However, Zello could still be used if the person has access to the internet through Wi-Fi at a home or business that is provided by an underground, fiber optic cable, which typically can endure extreme weather events. So if someone loses cell service amid a natural disaster, they’ll likely also lose cell tower-based internet service. 6, 2017, Facebook post, and reiterated again on its official Twitter account in 2018. “Zello requires internet using either Wi-Fi or cellular data network of at least 2G,” the company said in a Sept. The channel feature makes Zello somewhat like a handheld walkie-talkie, which converts a user’s voice into radio signals transmitted over a shared radio frequency band, also called a channel.īut unlike a walkie-talkie that relies on radio waves picked up and transmitted by an antenna, Zello requires the signal-carrying power of nearby cellular towers, or the internet, to transmit audio or any information. Zello’s channels can also be used to instantly send voice messages, photos and live updates on the event being followed. Once a channel is joined, live audio transmissions from any member of the channel can be heard together, much like with a police scanner.
The app operates by allowing users to join existing channels or create their own. Launched in 2011, Zello has gained popularity over the last several years particularly during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017, bouts of civil unrest across the globe and recently during the Capitol riot on Jan. Can’t use the app without internet or cell service USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook and Instagram users for comment. While the push-to-talk app simulates a radio’s traditional two-way communication, it can’t work without internet access.
The post and similar others have been shared on Facebook and Instagram, gaining over 5,000 likes, shares and comments, according to CrowdTangle, a social media insights tool.īut this is bad advice. “Please download and inform your friends and family.” “New Orleans friends not evacuating: There’s an app called Zello that turns your phone into a walkie-talkie if you lose service,” reads a graphic shared in an Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm.Īs residents sought ways to stay in touch during the storm, some social media users pointed to a walkie-talkie app as a more reliable means of communication. Hurricane Ida made landfall on the Louisiana coast on Aug. The claim: Walkie-talkie app Zello can be used if you lose service during Hurricane Ida
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