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The Global Entry Mobile App Stops Working September 15—Here’s What Replaces It

Quick Take: The Global Entry mobile app and the separate Trusted Traveler Programs mobile app will both stop working on September 15, 2026. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is replacing them with one new Trusted Traveler mobile app. Your Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST membership isn’t ending, and you don’t need to reapply or create a new account because of the switch. Existing credentials will continue to work, and CBP says profile and membership information will transfer. If you normally use a Global Entry kiosk or portal instead of the app, your basic arrival routine doesn’t change.

Global Entry isn’t disappearing. Its phone app is.

That distinction matters because “Global Entry app replaced” sounds much bigger than the actual change. Beginning September 15, Customs and Border Protection will consolidate two existing apps into one new Trusted Traveler mobile app.

For most members, this should be a small piece of digital housekeeping. For someone landing from an international trip on or after the transition date, however, discovering the old app no longer works while standing in the customs hall will be an unnecessary headache.

What Changes on September 15

CBP currently has two apps serving different parts of the trusted-traveler system:

Global Entry mobile app: Lets eligible Global Entry members report an arrival at a supported airport using a phone instead of a stationary Global Entry portal or kiosk.
Trusted Traveler Programs mobile app: Provides access to account functions such as applying, checking an application or membership, updating documents or an address and attending an eligible scheduled remote interview.

Both stop functioning on September 15. Their supported capabilities move into the new Trusted Traveler mobile app, which will serve Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST members as well as people beginning an application.

CBP says services will still depend on the traveler’s program, eligibility and location. A single app doesn’t mean every member receives every feature.

The App Transition at a Glance:

Old apps: Global Entry mobile app and Trusted Traveler Programs mobile app.
Stop working: September 15, 2026.
Replacement: Trusted Traveler mobile app.
Existing login: Continues to work.
Membership data: Transfers to the replacement app.
New application: Not required solely because the apps are changing.
Global Entry membership: Remains active until its normal expiration unless CBP separately changes its status.

Who Needs to Do Something?

You Use the Global Entry Mobile App

Download the replacement app when CBP makes it available and sign in with your existing credentials. Don’t count on the old app for an arrival on or after September 15.

This is the group most likely to notice the transition immediately. The current Global Entry app can replace the kiosk step at supported airports, so losing access changes the route you take through the arrivals hall.

You Use the Trusted Traveler Programs App

Move to the new Trusted Traveler mobile app for supported account and membership services. CBP says your profile will transfer and you won’t need to create a new account solely because of the consolidation.

You Always Use a Global Entry Kiosk or Portal

You may not need to do anything. The September change affects the mobile applications, not Global Entry processing itself. If your normal routine is to follow the Global Entry signs and use the airport’s kiosk, portal or officer-directed process, continue following the instructions at that arrival location.

You Aren’t Enrolled Yet

The new app can direct you toward the appropriate program and enrollment process, but downloading it doesn’t make someone a trusted traveler. Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST retain their own eligibility, application, vetting and approval requirements. CBP says the formal application continues on the separate enrollment website.

Don’t reapply or pay another fee because an app changed: CBP explicitly says current memberships remain active and program eligibility and approval requirements aren’t changing because of the new app. Use links from CBP.gov or the official CBP app directory, sign in with your existing credentials and be suspicious of any third party claiming you must buy a replacement membership.

What Isn’t Changing

The app transition doesn’t alter the basic Global Entry membership.

Your existing Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST membership isn’t being replaced.
Your current credentials will work in the new app.
Your profile and membership information will transfer.
You don’t need to reapply because of the app switch.
Program eligibility and approval standards aren’t changing because of the consolidation.
Global Entry members continue to receive TSA PreCheck eligibility.

The last point is easy to mix up. Global Entry helps with expedited U.S. customs processing when returning from abroad. TSA PreCheck helps with security screening before a flight. The new CBP app doesn’t replace your Known Traveler Number, and showing an app or Global Entry card isn’t how you enter a PreCheck lane. Your KTN must be attached to the airline reservation and the TSA PreCheck indicator must appear on the boarding pass.

How Mobile Global Entry Works

The current Global Entry mobile app lets an eligible member select the arrival airport and submit a live photo to CBP while physically inside a supported arrival terminal. A successful submission produces a mobile receipt that the traveler presents to a Global Entry officer.

CBP says the current mobile capability will carry into the replacement app. Availability will still depend on eligibility and location, so the presence of the app on your phone doesn’t guarantee mobile processing at every airport or border crossing.

Keep your passport and other required travel documents accessible. Mobile processing can shorten the interaction, but it doesn’t eliminate CBP inspection authority or the possibility that an officer will ask for documents or additional information.

