Mobile Credentials at Columbia
Columbia University is modernizing how members of the University community access campus buildings, services, and resources. The Mobile Credentials program will enable eligible students, faculty, and staff to use a supported smartphone or wearable device in place of a physical Columbia ID card. This webpage will serve as the official place to get current information on the status of the project during the transition period.
This will be a multi-year project and we will post regular updates.
Benefits of Mobile
Convenience: Use a phone or supported wearable device for campus access
Security: Reduce risks associated with lost or shared physical cards
Faster Recovery: Suspend or restore credentials when a device is lost or replaced
Improved Experience: Provide a consistent credential across participating services
Modernization: Support Columbia’s long-term digital campus strategy
Program Overview
A digital key or badge stored on your phone to unlock doors, enter buildings, or log into secure areas.
Ease of access for our user community. People are already using their smartphones daily as their wallet, transit pass, boarding pass, ticket holder, and digital identity.
The program is jointly sponsored by Senior Leadership at Facilities/Public Safety and Columbia Information Technology.
Columbia is building a ‘Mobile First’ culture. Plastic Cards will exist during the transition. However plastic cards will be accessible thereafter only for specific exceptions.
This will be a phased approach to successfully deploy in an orderly fashion.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. You may have only one or the other, but not both simultaneously.
Yes. Users may register one smartphone and one smartwatch, allowing either device to be used for access and other supported campus services.
Yes, you may keep your physical card if you prefer not to use a mobile credential.
Most devices continue to support mobile credentials for a limited time after battery depletion.
If a device is lost, its mobile credential can be remotely deactivated and reissued to a replacement device.
Physical ID cards remain available on an as needed exception basis.
Yes, and there will be a unique credential identifying both smartphone and smartwatch.
Users without a supported smartphone may be provided with a plastic ID card or a QR code.
Security and Privacy
- Columbia does not gain access to personal photos, messages, or applications
- The credential can be suspended if the device is lost or stolen
- Device authentication protects credential use
- Credential data is managed under applicable University privacy and security requirements
- Mobile credentials should not be shared
- Users should immediately report a lost or compromised device