Worth Testing with 23AndMe

[4b]

I've autosomal tests on Ancestry and FTDNA. According to ISOGG Ancestry has now sold over 10 million tests, MyHeritage at about 2 million, 23AndMe at 5 million and FTDNA has sold less than 1 million.

I've matched and been able to locate ancestry with about 35 matches now, most of whom are on Ancestry. I've not located with anyone on GEDMatch.

So from now on I will take all tests with Ancestry and then transfer the results to FTDNA and MyHeritage.

How have people found 23AndMe for locating matches? My guess is it will not be as good as Ancestry as it's not as focused on genealogy and likely more US-centric than Ancestry.

Has anyone found any matches on just 23AndMe?

[Craclyn]

The main drawback with analysing matches at 23andme is that there is no tree function. A handful have the url of a tree on another site linked to their account. The upside is that they have a chromosome browser.
I tend to check in on my 23andme account occasionally to see if anything new and interesting has popped up but I do not spend a lot of time working with my match list there. Most of my analysis is done on AncestryDNA then if interesting new lines appear I will go and check to see if I have any other useful matches for those lines on MyHeritage, 23andme or FTDNA.

[Flemming]

Presume FTDNA has a tree function ?

And does anyone have experience of using LivingDNA's 'Family Networks' function?

[medpat]

I have found several distant cousins on 23andMe, I have found distant cousins on GEDmatch but I have been with Living since November and as it says they will keep fishing to find someone

[avm228]

I am very new to 23andMe (results earlier this month, and awaiting results from AncestryDNA).

So far I have one proven match on 23andMe - a predicted 3rd cousin confirmed as a 3rd cousin.  He hadn’t done much research but knew enough that I could slot his (previously unknown to me) branch into my tree.  I have then used DNA Painter to plot the matches he and I share overlapping DNA with, but not yet confirmed where they fit in on the papertrail.

Only 1147 mystery matches to go!  It will help when my parents’ results are ready, and when I can get going on AncestryDNA too.

I must say, I think the quality of the reports and deeper content on 23andMe is excellent.

[Flemming]

Does the lack of tree function make you reliant on contacting matches for info (if they don't have a url to an external tree)? Just wonder if the low level of responses you get from matches on other sites is the same on 23andMe.

[medpat]

I have come across those just starting out so no tree, those who are adopted and trying to start a tree and those who had a tree. Most answer me when I contact them and the majority are from USA but more UK people coming in now.

I like the way 23andMe find out how much Neanderthal DNA you have very interesting.

[avm228]

Yes you contact through the site for info and sharing of results.  In my very limited experience so far (2 weeks!) people aren’t bad at responding to sharing requests, but with one exception have not shared knowledge of deep enough ancestry to enable me to work out where they fit in for me.  Mind you my mystery matches are all 4th or more distant cousins, so it is perhaps not surprising that knowledge that far back is rare.

Like medpat I have come across people with little or no papertrail knowledge, either because they’re adopted or they are young & have come to DNA genealogy without previous family history experience.

[Flemming]

I have been with Living since November and as it says they will keep fishing to find someone

Did you take part in their Family Networks beta system?