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Android Setup

This page provides Zello setup instructioins for Android phones. Instructions for iPhones are HERE.

In this article: Section 1: User Acount Tasks Installing Zello Creating an account Signing into an existing account Using the Main Screen and Menu icon Doing an Echo sound test Changing account profile settings Adding Contacts Using Search to find and add contacts already on Zello Section 2: Channel Tasks Adding channels to the Channels list Searching for channels to add Scanning QR codes to add channels Talking in a channel  Using Solo Status Muting a channel Watch Captain Tasks Creating your own channel Inviting contacts to your channel Sharing the channel with your Watch Group

ZELLO ICONS

The following icons are used throughout the Zello user interface. This legend explains each icon's meaning:

Section 1: User Account Tasks

Installing Zello

Search for the Zello app in the Google Play app store and tap INSTALL to download it and install directly onto your Android device. After download is complete, tap OPEN to open Zello and create your account. 

After installing, the "Z" logo badge appears on your home screen. Tap the badge to launch Zello. You’re on your way enjoying live conversations! 

You can use Zello to communicate with your friends who also have Zello installed on their Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Windows PC.

Creating an account

If this is your first time using Zello, follow these steps to create a new Zello account.

1. Tap Sign up
2. Enter your desired username. Please note that a username cannot be changed
3. Enter your password making sure it’s exactly the way you want it
4. Enter your email and optional phone number. This information is kept private and only used to reset your password and allow your contacts to find you by email or phone number
5. Tap Create to create your account profile
6. On the following account profile screen, upload a profile picture, and fill in optional fields as needed: Name (for an alias display name), About me, Location, Website, and Languages you are interested in (You will probably want to leave Website and Languages blank)
7. Tap Save when done.

Signing into an existing account

If you’ve created a Zello account on another device or platform, tap Sign in and follow the prompts to sign in. 

If you need help with the password or username, do the following.

1. Tap Forgot password
2. Enter the email associated with your Zello account. You’ll receive an email with instructions and your Zello username(s)
3. Go to your email app to look for the email from Zello
4. Click the link on the email to reset your password
5. Enter the new password twice.

Now you're all set with your new password.

Using the Main Screen and Menu icon

The Main Screen is Zello Central, where you can perform all routine tasks. Tap RECENTS to see missed messages and recent activity. Tap CONTACTS to add, delete, or manage contacts. Tap CHANNELS to add, delete, or manage channels. 

The Zello Menu is identified by the icon at the upper right corner (3 vertical dots). By tapping on the Menu icon, you can change your Status, access more Options, Sign out, (not recommended; you might miss an important call), or Exit the app.  

NOTE: If you stay signed in and simply close the Zello app, if you receive a call the app will automatically open.

Doing an Echo sound test

Do this sound test to confirm others can hear you.

1. On the Main Screen, tap CONTACTS
2. Tap echo
3. Tap and hold the big orange button until it turns solid red. Red indicates you are transmitting audio 
4. While holding the button down, say anything, sing a song, or tell a story
5. Release the button to hear Zello play back what you just said. The circle is green when playing back audio.

If you can’t hear anything, verify your microphone is on, speaker is on (lower left), and volume slider (lower right) is turned up to a comfortable volume. Run the test again until you hear yourself speaking.

Changing account profile settings 

If you want to make changes to your account profile information:

1. Tap the Menu icon 
2. Select Options
3. Select Profile
4. Tap the Edit icon (pencil) at upper right corner.

Update the following fields if needed:

• Camera icon lets you add a profile picture
• Speaker icon lets you record an audio intro
• Name field to create an alias to display instead of your username
• About me field lets you add information about yourself
• Location of where you’re located
• Website if you own one
• Languages you are interested in.

When you’re done updating your profile, tap SAVE.  

Adding contacts

Now let’s fill up your Contacts list. Tap the CONTACTS tab, and then the Add Contact icon at lower right corner. The Add a contact screen displays. You should add every member of your Watch Group who has a cell phone.

You have three ways to add a contact:

1. Search
2. Address book 
3. QR Code Scanner. 

Using Search to find and add contacts already on Zello

If using the search field, enter a Zello username, email, or phone number into the search field and tap the Search icon (looking glass). If the user is not found, you can send an invite by email or text message. If the user has a Zello account, tap the username and Zello sends a connection request.

Until contacts approve your request, they will show as “Requesting authorization" in your Contacts list. As soon as your friends go online, they will see a notification of a Contact request with options to either Accept, Decline, or permanently Block your request. If they agree to accept your invite, their status will change to Available or Busy.

For additional User Account Tasks, go to the Zello User Guide on the Zello Website

Section 2: Channel Tasks

You can use Zello to talk to your friends and family privately with group conversations as described previously, or join one of many public or private Zello channels. Channels are live talk forums created and moderated by other Zello users. There are tens of thousands of Zello channels to choose from. But if you can't find a channel you're interested in joining, just create your own!

