When you’re trying to figure out which satellite communication device to purchase, for off grid adventures away from cell service, it’s often a bit cumbersome to figure out each options’ capabilities. This article will go through the different Zoleo plans available as well as add-ons beyond their basic components. That way, you’ll be better equipped to compare and contrast the Zoleo against competitors like the Garmin InrReach series of communicators, and the new Motorola Defy.
Related: Check out my long form Zoleo device review after reading this article by clicking this link.
Basic inclusions on all Zoleo plans
There are 3 main monthly plans Zoleo offers to those who’ve purchased, or are borrowing a Zoleo communication device. They are the ‘basic’, the ‘in touch’, and the ‘unlimited plans’. But before we examine the differences in these, lets go over their similarities.
Individual Zoleo email address and phone number
Regardless of which plan you choose, you’ll get a personalized Zoleo email address (some_version_of_your_name@zoleo.com), and a cell phone number, which is different from your normal cell number, that will work with your Zoleo device.
Your Zoleo cell number is meant for texting through your device, but you won’t be able to make calls with it, satellite or otherwise.
Your Zoleo email will let you send/receive a message to/from a recipient’s email, though you really should think of it as a text to an email, as it has certain limitations that make it more text-like than email-like.
Dedicated contacts
Each plan comes with the necessity to provide two emergency contacts, which will be contacted by emergency services were you to press the SOS button on your Zoleo device or app.
Each plan also allows you to add up to five people that will be notified, via text, email, or their own Zoleo app, every time you hit the ‘check-in’ button on the device or app. When you hit that button (has a little check mark icon on it), the default setting is that your contacts will receive a coordinate set of where you were when you pressed it, and a map and marking of where you were on it.
And all plans let you keep an unlimited reserve of contacts that you can choose from, to use as your SOS and check-in contacts for a specific trip. No need to delete contacts to add others in their place.
Free SOS messaging and rescue coordination
Were you to hit the SOS button on your Zoleo device in the backcountry (or on the road out of cell service range), Zoleo’s partner Global Rescue will text you, and pass on your Zoleo text number to local authorities that are able to perform a search and rescue, who too will contact you. All these SOS related messages are free and don’t count against your plan.
If you’re in the United States, most of the time your rescue will be covered through a particular county’s search and rescue budget. So you won’t get a $7,500 helicopter bill, later in the mail. But were you acting in a negligent manner (i.e. going out of your way to do something dangerous, especially when there are official warning signs not to go into an area, or do a particular dangerous act) you may be fined for negligence so that the county can claw back some of that rescue money.
Generally California counties are less likely to fine you for negligence than those in some other states, as they don’t want you to hesitate to hit that SOS button, regardless of how you got into a tricky situation. The exception to this is if you are negligently skiing outside of a designated ski area:
Some states have laws that allow the government to bill people for the cost of their rescue. Maine, Hawaii, Utah, and Oregon have laws that allow this practice, and California, Colorado and Vermont can bill skiers who travel out of bounds at ski areas.
A Gentleman’s Agreement, The Sheet
Free Check-in and coordinates sharing to Check-in contacts
As of 2023, you’re welcome to hit the Check-in button as much as you like to share with your contacts your coordinates and where you are on a local map of the area. Also when you press your check in button, that same message appears on your Zoleo app as well, so you too will know your coordinates and where on the map you are.
The check in message is just an automated message that says, ‘I’m okay,’ and you cannot modify it in any way, or choose to send some other, similar message. Keep that in mind as you try to decide between the Zoleo and one of its competitors that may have a more elaborate check-in messaging available.
For example some Garmin devices will come with 3 messages that say, ‘I’m okay,’ ‘I’m starting my trip,’ and, ‘I’m ending my trip.’ And the Garmin Enterprise plan deducts these check-in messages from your monthly allotment, i.e. not all Garmin plans have free check-ins.
