If a DNA Match is showing a relationship that doesn't seem right — for example, a close family member is appearing as a more distant relative, or the relationship label doesn't match what you know — you're in the right place. In most cases, this can be traced back to kit data rather than a problem with the DNA itself. This article walks you through the most common causes and how to fix them.
Before you start — How MyHeritage predicts relationships
MyHeritage uses the cM Explainer™ tool to calculate the probable relationship between you and a DNA Match. This calculation is based on two main factors: The amount of shared DNA (measured in centimorgans, or cM), and the ages of the people being compared.
Because several different relationships can produce the same amount of shared DNA — for example, a grandmother and a half-sibling may share a very similar cM range — age information plays a critical role in narrowing down the most probable relationship. If the date of birth on file for any kit is missing, incorrect, or entered for the wrong person, the predicted relationship can be significantly off.
If you and a DNA match have a larger or smaller age gap than average, the first predicted relationship shown may not look right. This is normal — it reflects how age interacts with shared DNA in the calculation. If this happens, you can get the most accurate prediction by opening the cM Explainer™ and entering only the shared DNA (cM) amount, without adding any age information. This will show you all probable relationships based purely on the shared DNA.
For more information on how relationship predictions work, see: What is the cM Explainer™ and how does it predict my relationship with my DNA Matches?
Step 1 — Check the date of birth for all kits involved
This is the most common cause of unexpected relationship labels. Check the date of birth on file for both your own kit and the kit of the family member showing the unexpected result.
💡 A well-known example: A parent and child share the same amount of DNA as a pair of siblings. If the child's date of birth is missing or incorrect, the algorithm may not have enough information to distinguish between these relationships and could display the wrong one or both like "Father" and "Son".
To check and update the date of birth, open the person's profile in your family tree and make sure their date of birth is complete — day, month, and year. A partial date of birth (for example, year only) will reduce the accuracy of the relationship prediction.
✏️ When editing the date of birth, make sure to click on "OK" to save your changes.
If you manage DNA kits for other family members, check each kit assignee's profile the same way — not just your own.
Step 2 — Check that each kit is assigned to the right person
If a kit was activated for the wrong family member, or was accidentally assigned to a duplicate profile, the DNA results will be compared against the wrong person's tree data — which will affect relationship predictions throughout.
To check the kit assignment and re-assign if needed, see: How do I assign a DNA kit to someone else?
⚠️ Note:
DNA Health kits cannot be re-assigned to a different person. If you need help with a Health kit, please contact our support team.
Re-assigning a kit will permanently delete all existing Theory of Family Relativity™ data for that kit, which cannot be recovered.
Step 3 — Check the gender listed on the person's profile
The gender listed on a profile affects how relationship labels are displayed. For example, if a male profile is listed with the wrong gender, relationships such as "aunt" and "uncle" or "mother" and "father" may appear reversed or incorrectly labelled.
To check this, open the person's profile in your family tree and confirm that the gender is correct.
✏️ When editing the gender, make sure to click on "OK" to save your changes.
Still seeing an unexpected relationship after checking all of the above?
It's worth keeping in mind that some relationships genuinely produce the same cM range, and MyHeritage will show multiple possible relationships to reflect this. Clicking the relationship label on a DNA Match card opens the cM Explainer™ view, which shows all probable relationships and their percentages — not just the most likely one.
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