The Zelle App Is Closed, but Zelle Lives On
Zelle has been around as a convenient digital payments platform since 2017, but has now closed payments on its separate Android and iOS apps, as it promised last October —though the move is a sign of Zelle’s success, not its failure, and most Zelle users won’t have to change a thing.
If you’re one of the roughly 150 million people who use Zelle, you’ll no longer be able to use the Zelle app to send money to friends, family, and businesses. However, Zelle lives on as a platform: it’s now integrated into the operations of more than 2,200 financial institutions, so you’ll still be able to use it through your banking app.
There are no more Zelle apps because Zelle has expanded its integrations so successfully. By the end of last year, less than two percent of transactions were made through these apps, according to the peer-to-peer payment system, so there was no point in continuing to operate them.
Nothing changes in terms of links to banks and credit unions—if that’s how you already run your business in Zelle, you may not have even noticed that the offline app was removed. Zelle users have moved $1 trillion in payments over the course of 2024, so as a platform it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Another reason for the switch is safety. As Zelle’s YouTube page attests, users of the app have frequently fallen victim to scams—through dating apps, ticketing platforms, rental listings, online marketplaces, message boards, and more. Zelle running through banking systems also makes it more secure.
How to switch
Given the two percent figure mentioned above, chances are you’ve already installed Zelle through your bank. If not, you’ll need to sign up for a Zelle account with your bank or switch to a financial institution that offers Zelle: you can search this comprehensive list . Until you set up Zelle somewhere else, you won’t be able to make or receive payments.
The details will, of course, depend on your bank and its application, but if you click on the list , you’ll be taken to the appropriate registration page – here’s one for Wells Fargo, for example. You need to provide your registered email address or mobile number and the bank will do the rest (you can use existing details already registered in Zelle).
If you know your bank or credit union supports Zelle, you can also browse the options on the official app or official website, and you too will be able to sign up that way: In most cases, setting up Zelle will only take a couple of steps, and then you’ll be able to sign up the people and companies you want to allow transactions with.
Unfortunately, your payment history will not be transferred with you, although it will be available in the Zelle app until August 11, 2025. Although payments are currently blocked, the app will not stop working completely, so you have a few months to record all the entries you want to keep.
There are plenty of other payment platforms you can turn to if you want to stay away from your banking app, including Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, Google Wallet, and Apple Pay, although they don’t have the same tight bank account integration that you get with Zelle and which Zelle is currently focused on.