Technologies

TSA Precheck, Global Entry and Clear: Which One Is Right for You?

If you travel often or want to avoid the hassle of waiting in long lines at security, these programs are worth a look.

You may be planning one or more trips this year, after spending more time at home over the past two years. But who wants to start a vacation — particularly a well-earned trip after all of the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic — by standing in a long line at the airport?

If you’re fully vaccinated and ready to start traveling again, there are three programs — TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear — that can help you get through airport security faster.

Before you book your next vacation, keep reading to learn about TSA PreCheck versus Global Entry versus Clear, the costs, application process and benefits of each, plus how you can get them for free.

The choices and opinions below are based on independent testing by our editors, based on their travel experiences before the pandemic, who hope to once again attend product announcements, trade shows and conventions in person — in addition to traveling for pleasure. It’s a big world out there!

Our recommendations

Detailed examinations of the services follow, but here’s the express version of TSA PreCheck versus Global Entry versus Clear.

Global Entry is the best overall option. One CNET writer once called it «the best $100 I ever spent» — and the first time you use it, you’ll agree. Global Entry folds in all of the advantages of TSA Pre — much faster and less invasive TSA security checks — and adds an express line through customs and immigration on your way back to the US from international airports and destinations. If you have a passport, this is the one to get.

TSA Pre is the best option if you don’t have a passport. If you only travel domestically, TSA Pre will make flying a far less onerous process. But if you take even one international trip or head to one international airport in the next five years, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t pay the extra $15 for Global Entry.

We don’t recommend Clear at its current price. The base price of Clear feels prohibitive unless you are a frequent flyer, particularly a Delta or United frequent flyer. It’s almost $200 a year, versus just $20 per year for Global Entry. And that application fee doesn’t buy you the quicker TSA PreCheck security check, so you’re probably still going to want to invest in Global Entry or TSA Pre as well anyway. Delta and United Airlines frequent flyers can get a discount, but Clear just doesn’t seem to be worth it for most travelers planning to take only a trip or two a year. However…

Clear Sports is worthwhile for sports fans and concertgoers in select cities. No, this doesn’t really have anything to do with airports or traveling. But Clear Sports, the free tier of Clear, will give you expedited entry into 14 stadiums around the country, which could be a huge time-saver for season ticket holders who attend many games each year. If you live in one of the cities in which it’s offered — and you’re OK with the company Clear having your biometric data — this free service is worth checking out. Clear has another free service called Health Pass that works as a vaccine passport, letting you gain entry into venues that require proof of vaccination.

And, as you might suspect: If you’re a real stickler for privacy, you might want to skip all of these services.

Want a deeper dive into each of these? Read on.

TSA PreCheck

With more than 7 million members, TSA PreCheck is the most popular of the expedited airport security screening programs. It’s run by the Transportation Security Administration and lets you use special TSA PreCheck security lines at the airport instead of fighting your way through the main security lines with everyone else. In addition to the shorter security lines, the screening itself is expedited because you don’t need to remove your shoes or laptop, among other items, when going through a TSA PreCheck checkpoint. According to the TSA, 92% of TSA PreCheck members waited less than 5 minutes for screening this past May.

Who’s it for?

Any frequent flyer within the US. To be eligible, you need to be a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Also, TSA PreCheck members’ kids 12 and under can go through the TSA PreCheck line with their parents.

What does it do?

Not only will the line at the TSA PreCheck likely be shorter than what you’ll encounter at the regular airport security checkpoint, but you’ll go through more quickly because you won’t need to remove your shoes, belt or light jacket, or take out your laptop or liquids.

Where can I use it?

At more than 200 participating US airports and 80 participating airlines across the US.

What’s the cost?

TSA PreCheck costs $85 for five years. You can pay for your PreCheck application with a credit card, debit card, money order, company check or certified/cashier’s check. Renewing your TSA PreCheck after your first five years costs only $70 for another five years if you renew online.

