For the last several days, travelers at airports like LaGuardia and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International have been reporting a big surprise at airport security checkpoints: They’ve been allowed to keep their shoes on.

A dreaded Transportation Security Administration rule that had been in place since 2006 appeared to be quietly ending with little fanfare and no official announcement from the agency — until now.

Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, confirmed the nationwide policy change during a news conference at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re so excited that we can make the experience for those individuals traveling throughout our airports in the United States much more hospitable, more efficient for them, more timely, and that they can get to their destinations and spend much more time with their loved ones,” Ms. Noem said.

Advances in how the T.S.A. screens passengers made the change possible, Ms. Noem said, describing a “layered” approach that includes new technology, improved equipment, additional T.S.A. officers and the recent enforcement of Real ID requirements.

“We’ve gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the efficacy of everything that we do,” Ms. Noem said. “All of that has been evaluated to see what is effective, what should stay in place and what should be removed to streamline the process.”

The change comes as air travel booms in the United States. The T.S.A. said it screened more than 900 million people last year, a 5 percent increase over 2023. This summer, T.S.A. security checkpoints have been busier than ever. On July 7, more than three million travelers passed through airports, setting a record for the most screened in a single day.

Though the shoes-on policy may usher in faster standard security lines, perhaps on par with expedited screening lines, having T.S.A. PreCheck still comes with perks, said Bobby Laurie, a former flight attendant and a co-host of the TV travel show “The Jet Set.” PreCheck, a trusted traveler program for low-risk passengers, includes “an added background check that allows you more privileges than just leaving your shoes on,” Mr. Laurie said.

The program has been steadily growing since its inception in 2013. Last summer, the T.S.A. announced that it had more than 20 million members. Ms. Noem said on Tuesday that she believed PreCheck would remain useful for travelers.

PreCheck travelers can keep belts and light jackets on, and they are also allowed to leave personal electronics and liquids in their carry-on bags.

Security experts said the last few years have seen significant advancements in screening technology.

Keith Jeffries, a vice president of K2 Security Screening Group, which specializes in airports, said the industry had made “huge strides.” Among those he listed: biometrics systems that verify identity and are now being used at baggage check and boarding, and vastly improved body and baggage scanners.

But it’s not just one technology that has enabled shoes-on security, he emphasized.

“It’s a combination of the overall security system improving — what is the intel telling the folks; why should we make this change?” said Mr. Jeffries, who was previously a T.S.A. federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport.

Ms. Noem alluded to new T.S.A. screening developments in the near future, including a pilot program at select airports that would allow travelers to pass through checkpoints without interacting with officers.

“I think over the next six to nine months, you will see, across the country, pilot lanes and security checkpoints that will give us even more advancements and make this security process much more streamlined for the traveler,” Ms. Noem said.

What about the future of the widely loathed policy limiting liquids in carry-ons? “Every rule is being evaluated,” she said.

Nia Decaille contributed reporting.

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