Adding channels to the Channels list

You can add channels in two ways: You can add existing channels by searching by name, keywords, or by scanning the channel's QR code as described below:

Searching for channels to add

You can search for channels by using keywords, topics, or a specific name:

1. On the Main Screen, tap CHANNELS
2. Tap the Add Channel icon in the lower right corner
3. Tap Find a channel
4. Enter the name or keyword for a channel to search on. Use “All Pkb/WC Neighborhood Watch” which is the common channel for the entire Neighborhood Watch Co-op. All members should have this channel. Watch Captians should create a separate channel for their own Watch Group.
5. Tap the Search icon
6. See the channel you want?  Tap on the name and then tap +ADD to add the channel to your Channels list.

Scanning QR codes to add channels

The fastest way to add a channel is by scanning the QR code which looks similar to the image below. The channel QR code is located on the bottom left of the channel's profile picture. 

Scan this QR Code for Zello Channel “All Pkb/WC Neighborhood Watch”

To scan a QR code and add a channel. Use this QR code for “All Pkb/WC Neighborhood Watch” which is the common channel for the entire Neighborhood Watch Co-op. All members should have this channel. Watch Captians should create a separate channel for their own Watch Group.

1. From the Main Menu, tap CHANNELS 
2. Tap the Add Channel icon in the lower right corner
3. Tap Scan QR code
4. Focus the green scanner box on the QR code until it's focused and is read in
5. Once read into your device, the channel is automatically added to your Channels list.

Talking in a channel

To talk in the channel, make sure you are connected (Power icon is blue) and then push and hold the big button until solid red to talk. As long as no one else is trying to talk, you can talk as long as you want. If other users are trying to talk, the talk time before interruption is set by the owner in the channel profile (1 second to 10 minutes). 

Using Solo Status 

When you’re connected to multiple channels, you’ll hear every conversation for all active channels, which can become rather confusing. You can set your Status to Solo (solid blue circle) to talk to a single contact, while silencing other contacts and channels. Missed messages from silenced contacts and channels can be replayed in History. 

1. On Main Screen, select Menu icon at upper right corner
2. Tap Status 
3. Select Solo status 

 

Muting a channel

If you want to mute all channels and contacts, you should change your Status to Busy. However, if you only want specific channels to be muted, tap the Pull-down menu on the channel's talk screen and select the Mute channel option. All missed messages will be sent to the channel's History and can be replayed at a later time. “All Pkb/WC Neighborhood Watch” should never be muted as it will be used to send emergency notifications to all members.

Watch Captain Tasks

Creating your own channel

You should create your own channel for your Watch Group. Once created, you become the “owner” of the channel. Contacts who join your channel are “subscribers”. The number of subscribers allowed per channel is unlimited, but there is a maximum of 3500 who can be online and active at any given time. Channels are permanent until deleted by the owner.  For more information about Channels, see Channel Quick Start Guide.

Follow these steps to create your channel.

1. On main screen, tap CHANNELS
2. Tap Add a channel icon at bottom right corner
3. Tap Create a new channel
4. Enter a name for the channel. The name of your channel should be the name of your Watch Group. 
5. Enter a description of the channel. If you want to make it easier for people to find your channel and stay on topic, ensure the description explains the topic of the channel and includes related keywords
6. Select the channel type you want. This setting is important because it determines how private and secure your channel is. Although it is the least private type, we suggest you use OPEN, as it is the least confusing for the members of your Watch Group. For information on the 4 channel types, see FAQ for Channel Types
7. Decide whether to add a password to access the channel. This will prevent unauthorized users from hearing or talking in the channel. Again, we recommend that you do not use a password because it may confuse your Watch Group members. To set a password, tap Require password and enter a password in the box that appears 
8. Fill in any optional fields, enable texting, image sharing, or location sharing if desired

Happy with your channel settings? Tap Create to start inviting contacts to your channel. As the owner, you can edit your channel profile settings at any time. 

Inviting contacts to your channel

On the channel talk screen, tap the Pull-down menu icon

Tap Invite friends, then select the the members of your Watch Group from either your Zello contacts list or Address book.

Tap INVITE to send a channel invitation to the contacts you’ve selected.

Another way to invite someone to a channel is to press and hold on a channel from the Channel list and tap Invite friends from the pop-up menu.

 

Sharing the channel with your Watch Group

To share a link to the channel through other messaging apps, social media, email or gmail:

1. From channel talk screen, tap on the channel's profile picture
2. Tap Share icon located on right corner, next to red flag
3. On the Share channel screen, tap Share icon to see options to select from.

For additional functions and options, see the Zello User Guide.