How do I apply?

It’s a two-step process:

1. Fill out an online TSA PreCheck application and schedule an in-person appointment for a background check. There are more than 380 enrollment centers for the in-person interview. Unlike the early years of the program, they’re not all located in airports anymore, either.

2. Go to the appointment to answer questions for the background check and get fingerprinted.

The TSA estimates the online application will take 5 minutes to fill out, and the in-person appointment will take 10 minutes.

How does it work?

Once you’ve been approved and paid your $85, you’ll get a Known Traveler Number. When you book a flight, you must add your KTN to your reservation, which will allow you to use the TSA PreCheck lane at the airport.

Global Entry

Global Entry is a no-brainer if you like the idea of TSA PreCheck and travel internationally. Run by the US Customs and Border Protection, this program includes free TSA PreCheck and in addition lets you get through customs more quickly when entering the US from travel abroad.

Who’s it for?

International travelers going by air, land or sea. To be eligible, you need to be a US citizen, a lawful permanent resident or a citizen of the following countries: Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan or the UK. Kids will need their own Global Entry membership at the same cost as adults.

What does it do?

It lets you skip the long line at customs as well as the paperwork and awkward interviews with a customs agent when returning to the US. In place of that unpleasant process, Global Entry members can skip through customs by using a self-serve kiosk. And on exit from the US, Global Entry also includes TSA PreCheck to get you through airport security faster.

Where can I use it?

You can use Global Entry at dozens of airports in the US, including Guam, Saipan and Puerto Rico. It’s also available in some major Canadian airports (Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg) as well as a handful of other international airports (Abu Dhabi, Aruba, Bermuda, Dublin, Grand Bahamas, Nassau). Again, that’s in addition to the advantages of a full TSA Pre membership, which you can use at over 200 domestic US airports.

What’s the cost?

Global Entry costs $100 for five years — only $3 more per year than TSA PreCheck. You can pay by credit card or through an electronic bank transfer.

How do I apply?

Similar to TSA PreCheck, you need to fill out an online application. Start by creating a Trusted Traveler Program account. Then, complete the application for Global Entry (which includes the nonrefundable $100 fee). Once you’re conditionally accepted, schedule an in-person appointment at an enrollment center and pass a background check. For your in-person interview, you will need a valid passport and one other form of identification such as a driver’s license or ID card. Lawful permanent residents must present their machine readable permanent resident card.

How does it work?

There is no additional paperwork needed beyond your US passport. Once you’re accepted, just look for the dedicated Global Entry kiosks at customs when entering the US at participating airports. The ATM-style kiosk snaps a photo and asks you about five of the same sort of questions you’d get on hand-written immigration forms (are you bringing in fruit, are you carrying $10,000 in cash) that you answer on the touchscreen. If the answers to those questions is no, you can hand off the printed receipt to an immigration officer as he or she checks your passport. You can be on your way to the luggage carousels in as little as 2 minutes.

You will also get a Global Entry ID card, but that’s only needed for land and sea port entry from Mexico or Canada. (If you’re not familiar with the SENTRI and NEXUS programs related to crossing to and from those respective countries, you probably don’t need to worry about this.)

Clear

Unlike TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, Clear is run by a private company and not the government. It lets you jump right to the front of the main security line or the TSA PreCheck line at the airport. Instead of waiting in line to show your ID and boarding pass to the TSA agent, you can scan your eye and fingerprint at a Clear kiosk and then be escorted directly to the front of the security line.

You still may want to use it along with TSA PreCheck or Global Entry because it only lets you skip the line — you’ll still need to remove your shoes, belt, laptops and liquids when you go through security, unless you also enjoy TSA PreCheck benefits.

Who’s it for?

Air travelers who hate long lines and are willing and able to scan their eyes and fingers. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old and have one of these types of photo ID: US driver’s license, US passport, US passport card, US-issued Permanent Resident Card, state-issued ID or US military ID.

