How Do I Manage Someone Else's DNA Results on Ancestry?

[@LanceHall]

There's a definite bug in the invite part in that it won't accept listed user names half the time. An email address works 100% of the time.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

That's for the feedback. We're not Ancestry and can't fix it but it's nice for the community to learn about.

[@originalblueflicker]

Good to know!! I know someone who is having challenges due to an error message of "'You are not authorized to view this page" when trying to receive the invite. It may be because her spouse set up the invite by her Ancestry User ID instead of her email.

[@OpinionatedChicken59]

I freaking paid for all my relatives DNA tests so I run all their accounts, none of them have any interest whatsoever but their DNA matches are very useful for my family tree research.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I paid for my cousin's accounts and uploaded their content. I have set everyone to allow me to manage their tree for my research but not control it. It was part of our agreement. It's worked out well.

[@knockshinnoch1950]

OK but what do I do for my parents, both in their 80s who don't use e-mail or the internet. They've both taken an Ancestry test and I want to register the test kits and manage their DNA results via my own laptop, ancestry and email accounts. What steps should I take to set this up successfully? Thanks for any advice!

[@ValorieZimmerman]

You will need to set up an account for them in order to register them. You can create a new email to which you have access, and then make yourself the manager.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I created new gmail accounts (or yahoo, or whatever) that only I had access to. It's only used for the Ancestry accounts. Then I created their accounts and made myself the manager. It has worked out well.

[@knockshinnoch1950]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thanks, a perfect solution

[@arlindanelson7928]

@FamilyHistoryFanatics did you set up one email so all Ancestry messages come here or an email for each person you manage? I'm wondering if Ancestry allows you to use the same email for different people.

[@cathyblock6197]

⁠@@arlindanelson7928that’s my question too-has this been answered-can I use one email for different people?

[@arlindanelson7928]

Thanks for sharing this information.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You bet!

[@joshdanao4987]

What about if my grandparents don’t have emails or phone numbers? Am I allowed to make up an email and link it to my phone number so I can create their accounts and link their dna results to mine?

[@Ashleelk]

Just be careful who you let manage your account. I would honestly not let anyone do it unless you are truly incapable of managing it yourself. Setting them as collaborator works just fine. When someone is a manager, they can delete your DNA results altogether. I had a woman who managed her sister's account, found out sister had a different father, hid the results, and then deleted it so no one would tell the sister. It was very sad.

[@mariacapaldi5062]

Thanks Andy!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Any time! My pleasure.

[@tiadesirena3194]

Hello so I have a question. How do you find out who the person is behind the manager? I have sent messages and the person who manages the account and they don't return the message. How can I find out who the person is behind the DNA?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

All you can do is send emails. There is no manager profile that is different from a user profile.

[@Illawarrian]

I don't want to view someone's dna test any more. How do I get rid of it?

[@sandracharbonneau1962]

Hello? This Ancestry DNA ap says it is gone. Now Ancestry ap 😄. I cannot find the dna results for all the family tests I purchased and even my husband’s that I manage. Please help? Where did these all go?

[@bullekanel]

hi i still doesnt get it. Im going to administrate my stehfathers dna. I stuck with register it.. Does i have to create and log in to his account register his test in his account although i wanted it at his place in my tree in my account? He doesnt even have a working computer and wont ever research but want me to do it for him.. Its not so easy to figure this out from support pages eather... 🙂

[@finlay1702]

Please can you tell me how to reverse this. My dna test is being managed by a family member, however now I am 18 I want to have full control. How do I do this

[@ValorieZimmerman]

Go into your settings > Sharing Preferences, and change their status from Manager to Collaborator.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Thanks Valorie! You saved me a search for the answer.

[@marymckee2823]

Hi I have my Ancestry account but would like to ask a cousin to take a test in order to help with my own research, they are not on ancestry do they have to have an account before I can ask them to enter into this test ?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Yes. Your cousin has to make an account to link their DNA to it. Ancestry prefers one account to one DNA test. HOWEVER, you can have your cousin can grant you manager access to do the DNA work through their account. You can build a small family tree on their free account as well. So yes, they would need an account, but they don't have to do more than have a free one for your research purposes.

[@marymckee2823]

Thanks so much for this advice I’ll hopefully get my cousin to set up that free account and arrange to manage there DNA !! This has been so helpful thanks again

[@shirleymcnamara3159]

Do they have to continue to pay ancestry? What happens if they don't want to pay for the subscription? Can I still manage their DNA on my site?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Great questions. A small tree will be accessible when an Ancestry membership expires. To get DNA match information, they have to have a subscription.

[@marymurphy1264]

On my page there is no Add a person link

[@ivygeni55]

I'm trying to 2 cousins, let me be a manager. They seem to only have it on their phones, so the app. I've not seen it that way, with my own eyes, so I am wondering, if there is a different route to take, when using the app? I sent them screenshots, and written directions, but they are not seeing what I see on a pc. Any advice?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I have never done it on the app. The website is the only way I know of (many apps have different or limited functionality compared to their websites).