Don’t Submit From the Plane Too Early

CBP’s current instructions say the Global Entry app process should be completed while the traveler is physically inside the supported arrival terminal. That differs from Mobile Passport Control, which permits eligible travelers to begin a submission before landing within its published timing window.

Follow the replacement app’s instructions rather than assuming every CBP app uses the same location and timing rules.

The New App Isn’t Mobile Passport Control

Mobile Passport Control, or MPC, remains a separate CBP service. It’s free and doesn’t require Global Entry enrollment, a background check or a paid trusted-traveler membership.

Eligible MPC users can create a submission for as many as 12 people from one device and then proceed to the designated MPC line to speak with an officer. Global Entry has separate eligibility and can provide a different expedited process for approved members.

The September announcement doesn’t say the MPC app is being replaced. It specifically names the Global Entry mobile app and Trusted Traveler Programs mobile app.

It Isn’t CBP Link Either

CBP Link is another separate application. Its current services include functions such as I-94 access, land-border wait times and certain travel or trade requests. The similar government branding makes it worth starting from CBP’s official app directory instead of searching an app store and selecting the first result with a flag or border icon.

Your Pre-Arrival App Checklist

Check the arrival date: If you enter the United States on or after September 15, don’t rely on either retiring app.
Use an official source: Follow CBP.gov to the replacement app once download links are available.
Confirm your login: Make sure you can access the same credentials tied to your trusted-traveler profile.
Verify the membership: Check the program name, PASSID and expiration date after signing in.
Review airport support: Confirm mobile processing is offered at the actual airport where you’ll clear U.S. customs, including a foreign preclearance airport when applicable.
Keep documents handy: Carry the passport and any other entry documents even when using the app.
Know the backup: If the app doesn’t produce a valid receipt, follow signs or an officer’s directions to a Global Entry portal, kiosk or other available process.
Screenshot carefully: Save general instructions if useful, but don’t treat an old receipt or screenshot as a reusable arrival credential.

The thePointsPage Travel Planning Checklist is useful for keeping passport details, arrival airports, app reminders and Known Traveler Numbers with the rest of an international itinerary. The Tools of the Trade guide can help organize the rest of the accounts and trip information that shouldn’t live only in a crowded inbox.

What if the New App Doesn’t Work?

Don’t panic, and don’t assume your membership vanished. An app problem and a membership problem aren’t the same thing.

First, confirm that you downloaded the official replacement and signed in with the correct account. If your profile appears but the arrival feature isn’t available, the airport, program or traveler may not support that mobile service.

If the app fails after arrival, keep the error visible if possible and follow the instructions in the customs hall. CBP’s current guidance for an unsuccessful Global Entry app submission is to proceed through an available Global Entry portal and the normal process. An officer can direct you to the correct place.

Don’t hold up a tight connection trying to reinstall an app repeatedly when a staffed alternative is available. The goal is expedited inspection, not winning an argument with a loading screen.

The Fee and Card Credit Aren’t Changing

Global Entry currently costs $120 for a five-year membership. The September app transition doesn’t create a new fee or reset the five-year period.

Some credit cards reimburse an eligible Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, but the benefit belongs to the card’s current terms—not to the new app. ThePointsPage’s Global Entry fee guide provides background on the $120 price, while the Credit Card Travel Protections guide is a reminder to verify the complete card benefit rather than relying on an old list.

If you already have an active membership, there’s nothing to reimburse merely because you installed the replacement app.

Getting to the Point(s)

The Global Entry app stops working on September 15, but Global Entry doesn’t. CBP is combining the Global Entry mobile app and Trusted Traveler Programs mobile app into one Trusted Traveler mobile app.

Existing members keep their credentials, profiles and memberships. Travelers who prefer kiosks or portals can continue using the process available at their airport. Mobile app users should install the official replacement, sign in before the next international arrival and keep a normal Global Entry processing option in mind if the phone doesn’t cooperate.

This isn’t a devaluation or a new enrollment requirement. It’s an app migration with a hard cutoff—and the easiest time to handle it is before landing.

Put the App Change on Your Trip Checklist

Use the free planning checklist to track your arrival airport, passport, Known Traveler Number and app setup before leaving home. Follow The Runway for additional airport and trusted-traveler updates as CBP rolls out the replacement.

Open the Planning Checklist Visit The Runway

Sources & Further Reading

This article reflects information available on September 6, 2026. CBP says the two retiring apps will stop functioning and the replacement will begin on September 15. App availability, supported services, participating locations, sign-in procedures and airport processing can change. A mobile app never replaces required passports, visas or other travel documents, and CBP officers retain authority over admission and inspection. Verify the current process through CBP.gov before travel.

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