What does it do?

Clear lets you skip the airport security line, but you’ll still need to go through the regular security screening. It saves you from needing to present your ID and boarding pass to a TSA agent after standing in the security line to do so. Instead, you can use a Clear kiosk to scan your iris and fingerprints, and then a Clear employee escorts you directly to the front of the line for security screening. You’ll need to take off your shoes and belt and remove your laptop and liquids from your carry-on for screening, unless you also have TSA PreCheck to expedite the screening and boarding process.

Where can I use it?

Clear isn’t as widespread as TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. It’s available in a select number of airports as well as a handful of stadiums to get you through security and to the game or concert faster.

What’s the cost?

Clear is pricier than TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. It has an annual fee of $179 per year, and you can add up to three family members for $50 each per year. Kids under 18 can use the Clear kiosk when traveling with a Clear family member.

Clear is the priciest of the three programs, but it’s the only one that offers a free trial. You can try the service free for two months.

Delta and United frequent flyers can get a deal on Clear. For Delta, it’s free for Diamond Medallion members, $109 a year for Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members, and $119 a year for General SkyMiles members. For United, it’s free for Premier 1K members, $109 a year for United credit cardmembers in the US and Platinum, Gold and Silver Premier members. And it’s $119 a year for MileagePlus members.

What is Clear Sports?

For stadium entry only, a Clear Sports membership is free and lets you bring one guest with you through the Clear security lane.

How do I apply?

Clear is the most expensive but easiest to join. You fill out an application online and then finish the process at an airport or stadium that offers Clear. No need for a separate trip to an enrollment center — you can start using Clear on the same day you enroll.

How does it work?

Your iris and fingerprints are scanned when you enroll and linked to your account. You can then use those biometrics to zip through the Clear lane at an airport or stadium instead of the regular security line. With the Health Pass, you can add a digital vaccine card to prove your vaccination credentials.

Security and privacy concerns

Global Entry and TSA Pre are US government programs, while Clear is a private corporation. But if you use any of the services, you’ll be surrendering quite a lot of personal information, including fingerprints — and your face.

In the case of Clear, the company’s website says: «We never sell or rent personal information. Personal information is only used to deliver a frictionless and secure experience with Clear.»

For Global Entry and TSA Pre, you’re surrendering that information to the federal government. That gives many people pause, especially since the government has shown it’s no better than corporations at keeping data safe. From the SolarWinds breach to the US Treasury and Commerce departments getting hacked, the feds already have a pretty dismal reputation. And US Customs and Border Protection — the very agency that administers Global Entry — has admitted that traveler photos were compromised in a cyberattack.

So, yes: None of these systems will be comfortable for folks who value privacy. And if any of that makes you uncomfortable, none of these services are for you. But while arguing for a higher level of travelers’ rights is a worthy debate, it’s not going to get you through the security line or boarding any faster for your next flight. For better or worse, increased convenience will mean sacrificing some degree of privacy, at least to the airlines, the governments of the nations you’re traveling through and their various subcontractors.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

Technologies

The Future’s Here: Testing Out Gemini’s Live Camera Mode

Gemini Live’s new camera mode feels like the future when it works. I put it through a stress test with my offbeat collectibles.

«I just spotted your scissors on the table, right next to the green package of pistachios. Do you see them?»

Gemini Live’s chatty new camera feature was right. My scissors were exactly where it said they were, and all I did was pass my camera in front of them at some point during a 15-minute live session of me giving the AI chatbot a tour of my apartment. Google’s been rolling out the new camera mode to all Android phones using the Gemini app for free after a two-week exclusive to Pixel 9 (including the new Pixel 9A) and Galaxy S5 smartphones. So, what exactly is this camera mode and how does it work?

