Forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) is a new and evolving technique of forensic genetics that enables the prediction of an unknown perpetrator’s externally visible characteristics from crime scene DNA. In this way, FDP can become one of the most effective investigative tools for law enforcement, in particular in fighting serious but hardly traceable crime. Eye, hair and skin colour can now be predicted with practically useful certainty. Nonetheless, FDP has not yet been routinely adopted in the forensic sector due to the absence of complete awareness of pigmentation and facial features genetics and the lower predictability of intermediate traits. At the same time, the interpretation and applicability of FDP has raised several ethical, social and legal concerns, the answers to which are essential for its routine forensic use.