Do you want to learn more about the most recent MyHeritage ethnicity estimate update? In this post, you will find out everything you need to know about the v2.5 update of your DNA results.
The MyHeritage v2.5 ethnicity update was officially released in February 2025, though some users may have been able to see an updated version earlier than this date.
I always get very excited when there is an ethnicity estimate update because it usually means that I will learn something new about where my ancestors likely lived, or the path that they took to lead me to be where I am today.
On this note, I hope that you enjoy this article and that you learn something new from your updated results, too.
Who gets this ethnicity estimate update?
Anyone who did a DNA test with MyHeritage is eligible for this free update to their ethnicity estimate. If you uploaded your DNA to MyHeritage and paid for the enhanced access to DNA tools and the ethnicity estimate, you don’t have to pay extra for updated results – you’ll get access to the new version, too.
In addition, this new version of MyHeritage results will be the default version for new MyHeritage customers. This means that if you have sent in your results, but haven’t received your results yet, you will see the v2.5 version of your results.
If you haven’t yet tested your DNA, you can always order one; they are currently available for about $39. When you get your results, they will be the most recent version, so the information in this article will apply to you.
For those of you who have already tested your DNA with 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, or Family Tree DNA, you will be happy to know that you can upload your DNA data to MyHeritage and get free access to DNA matches. If you would like to see your v2.5 ethnicity estimate on the site, you will have to pay a $29 access fee (which also covers access to several great DNA tools, including a chromosome browser!).
Why did your MyHeritage results change?
The new version of MyHeritage results is based on brand-new algorithms that were developed over the course of the past two years. While your DNA hasn’t changed, this new version promises a more accurate interpretation of the stories your DNA has to tell.
Some people might wonder if it is normal for their DNA results to change. Rest assured that all of the major DNA testing companies release periodic updates to their ethnicity/ancestry estimates as the science and technology improves and changes.
I like to think of these changes as improvements that build on previous knowledge.
What’s new with the the MyHeritage Ethnicity Estimate v2.5?
As I mentioned above, this new version of MyHeritage results is more accurate. One way that they deliver this accuracy is by having more ethnicity regions to test for in this new algorithm.
The number of regions has increased from 42 to 79, which is an increase of almost 100%, so you are likely to see regions on the updated version that were not seen previously.
I was very interested to see that on this update, there are 15 Jewish ethnicities, which I find useful as a person with distant Jewish ancestry. Hopefully, this new information can help me figure out more about my Jewish ancestors.
Futhermore, there are even a couple of regions that are not tested for with other DNA testing companies. One such region is Armenia, so if you have ancestry from this region, it will be very interesting to see how this shows up for you.
This update does not cover Genetic Groups. MyHeritage said in their blog post about this update that there will be a future update that will include Genetic Groups.
Example and comparison of v2.5 results
To illustrate the updated results, I have shared the updated results with you below, as well as a the previous version. You will note that on the updated version, I have percentages corresponding with 10 different regions, whereas my older results only have 4.
Based on my extensive research of my family tree, the updated version of my results match much more closely than the old version. The v2.5 version actually lines up very closely with my results from other companies.
For example, my Ancestry results include eight of these ten regions, almost in the same order. In my case, I find this new version of MyHeritage results to be very accurate, and I am excited about drilling down to some of those smaller regions that I wasn’t expecting to see (I’m looking at you, French!).
My previous MyHeritage results showed me at more than 6% Jewish, but I have always felt that this was an overestimation. I know that my Jewish ancestry comes from my mother’s side of the family, and her previous MyHeritage estimate didn’t show any Jewish ancestry, while this new version shows two different Ashkenazi Jewish regions totaling 3%.
This lines up with my mother’s DNA results from other companies, so I feel more confident about the newer version.
Is the newer version more accurate for everyone?
I manage several DNA kits for family members on MyHeritage, and a few of these relatives have Native American ancestry from North America, specifically Mexico and the Southwestern United States.
I’ve been able to view updated results for two of these relatives, and I am unsure about whether the results are more accurate. Based on the research that I have done for these relatives, they have no known ancestors from South America, but they both have high percentages matching the indigenous regions of Peru and Bolivia.
Whether these results are revealing a new discovery, we won’t know for sure until I am able to advance further on their family trees. For now, I am viewing this region on their results with a healthy dose of skepticism.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you which version of your results you like best, and how accurate you think they are.
How to toggle between your updated and previous results
MyHeritage has decided that we should keep access to the previous version of our results. The newer version is more accurate and detailed, but the old version can still be helpful to view for comparisons and for understanding on how our results have evolved.
Plus, sometimes we just like the old way of doing things! It’s nice to have the option of switching back to the older results if you prefer them.
It’s easy to see the previous version of your results, which right now is v0.95. To switch to the older version, click on the “Ethnicity Estimate” tab, and then click on the little down arrow (carrot top) right next to “Ethnicity version”.
Once you click the down arrow, a drop-down menu will appear and you can choose the older version of your results. If you want to switch back to the newer version, just follow these same steps and choose v.2.5.
Conclusion
I hope that this post has helped you learn everything that you wanted to know about your updated MyHeritage ethnicity estimate, and that you are as excited about it as I am.
If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, or if you would like to share something new that you learned from your results, I would love to hear from you in the discussion below.
Thanks for stopping by and reading today. I appreciate you being here!
Cindy
Thursday 6th of February 2025
This is not directly related to this article, but hoping that you or someone could answer. How often does MyHeritage have the free for lifetime offer, where you can upload your DNA and you get all features free forever? I'm asking because I want to definitely get in on it the next time.