When you start a live session with Gemini, you now how have the option to enable a live camera view, where you can talk to the chatbot and ask it about anything the camera sees. Not only can it identify objects, but you can also ask questions about them — and it works pretty well for the most part. In addition, you can share your screen with Gemini so it can identify things you surface on your phone’s display.

When the new camera feature popped up on my phone, I didn’t hesitate to try it out. In one of my longer tests, I turned it on and started walking through my apartment, asking Gemini what it saw. It identified some fruit, ChapStick and a few other everyday items with no problem. I was wowed when it found my scissors.

That’s because I hadn’t mentioned the scissors at all. Gemini had silently identified them somewhere along the way and then recalled the location with precision. It felt so much like the future, I had to do further testing.

My experiment with Gemini Live’s camera feature was following the lead of the demo that Google did last summer when it first showed off these live video AI capabilities. Gemini reminded the person giving the demo where they’d left their glasses, and it seemed too good to be true. But as I discovered, it was very true indeed.

Gemini Live will recognize a whole lot more than household odds and ends. Google says it’ll help you navigate a crowded train station or figure out the filling of a pastry. It can give you deeper information about artwork, like where an object originated and whether it was a limited edition piece.

It’s more than just a souped-up Google Lens. You talk with it, and it talks to you. I didn’t need to speak to Gemini in any particular way — it was as casual as any conversation. Way better than talking with the old Google Assistant that the company is quickly phasing out.

Google also released a new YouTube video for the April 2025 Pixel Drop showcasing the feature, and there’s now a dedicated page on the Google Store for it.

To get started, you can go live with Gemini, enable the camera and start talking. That’s it.

Gemini Live follows on from Google’s Project Astra, first revealed last year as possibly the company’s biggest «we’re in the future» feature, an experimental next step for generative AI capabilities, beyond your simply typing or even speaking prompts into a chatbot like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. It comes as AI companies continue to dramatically increase the skills of AI tools, from video generation to raw processing power. Similar to Gemini Live, there’s Apple’s Visual Intelligence, which the iPhone maker released in a beta form late last year.

My big takeaway is that a feature like Gemini Live has the potential to change how we interact with the world around us, melding our digital and physical worlds together just by holding your camera in front of almost anything.

I put Gemini Live to a real test

The first time I tried it, Gemini was shockingly accurate when I placed a very specific gaming collectible of a stuffed rabbit in my camera’s view. The second time, I showed it to a friend in an art gallery. It identified the tortoise on a cross (don’t ask me) and immediately identified and translated the kanji right next to the tortoise, giving both of us chills and leaving us more than a little creeped out. In a good way, I think.

I got to thinking about how I could stress-test the feature. I tried to screen-record it in action, but it consistently fell apart at that task. And what if I went off the beaten path with it? I’m a huge fan of the horror genre — movies, TV shows, video games — and have countless collectibles, trinkets and what have you. How well would it do with more obscure stuff — like my horror-themed collectibles?

First, let me say that Gemini can be both absolutely incredible and ridiculously frustrating in the same round of questions. I had roughly 11 objects that I was asking Gemini to identify, and it would sometimes get worse the longer the live session ran, so I had to limit sessions to only one or two objects. My guess is that Gemini attempted to use contextual information from previously identified objects to guess new objects put in front of it, which sort of makes sense, but ultimately, neither I nor it benefited from this.

Sometimes, Gemini was just on point, easily landing the correct answers with no fuss or confusion, but this tended to happen with more recent or popular objects. For example, I was surprised when it immediately guessed one of my test objects was not only from Destiny 2, but was a limited edition from a seasonal event from last year.

At other times, Gemini would be way off the mark, and I would need to give it more hints to get into the ballpark of the right answer. And sometimes, it seemed as though Gemini was taking context from my previous live sessions to come up with answers, identifying multiple objects as coming from Silent Hill when they were not. I have a display case dedicated to the game series, so I could see why it would want to dip into that territory quickly.