Free cellular and Wifi messaging
If your Zoleo device detects you are near your cellular carrier’s cell signal, or on a connected Wifi, then it will elect to use your phone’s normal messaging system, and won’t use the satellites to route your message. You get free, unlimited messaging by this method. Well, of course you still have to pay your cell phone provider’s normal monthly fee, like you always do. But Zoleo isn’t charging anything on top of that, to route your messages from your phone, to your Zoleo device, to your phone service’s cell tower.
Though the Motorola Defy is not out yet, its press release makes it seem as though they will charge you per message, regardless if its sent through a cell tower or satellite, since it’s using a unique set of relay nodes that expands messaging service beyond just cell towers.
Service parking after 3 months of service
If you don’t think you’ll need your Zoleo device for several months out of the year, you can park your plan for $4 per month with no additional fee to do so, after 3 months of paying your normal monthly plan fee. You won’t be able to send messages on your Zoleo, or use the SOS feature, but you’ll keep your Zoleo email and text number and can still receive messages/email on your app.
For example if you only use your Zoleo in the summer time, and if you’ve paid your normal monthly dues for at least 3 months, then when winter arrives you can park your plan for $4 per month.
You also won’t be charged another $20 activation fee when you restart your service from its parked status. Basically it’s cheaper to park your plan for 4 months than it is to cancel your plan then restart it next adventure season. It’s the same price to park it 5 months, versus cancelling and restarting, but you keep your Zoleo number and email, and you don’t have to re-sign up, so it might be worth it.
Free smartphone app
Regardless of which plan you decide to take, the app is free, and everything on the app is the same.
SMS texting and Zoleo app messaging
The app lets you do normal texting, as well as app to app texting with another person who has the Zoleo app, which allows for longer messages, and thus less draw down on your allotted free messages per month. And that other person you want to text with doesn’t even need a Zoleo account or device, so tell your loved ones to download the app!
Related: After your done on this article, check out my breakdown of the Zoleo versus the Motorola Defy by clicking here.
The app also lets you do one to one emails. You can only get 200-240 characters per message, thus you won’t be able to read normal emails, like you would from your non-Zoleo email account. So don’t try to forward regular email to your Zoleo email. Anything over 200-240 characters will be cut off and lost.
Basically, just write a small string of text with or without emojis. Senders can’t send html or attachments to your Zoleo email. And if a sender’s email program automatically sends the entire thread history when replying, those will be lost as well. So it’s best just to start a new email each time you, or the sender replies.
On app Check-in and SOS
Just like the buttons on the Zoleo device itself, you can initiate check-ins and SOS calls from the app.
Satellite Message Check Intervals on the Zoleo App
The app will let you define how often the Zoleo device checks for new messages through the satellite system. You can choose the following options:
- continuous checking (drains the battery the fastest)
- every 12 minutes (default setting)
- every 24 minutes
- every 60 minutes
- only manually check (drains the battery the slowest)
How to change Zoleo satellite message checks intervals
To change your Zoleo satellite message checking time interval, tap ‘settings’ in the app, which is the gear icon in the lower right corner. Next tap ‘My linked Zoleo device’, then tap ‘Device Settings’, and further, ‘Message check interval’. Select the time interval you’d like the Zoleo to check at. Then tap the ‘save’ button in the upper right corner .
How to check for satellite messages manually on the Zoleo app
To manually check for new messages through the satellite, or otherwise, on the Zoleo app, open the app, then look near the bottom of the screen, right above the bottom icon menu. There should be a light, blue-grey bar that has an upward pointing carrot symbol on its left, and a green battery icon to its right.
If you have set the device to auto-check for messages, it will also publish in its middle section, ‘Next messaging check in x minutes’. If you have set your device to manual checking only, there will be nothing in this middle section. Tap on the carrot symbol to expand the menu, and this will expose a green button that says, ‘Check messages’. Tap this button to initiate the message check.
Find my device
If you’re at camp or on the trail, or otherwise, where your Zoleo is still attached to your phone via Bluetooth, but you can’t find where you left it, you can tell it to flash its red LED lights and make a continuous beeping sound to help you locate where it’s at.
