Changes to AncestryDNA matches in early August

Some big changes coming from the DNA platform of Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) in terms of how it presents matches:

More accurate number of shared segments
The DNA you share with a match is distributed across segments - short segments, long segments, or some combination of both. Our updated matching algorithm may reduce the estimated number of segments you share with some of your DNA matches. This doesn’t change the estimated total amount of shared DNA (measured in centimorgans/cM) or the predicted relationship to your matches.

See the length of your longest shared segment
The length of the longest segment you and a DNA match have in common can help determine if you’re actually related. The longer the segment, the more likely you’re related. Segment length is also the easiest way to evaluate the difference between multiple matches that all show the same estimated relationship. Our updated matching algorithm can show you the length of the longest segment you share with your matches.

Distant DNA matches must share 8 cM or higher
Our updated matching algorithm will increase the likelihood you are actually related to your very distant matches. As a result, you’ll no longer see matches (or be matched to people) that share less than 8 cM with you - unless you have added a note about them, added them to a custom group or have messaged them. These changes to the matching algorithm will reduce the total number of DNA matches you have and the number of new matches you will receive. It may also affect the number of ThruLines you may see.

What changes will I see in my DNA Matches?
You may see the number of segments you share with your DNA matches change. You will be able to see the length of the longest segment you share with your DNA matches. Very distant matches - those you share less than 8 cM of DNA with - will no longer appear in your DNA match list or in ThruLines™ unless you have added a note about them, added them to a group or have messaged them.

When will these changes be happening?
These updates to DNA matches will happen in the beginning of August.

For an analysis of the changes - and what to do to prepare for them - see Debbie Cruwys post at https://cruwys.blogspot.com/2020/07/some-updates-to-ancestrydnas-matching.html

For those with an Ancestry acount, further FAQs about the changes are listed in its DNA section.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.