Gemini can get full-on bugged out at times. On more than one occasion, Gemini misidentified one of the items as a made-up character from the unreleased Silent Hill: f game, clearly merging pieces of different titles into something that never was. The other consistent bug I experienced was when Gemini would produce an incorrect answer, and I would correct it and hint closer at the answer — or straight up give it the answer, only to have it repeat the incorrect answer as if it was a new guess. When that happened, I would close the session and start a new one, which wasn’t always helpful.

One trick I found was that some conversations did better than others. If I scrolled through my Gemini conversation list, tapped an old chat that had gotten a specific item correct, and then went live again from that chat, it would be able to identify the items without issue. While that’s not necessarily surprising, it was interesting to see that some conversations worked better than others, even if you used the same language.

Google didn’t respond to my requests for more information on how Gemini Live works.

I wanted Gemini to successfully answer my sometimes highly specific questions, so I provided plenty of hints to get there. The nudges were often helpful, but not always. Below are a series of objects I tried to get Gemini to identify and provide information about.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 26, #1407

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,407 for April 26. Hint: Fans of a certain musical group will rock out with this puzzle.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough. The letters are fairly common, and fans of a certain rock band might get a kick out of the answer. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is one vowel in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: Start letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter C.

Wordle hint No. 4: Rock out

Today’s Wordle answer is the name of a legendary English rock band.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a violent confrontation.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is CLASH.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 25, No. 1406 was KNOWN.

Recent Wordle answers

April 21, No. 1402: SPATE

April 22, No. 1403: ARTSY

April 23, No. 1404: OZONE.

April 24, No. 1405: GENIE

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

T-Mobile Adds New Top 5G Plans, T-Satellite and New 5-Year Price Locks

The new top unlimited plans, Experience More and Experience Beyond, shave some costs and add data and satellite options.

Just two years after expanding its lineup of cellular plans, T-Mobile this week announced two new plans that replace its Go5G Plus and Go5G Next offerings, refreshed its prepaid Metro line and wrapped them all in a promised five-year pricing guarantee.

To convert more subscribers, the carrier is also offering up to $800 to help customers pay off phone balances when switching from another carrier.

In a briefing with CNET, Jon Friar, president of T-Mobile’s consumer group, explained why the company is revamping and simplifying its array of mobile plans. «The pain point that’s out there over the last couple of years is rising costs all around consumers,» Friar said. «For us to be able to bring more value and even lower prices on [plans like] Experience More versus our former Go5G Plus is a huge win for consumers.»

The new plans went into effect April 23.

With these changes, CNET is already hard at work updating our picks for Best T-Mobile Plans, so check back soon for our recommendations.

More Experiences to define the T-Mobile experience

The top of the new T-Mobile postpaid lineup is two new plans: Experience More and Experience Beyond.

Experience More is the next generation of the Go5G Plus plan, which has unlimited 5G and 4G LTE access and unlimited Premium Data (download speeds up to 418Mbps and upload speeds up to 31Mbps). High-speed hotspot data is bumped up to 60GB from 50GB per month. The monthly price is now $5 lower per line than Go5G Plus.

The Experience More plan also gets free T-Satellite with Starlink service (the new name for T-Mobile’s satellite feature that uses Starlink’s constellation of satellites) through the end of 2025. Although T-Satellite is still officially in beta until July, customers can continue to get free access to the beta starting now. At the start of the new year, the service will cost $10 per month, a $5 drop from T-Mobile’s originally announced pricing. T-Satellite will be open to customers of other carriers for the same pricing beginning in July.

The new top-tier plan, Experience Beyond, also comes in $5 per line cheaper than its predecessor, Go5G Next. It has 250GB of high-speed hotspot data per month, up from 50GB, and more data when you’re traveling outside the US: 30GB in Canada and Mexico (versus 15GB) and 15GB in 215 countries (up from 5GB). T-Satellite service is included in the Experience Beyond plan.

