DNA Is MineWhat can you actually learn from raw DNA data?
A raw DNA file looks like a boring spreadsheet — hundreds of thousands of rows of letters and numbers. But each row is a measured position in your genome, and decades of published research have attached meaning to thousands of those positions: how fast you clear caffeine, whether you keep making lactase as an adult, why you might be a natural early riser.
This guide explains what the file actually is, the kinds of findings research supports, and the limits to keep in mind before believing any of them. It describes the knowledge base inside DNA Is Mine, a raw DNA data reader that does this analysis on your own device — but most of it applies to raw data from any major testing company.
Raw data in plain terms
Consumer DNA tests do not read your whole genome. Your genome has about 3 billion positions; a testing chip measures a selected set of them — positions known to differ between people, called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (MedlinePlus has a clear explainer: What are single nucleotide polymorphisms?). Each result is recorded as a marker ID (an rsID like rs4988235), a chromosome and position, and your genotype: the pair of letters — one from each parent — found there.
That is what a raw data file is: the full table of those measurements. The reports your testing company shows you are interpretations of a small part of it. A raw data reader like DNA Is Mine re-interprets the same table against a broader research knowledge base.
Five areas of everyday findings
- Traits (33 findings) — visible and sensory characteristics, such as eye color (HERC2, rs12913832).
- Nutrition (32 findings) — how you process foods and nutrients, such as lactose tolerance into adulthood (MCM6/LCT, rs4988235).
- Sleep (10 findings) — sleep timing and responses, such as morning preference (VIP region, rs9479402) and caffeine sensitivity (ADORA2A, rs5751876).
- Fitness (5 findings) — physical capacity markers, such as grip strength (IGF1R, rs2871865).
- Metabolism (26 findings) — how you break down substances, such as caffeine metabolism (CYP1A2, rs762551) and alcohol breakdown speed (ADH1B, rs1229984).
Which findings you get depends on the markers in your file — exports from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA Family Finder and Living DNA have all been sample-checked. The free version of DNA Is Mine includes a full data overview and 13 complete findings; Pro unlocks all 106.
How evidence strength is judged
Not every published association deserves equal trust, so every finding in DNA Is Mine carries an evidence rating instead of pretending all results are equal. The score weighs the study design behind a finding (a meta-analysis counts for more than a single small candidate-gene study), whether independent studies replicate it, the size of the effect, whether it reaches genome-wide significance in GWAS research (catalogued publicly in the GWAS Catalog), and how many populations it has been studied in.
Across the current knowledge base — 106 findings drawn from 138 papers — 72 findings rate strong, 22 moderate and 12 limited. The limited ones are labeled as limited, not hidden, and every finding cites its sources so you can read the research yourself.
What raw DNA data can't tell you
- It is not a diagnosis. Findings describe statistical associations from research, most with modest effect sizes — a genotype tilts probabilities; it rarely decides outcomes.
- Lifestyle and environment dominate many traits. A 'slow caffeine metabolism' variant does not pour your coffee, and a sleep-timing variant does not set your alarm.
- Chips miss most rare variants. A clean raw-data report is not evidence that nothing hereditary matters for you.
- Ancestry percentages are a different method (comparing your markers to reference populations) and are not part of this app — DNA Is Mine does not estimate ancestry.
- Nothing here is medical advice. For health questions, a qualified professional who knows your history beats any file.
Ask questions in plain language
Reading 106 findings one by one is work. Ask My DNA lets you ask questions instead — 'What does my DNA say about caffeine?' draws on your caffeine metabolism and sensitivity findings — and answers from your own report, using Apple Intelligence entirely on your device. Free includes 3 questions; Pro makes them unlimited. The privacy properties of that design are covered in the privacy guide.
Format samples checked: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA Family Finder and Living DNA autosomal exports. Genebox exports have also been verified with an actual file. WeGene exports still need verification; not every vendor version is covered.
Import UTF-8 genotype text (.txt, .csv, .tsv), ZIP or gzip (.gz). Each row needs a marker ID, chromosome, position and genotype (or two allele columns). Password-protected archives, VCF, BAM, FASTQ and PDF reports are not supported. Available findings depend on the markers in your file.
Free download. No account. Your file is analyzed on your device, never uploaded.
Explore your raw DNA dataQuestions
How many findings are in DNA Is Mine?
The current knowledge base (version 2026.10.1) contains 106 findings across traits, nutrition, sleep, fitness and metabolism, drawn from 138 published papers. 13 findings are included free; Pro unlocks all of them, and the findings available to you depend on the markers in your file.
Are these findings medical diagnoses?
No. They summarize what published studies associate with a genotype — associations, not diagnoses, predictions or treatment advice. DNA Is Mine is educational software; for health decisions, consult a qualified professional.
Why do findings or ratings sometimes change?
Because the research changes: new studies can strengthen, weaken or retire an association, and the knowledge base is updated as that happens. Pro includes new insights as they are added.
Which file do I need to see my findings?
A raw genotype export from a testing company, as a .txt, .csv or .tsv file or inside a ZIP or gzip container. Export formats from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA Family Finder and Living DNA have been sample-checked. VCF, BAM, FASTQ and PDF reports are not supported.
Related guides
A private raw DNA data reader
Why a reader app beats an upload website — and which files it opens.
Analyze DNA data privately
What can go wrong with an uploaded genome — and how on-device analysis avoids it.
Analyze your 23andMe raw data
Download the file from 23andMe and read it on your own device, step by step.