To do this open the app, and hit the settings icon in the lower right corner. Next tap the ‘My connected Zoleo device’ option, then tap ‘Find my device’ option. The Zoleo will begin flashing its red LED’s and make a continuous, alternating two-tone noise. Once you have found your device, press the ‘Find my device’ option again, to make it quit beeping.
Weather
For the price of one satellite message, you can check the weather forecast for the next 4 days, as well as what’s coming up hour by hour for the present day. Again, if your in cell tower range, weather checking is free.
Small glitch in the app: just be careful when scrolling to the left, on the hour by hour weather data. If you scroll too far too the left, past the end of the data, the app closes, and you have to restart it and check the weather again, if you weren’t done looking at it.
Other Zoleo app features
The app also lets you set different tones for app notifications, different tones the Zoleo device can play, put in your name and normal cell number, check your Zoleo email address and Zoleo number, turn on or off the Follow Me setting, which controls whether or not the Zoleo you’re using accesses your personal messages, sent to and from your Zoleo number and email, allows you to see your SOS and Check-in contacts, and if you’re near cell service range, it will let you change up those SOS and Check-in contacts on your account.
Also if you’re near cell service or Wifi, you can download offline maps, so when you hit the Check-in button you and your Check-in contacts will be able to see where on a map you are, out in the backcountry.
Differences in Zoleo Plans
The main difference in the Basic, In Touch, and Unlimited Zoleo plans is the number of satellite messages you can send and receive per month, before reaching your limit. Once over that limit Zoleo charges you $0.50 per message. Everything else, including add-on options is the same, regardless of which plan you pick.
| Basic | In Touch | Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of satellite messages per month before limit is reached | 25 | 250 | unlimited, but if usage grossly exceeds average unlimited user’s volume, Zoleo may limit your usage per their Fair Use Policy |
| Cost per message after limit is reached | 50 cents | 50 cents | not applicable |
Keep in mind that if you send a satellite routed message, that counts as one message, and if someone sends you a message that requires satellite delivery, that also counts as a message. Checking the weather further also counts as a message.
Again, messages that the Zoleo routes through your normal cell service or Wifi don’t get counted as messages in your monthly limit. You can send and receive those all day with no decrementation of your allotted messages.
Add Ons to your Zoleo plan
Message Top Up Bundle
If you think you’re going to need more messages than your plan allows for the month, you can buy a higher limit through the ‘Message Top Up Bundle’. You can buy either an additional 20 messages or an additional 75 messages for longer trips away from cell service.
Location Share +
Location share + is similar to Check-in messaging, except the Zoleo automatically sends out the check-in on a regular frequency, defined by you. It also marks all the coordinates you’ve ‘checked in’ at on a map, allowing your check in contacts to see where you’ve been, your entire excursion, in a ‘bread crumb trail’ format. This add-on costs an additional $6 per month.
Global Rescue Membership
This isn’t an official add-on to your Zoleo plan, but since Zoleo uses Global Rescue as your liaison with civilization and the front country, you can purchase a membership with them. In that case their team will come get you out of the field if necessary themselves, during an SOS call.
They have military trained evacuation teams and medical experts to tend to you, if you get into trouble in the backcountry. Heck if you pay for a higher tier membership, they’ll pull your out of parts of the world that are experiencing civil unrest, government mandated evacuations, Covid-19 lock down evacuations, whatever. They’ve got something like 1,000 winged and helicopter aircraft in their arsenal to get you out of tight places.
AAC Rescue Insurance
A lower cost alternative to a Global Rescue membership, is American Alpine Club’s rescue insurance, that will help you pay the cost of a rescue, in the rare chance a particular US county requires payment for your rescue.
Further Reading
Thanks for checking out my article on the differences and similarities in Zoleo plans. Next check out my other Zoleo related articles by clicking here to get to my hiking navigation and communication page.