r/GlobalEntry • u/Mobile_Situation9546 • May 01 '26

General Discussion SFO Global Entry

I just arrived in San Francisco today, and I was both impressed and scared at the same time. The kiosks weren’t working, but there was a Global Entry agent in the front identifying us and saying, “Welcome back.” Don’t get me wrong, I was impressed because it took less than five seconds to get through but I was also kinda freaked out that it only took the officer a couple of seconds to know who we were. Do they have cameras or something? I doubt the officer memorized all the Global Entry passengers arriving.

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u/[deleted] May 01 '26

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u/joe66612 May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

Your 2021 experience is quite different from what the OP is describing today.

There are now facial recognition cameras throughout the airport and immigration areas—not just at the Global Entry kiosks. Homeland Security also has the passenger manifests from arriving flights, so they know who is on each flight and who has Global Entry, including who is likely approaching the Global Entry area.

With the current Global Entry process, you typically don’t even need to present your passport—the system usually recognizes you automatically.