What is Location Share+?

What is Location Share+

Location Share+ is a location awareness safety tool used to give select contacts extra peace of mind by automatically sharing location updates and breadcrumb history that's viewable on a map in the ZOLEO app. It provides automatic and current location updates to the same contacts that you usually check in with while away from home, and it uses a breadcrumb trail to show progress on a topographic map which can be helpful to show others if you're trip is going accordingly to plan.

Note: Location Share+ is not intended to be a waypoint or route planning tool, or a tool that is used for guided navigation.

How does Location Share+ work?

Location Share+ enables you to automatically share your location with up to five (5) check-in contacts, on a selectable interval from every 6 minutes to 4 hours. You and your check-in recipients will be able to use the free ZOLEO app to view the most recently reported location and breadcrumb trail on a map (provided by Mapbox Outdoors). It’s important to note that your check-in recipients must have the ZOLEO app installed to view location updates. Once you've added the feature, you can start/stop location sharing any time and download maps for use offline. Location Share+ is a low-cost optional add-on that can be added to any monthly plan and includes unlimited Location Share+ location updates and check-in messages!

What do I see in the ZOLEO app?

Once you’ve added the Location Share+ add-on to your monthly plan, you will see a new location sharing icon on the Chats tab and in the Check-In and Location Share+ thread, as well as some additional settings and the ability to download offline maps in the ZOLEO app.

Tapping the location sharing icon presents options for controlling your location sharing session. Start and stop your session, set your update interval, and more.

Once a location sharing session has started, you can view your progress and location details in the Check-In & Location Share+ thread. Tapping the map tile presents your location details in the form of a breadcrumb trail on a map and you can begin scrolling through each of the crumbs in the trail. Each breadcrumb is numbered, includes GPS location coordinates in the format of latitude/longitude, and a timestamp so it's easy for you and your check-in contacts to follow the path traveled.

To learn more about using Location Share+ with the ZOLEO app, click here.

Also included is the ability to manage and download offline maps. Downloading offline maps for your destination makes it possible to view your location updates on a map in the ZOLEO app while in remote areas where internet connectivity is not available. It’s important to download offline maps for upcoming destinations before leaving for travel. This will ensure that map data is available to you regardless of coverage.

To learn more about using offline maps, click here.

ZOLEO uses Mapbox Outdoors for mapping location updates in the ZOLEO app. Mapbox Outdoors is a topographic map with curated tilesets and specialized styling tailored to hiking, biking, and the most adventurous use cases. More on Mapbox Outdoors can be found here.

What do my check-in contacts see when receiving location updates?

Your check-in contacts will see location updates very similar to how you do in the ZOLEO app. When a location sharing session has started and location updates are sent at regular intervals, your recipients will receive new message notifications via the ZOLEO app containing automatic location updates and will be displayed using a breadcrumb trail on a map. Recipients can view the progress by scrolling through each of the numbered, easy-to-follow breadcrumbs in the trail, pan/zoom the map and view your location information in detail.

Recipients also get some additional convenience controls for filtering messages and managing notifications for new location updates.

For more information on receiving Location Share+ updates from ZOLEO users, click here.

How do I add Location Share+?

Location Share+ can be added during activation or if you’ve already activated your device, it can be added using your ZOLEO online account.

Adding Location Share+ during activation:

• Start by adding a device and picking a monthly service plan. On the next screen, you’ll be presented with the option to add a feature.
• To add the feature, simply select the Location Share+ option (bottom right) and continue with your activation.
• Once you have completed your activation, visit the Devices and Plans in our online account to select the default interval and finish setting up Check-In contacts for your device.

Adding Location Share+ after activation:

• Login to your ZOLEO online account and navigate to the Devices & Plans page.
• Select the Manage features tab on the desired ZOLEO device.
• Under Location Share+, use the drop-down menus to set your default automatic location update interval and choose if you would like to have your update interval locked from being changed in the ZOLEO app.
• When ready, press the Add+ button and a confirmation prompt will be displayed. Press Confirm to continue. The Location Share+ feature will be added to your monthly plan and the feature will become available in the ZOLEO app connected to your device.  

For further assistance with adding Location Share+ to your monthly service plan, click here.