[@Jess-xy5nv]

If you manage someones account can you see and change there tree at all? My stepdaughter has an account so do i. I have a paid subscription she does not so i was going to work on her tree on her page using my subscription but i cant seem to figure out how? Or do i have to make her own tree on my page?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Your daughter needs to change her account settings (she can do this without a subscription) to allow you to access her information as a manager. The more restricted settings will take away your ability to change her family tree and color-code her DNA matches.

[@C.S.99]

Thank you!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You're welcome!

[@dawudj2286]

I would love to see CRI Genetics DNA results video ( if you ever decide to test with them) even though you are not particularly fond of that company. I’m just curious about the results they would give you. I haven’t tested with them but may give it a go just out of curiosity and just to try it out.

[@ValorieZimmerman]

The company does not allow cousin matching, so IMO it is a waste of money. Ethnicity estimates are based on target populations -- what does CRI use? The other use for DNA testing is medical; I would rather have my doctor decide that sort of testing. Is there any other reason chat CRI seems interesting?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

CRI is an expensive test just for curiosity's sake. The expense is even greater when you consider it lacks genetic genealogy research tools. Digging into the size of their reference population has led me to believe that their results won't be much more different than what's available for cheaper on the market. Sorry, my curiosity won't be swayed to test with them.

[@viviennesimmons5138]

Hi, I'm the manage of my husband's DNA. I would like to create a custom group in order to group the DNA matches that have been resolved. My husband can do this in his own account, and I, as manager, can see the coloured dot he's chosen for the group. However, I cannot create groups for his matches, nor can I add people to the group he's created. Is there a way to do this please?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Sadly, there isn't a way to migrate groups between the matches of different accounts that I'm aware of. If you find someone else with the solution, let me know.

[@allik111]

I set up an Ancestry account for my father so that he could get DNA results. We then used your video instructions to allow me to manage his DNA from my account. Does he have to maintain an Ancestry account in order for the DNA results to be accessible on my account? In other words, what happens to his DNA results if he cancels hi Ancestry account?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

He does have to maintain an account but not a subscription. The subscription is the payment. You can stop paying and the account, with all the DNA and stuff, will stay there. You will have DNA matching technology restrictions. BUT, since you'll likely work his DNA into your account (I'm assuming you can maintain a subscription), you'll just peak at his match list looking for new ones to explore. If you need to renew the subscription for him for a month, you can do that if needed. Does that help?

[@cooperjdcox49]

I recently was asked to take a YDNA test for a Surname Project. I have already traced my male line back more than 7 generations. Is there a benefit?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

The benefit might not be for your research but for others who might wish to compare their DNA to yours.

[@cooperjdcox49]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics How far back can it predict a common ancestor?

[@ValorieZimmerman]

I think so. You have your male line, but what about the other lines who come from brothers 8 generations back? Without Y, and particularly Big Y, it is very difficult to do that much "paper" research by yourself. Y testing is a team sport, and by testing and joining a Y project, you are joining a team full of possible fellow researcher cousins. This is why I've tested my father, my mother's brother and her grandnephew, and I hope to test others in other lines.

[@ValorieZimmerman]

@@cooperjdcox49 with targeted testing, as far as you can afford! Not by itself, as FHF says, but in comparison with those other testers.

[@cooperjdcox49]

@@ValorieZimmerman thanks

[@eathealthier4u]

Ok, I am now in management mode of my family (who has no interest whatsoever) but now, what membership level do I set them at? I've been paying for all these people for all this time, and I was just about to give up!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Since it's their DNA and they aren't interested, leave them at the level where they can access their results at any time. Just grant yourself tree changing privileges.

[@Amar.lol.123]

Hey , AncestryDNA puts me as a manager and not an owner so I can NOT purchase the traits. I really want to do the traits because I am interested into my genetics but it would not give me that option since AncestryDNA doesn’t know I am really the owner and not the manager. I’ve talked to ancestry customer service and they said I can’t do anything about it .

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

This seems to have something to do with the way you set up your account. I'm sorry that I can't help you any more than customer service can.

[@mariacapaldi5062]

Late of course! Also I had the wrong link ..... not sure what happened!

[@ValorieZimmerman]

The email had the wrong link. I had to search KZbin for the video by name to find it.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I'm not sure what happened in the email either. I really wish I could figure out some of the glitches. I really do try. I'm so sorry.

[@xelahooper2176]

Thank you for this! Had my cousin give me his PW. This is better! Didn't know about it.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You're very welcome.

[@secondhandrose6214]

Let's say they agree to let me manage their DNA results, would they still be able to look at theirs?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

It all depends on how you/they set things up. If you're a manager, then you're both able to access the tests.

[@SeanLamb-I-Am]

Those thumps from every time your elbow hit the table was a bit distracting. You need to mount the microphone on a stand that is not attached to the table.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Thanks for pointing out the feedback. We've changed our placement.

[@jaylaw6970]

Intrusive system. Set up to capture the dna results for nefarious reasons