will no longer have access to them.
What if I agreed to participate in scientific research?
If you agreed to the Informed Consent to participate in research, your consent will be withdrawn for future research when your account is deleted. Your data cannot be withdrawn from research already in progress or completed, nor from published results and findings.
Can I retake the AncestryDNA test in the future?
Yes, but you will need to purchase another kit. You need an Ancestry account to purchase or view DNA results, so if you delete your account, you will also need to create another account at that time.
What will happen with my sample?
If the account you delete has AncestryDNA results on it, then the saliva sample(s) and physical sample(s) associated with that account will be destroyed.
What will happen with my AncestryDNA raw data?
Once your account is deleted, you will no longer be able to download your raw data (the lab-generated information from a DNA sample that can be downloaded in a .txt (text file) format). To download your raw data before deleting your account, see our article about downloading raw DNA data.
Will my AncestryDNA matches still be able to see me?
After you delete your account, your AncestryDNA matches will not be able to see you, and you will no longer appear on your matches’ lists or be able to see your matches. In fact, no one (including your matches) who had any level of access to your AncestryDNA results, such as someone you designated as a viewer or collaborator, will be able to see your results after you delete your account.
Can I delete my AncestryDNA results without deleting my account?
Yes; you can delete your DNA results from your account at any time. If you don't delete your account and want to keep your results without appearing to your matches, you can also choose not to be listed as a DNA match. If you choose not to be listed as a match, you will also lose the ability to see your matches, and your matches will no longer see you.
