How to delete your 23andMe data (and what they keep)

A privacy guide · Updated June 2026

Health data privacy

Step 1: download your raw data first

Deletion is permanent — once you delete, you can't get your file back. So before anything, download your raw data and keep your own copy. It's free and takes a minute. That file is yours regardless of what happens to the company.

Step 2: delete your account and data

On a computer (not the app):

1. Sign in at 23andme.com.
2. Click your profile (top right) → Settings.
3. Scroll to 23andMe Data near the bottom.
4. Choose the option to permanently delete your account and data.
5. 23andMe emails you a confirmation link — click it to finalize (deletion doesn't happen until you do).

If you'd opted into having your saliva sample stored, the deletion request also directs them to discard it.

What 23andMe keeps even after you delete

Here's the part most guides skip. Per 23andMe's own Privacy Statement, the lab is legally required to retain some data even after deletion. In their words, 23andMe and its lab "will retain your Genetic Information, date of birth, and sex as required for compliance with applicable legal obligations … even if you chose to delete your account."

The legal basis is lab regulation — the federal CLIA rules, CAP accreditation, and California lab law — which require labs to keep test results for a minimum period (on the order of a couple of years). So:

• Your identifiable account is removed.
• A de-identified copy of the genotyping result is retained by the lab for that window.

It's not a loophole — it's the same retention rule every clinical lab follows. But it means "delete" is "delete everything they legally can," not an instant total erase.

What deletion can't undo: shared data

The bigger gap is anything already shared. If you consented to 23andMe Research, your data may already be in completed studies — and, in 23andMe's words, "data cannot be removed from research that's already been conducted." Withdrawing consent stops new use going forward, but can't retract what's done.

This is the deeper lesson of the whole 23andMe saga, and why what happens to your DNA when a company is sold matters: once your genome is on someone else's servers, you're trusting their policies, security, and corporate future with data you can never change.

The takeaway

Delete your 23andMe data — it's worth doing, especially now. Just do it in the right order (download first), and go in clear-eyed that a de-identified lab copy persists by law and shared research data can't be clawed back.

Going forward, the safest model is to keep your genome under your own control. Quanome reads your raw DNA file on your device — it's never uploaded, so there's nothing sitting on a server to delete in the first place. For more on owning your health data, browse the rest of the Quanome blog.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete my 23andMe data?

On a computer, sign in and go to Settings → 23andMe Data → and choose to permanently delete your account and data. You'll get a confirmation email; you must click the link to finalize. Download your raw data first — deletion is permanent.

Does 23andMe really delete everything?

Not entirely. 23andMe's own policy states the lab is legally required to retain some data — your genetic information, date of birth, and sex, in de-identified form — to comply with lab regulations (CLIA, CAP, California law). Your identifiable account is removed, but a de-identified record is kept for a retention period.

Can I remove my data from research I consented to?

No. In 23andMe's words, data cannot be removed from research that's already been conducted. Withdrawing consent stops your data being used in new studies (after a short window) but can't retract it from completed ones.

Should I download my raw data before deleting?

Yes. Deletion is permanent and you can't recover the file afterward. Download your raw DNA data first so you keep your own copy.