However, one small change to the Experience plans affects that pricing: Taxes and fees, previously included in the Go5G Plus and Go5G Next prices, are now broken out separately. T-Mobile recently announced that one such fee, the Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery Fee, would increase up to 50 cents per month.

According to T-Mobile, the Experience Beyond rates and features will be «rolling out soon» for customers currently on the Go5G Next plan.

The Essentials plan is staying in the lineup at the same cost of $60 per month for a single line, the same 50GB of Premium Data and unlimited 5G and 4G LTE data. High-speed hotspot data is an optional $10 add-on, as is T-Satellite access, for $15 (both per month).

Also still in the mix is the Essentials Saver plan, an affordable option that has ranked high in CNET’s Best Cellphone Plans recommendations.

Corresponding T-Mobile plans, such as those for military, first responders and people age 55 and older are also getting refreshed with the new lineup.

T-Mobile’s plan shakeup is being driven in part by the current economic climate. Explaining the rationale behind the price reductions and the streamlined number of plans, Mike Katz, president of marketing, innovation and experience at T-Mobile told CNET, «We’re in a weird time right now where prices everywhere are going up and they’ve happened over the last several years. We felt like there was an opportunity to compete with some simplicity, but more importantly, some peace of mind for customers.»

Existing customers who want to switch to one of the new plans can do so at the same rates offered to new customers. Or, if a current plan still works for them, they can continue without changes (although keep in mind that T-Mobile earlier this year increased prices for some legacy plans).

Five years of price stability

It’s nearly impossible to think about prices these days without warily eyeing how tariffs and US economic policy will affect what we pay for things. So it’s not surprising to see carriers implement some cost stability into their plans. For instance, Verizon recently locked prices for three years on their plans.

Now, T-Mobile is building a five-year price guarantee for its T-Mobile and Metro plans. That pricing applies to talk, text and data amounts — not necessarily taxes and other fees that can fluctuate.

Given the uncertain outlook, it seems counterintuitive to lock in a longer rate. When asked about this, Katz said, «We feel like our job is to solve pain points for customers and we feel like this helps with this exact sentiment. It shifts the risk from customers to us. We’ll take the risk so they don’t have to.»

The price hold applies to new customers signing up for the plans as well as current customers switching to one. T-Mobile is offering the same deals and pricing to new and existing subscribers. Also, the five-year deal applies to pricing; it’s not a five-year plan commitment.

More money and options to encourage switchers

The promise of a five-year price guarantee is also intended to lure people from other carriers, particularly AT&T and Verizon. As further incentive, T-Mobile is offering up to $800 per line (distributed via a virtual prepaid Mastercard) to help pay off other carriers’ device contracts. This is a limited-time offer. There are also options to trade in old devices, including locked phones, to get up to four new flagship phones.

Or, if getting out of a contract isn’t an issue, T-Mobile can offer $200 in credit (up to $800 for four lines) to bring an existing number to the network.

Four new Metro prepaid plans

On the prepaid side, T-Mobile is rolling out four new Metro plans, which are also covered by the new five-year price guarantee:

• Metro Starter costs $25 per line per month for a family of four and there is no need to bring an existing number. (The cost is $105 the first month.)

• Metro Starter Plus runs $40 per month for a new phone, unlimited talk, text and 5G data when bringing an existing number. For $65 per month, new customers can get two lines and two new Samsung A15 phones. No autopay is required.

• Metro Flex Unlimited is $30 per line per month with autopay for four lines ($125 the first month) with unlimited talk, text and 5G data.

• Metro Flex Unlimited Plus costs $60 per line per month, then $35 for lines two and three and then lowers the price of the fourth line to $10 per month as more family members are added. Adding a tablet or smartwatch to an existing line costs $5. And streaming video, such as from the included Amazon Prime membership, comes through at HD quality.

See more: If you’re looking for phone plans, you may also be looking for a new cell phone. Here are CNET’s picks.