How To Send a Message With ZOLEO

The ZOLEO App and ZOLEO device support sending messages via App-to-App, SMS, and Email. Messages can include your location and are automatically routed using the least-cost network available. 

This article covers how messages are routed, how to send a message, message status indicators, switching between App-to-App and SMS, troubleshooting messages that show as Sent but are not received, and including your location in messages.

Video walkthrough showing how to send a message from the ZOLEO App, including selecting a contact and choosing a message type.

Note: The supported characters for each message type mentioned in this video are outdated. Please see the sections below for current character limits.

How ZOLEO Messages Are Routed

When you send a message from the ZOLEO App, it is always routed using the lowest-cost network available, in the following order:

1. Wi-Fi
2. Cellular data
3. Satellite (via the ZOLEO device)

If a message is queued for satellite but a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection becomes available, the ZOLEO App automatically reroutes the message to reduce cost.

Tip: If your Wi-Fi or cellular signal is weak and your messages are taking too long to send, disable Wi-Fi and cellular data on your smartphone or tablet to force the message to send via satellite.

Note:

• ZOLEO SMS does not support MMS (images, videos, or emojis).
• ZOLEO Email does not support attachments.

How to Send a Message from the ZOLEO App

Follow these steps to send a message from the ZOLEO App:

1. Tap the Chats icon in the bottom left of the ZOLEO App.
2. Tap the New Message icon at the top right to start a new message.
3. Select a contact. Contacts are sorted into the following tabs:
   • All: All contacts saved on your smartphone or tablet.
   • ZOLEO App: Contacts who have the ZOLEO App installed. App-to-App messages support up to 900+ characters and include delivery receipts.
   • Email: Send up to 200 characters per message.
   • SMS: Send up to 160 characters per message.
4. To message someone who is not in your contacts list, enter their phone number, email, or ZOLEO App number in the search bar and tap Use this contact.
5. Compose your message and press the Send button (paper plane icon).

Image: ZOLEO App Chats screen showing the New Message icon at the top right of the screen on Apple devices.

Image: ZOLEO App Chats screen showing the New Message icon at the bottom right of the screen on Android.

Image: ZOLEO App contact selection screen showing the All, ZOLEO App, Email, and SMS contact tabs, along with the search bar for entering a phone number, email, or ZOLEO App number.

Note: Adding multiple recipients sends each person an individual message. Recipients cannot see each other's replies — each conversation remains separate.

ZOLEO Message Status Indicators

When you send a message from the ZOLEO App, the message status is shown using the following icons:

• Pending — Two circular grey arrows.
• Sent — Green checkmark.
• Received — Two green checkmarks (only for App-to-App messages).
• Failed — Red exclamation mark.

The ZOLEO device blinks blue during transmission. An ascending tone confirms a successful send. If the message fails, the ZOLEO device will flash amber and emit a descending tone. To retry a failed message, press and hold the message in the ZOLEO App and tap Resend.

Note: When a message is sent via satellite, the ZOLEO device remains connected for 2 minutes to allow for a quick reply.

Switching Between App-to-App and SMS in the ZOLEO App

App-to-App messaging in the ZOLEO App allows longer messages (up to 900+ characters) and delivery receipts when both users are on the ZOLEO App. There may be situations where you need to switch to SMS — for example, if the recipient is no longer using the ZOLEO App.

To switch from App-to-App to SMS for a message:

1. Long-press the Send icon before sending your message.
2. Select SMS when prompted.
3. The message will now send via SMS instead of App-to-App.

To switch back to App-to-App messaging, repeat the same steps and select App-to-App messaging.

Image: ZOLEO App message screen showing the long-press Send icon menu with the option to switch between App-to-App and SMS messaging.

Note: This setting only applies to the current message thread and can be changed at any time.

Messages Marked as Sent but Not Received in the ZOLEO App

In some cases, you may see messages in the ZOLEO App marked as Sent, but the recipient never receives them. This typically happens when:

• The recipient previously had the ZOLEO App installed but has since deleted it.
• The recipient's ZOLEO App account is no longer active, but the ZOLEO App still recognizes their phone number as linked to an App account.

When this occurs, the ZOLEO App continues trying to send messages via App-to-App, resulting in undelivered messages.

To resolve this, switch the delivery method to SMS by long-pressing the Send icon and selecting SMS. This ensures the message is delivered directly to the recipient's phone number rather than through the ZOLEO App.

Sending a One-Time Location Pin in the ZOLEO App

To manually include your current location in a single message in the ZOLEO App:

1. Open the Chats tab in the ZOLEO App.
2. Select the conversation you want to send the location in.
3. Tap the location pin next to the message field.
4. Your GPS coordinates will be automatically added to the message.

Note: Sending a one-time location pin does not count as an additional message and can be sent alongside your text.

Image: ZOLEO App message screen showing the location pin icon next to the message field, used to attach GPS coordinates to a single message.

Automatically Including Location in All ZOLEO App Messages

ZOLEO App version 6.8 and later allows you to automatically include your location in all outbound messages — App-to-App, SMS, and Email — within a specific conversation. This feature is ideal for sharing real-time location while travelling or working in remote areas.

To enable automatic location sharing for a conversation in the ZOLEO App:

1. Update the ZOLEO App to version 6.8 or higher.
2. Open the Chats tab and select a conversation.
3. Long-press the location pin next to the message field.
4. Tap "Yes, turn on" when prompted.

Once enabled:

• Your location is attached to all messages in that conversation when GPS is available.
• A banner at the top of the conversation displays: "Location in messages is ON".

Turning Off Automatic Location Sharing in the ZOLEO App

To turn off automatic location sharing for a conversation in the ZOLEO App:

1. Open the conversation where automatic location sharing is enabled.
2. Tap the banner at the top of the conversation, OR long-press the location pin next to the message field.
3. Tap "Yes, turn off" when prompted.

Note: You can always manually share your location using the location pin in the ZOLEO App, even when automatic sharing is turned off. See the Sending a One-Time Location Pin in the ZOLEO App section above for steps.