Channel owners, administrators, and moderators have access to multiple moderation tools within their channel. These tools can be used to limit disruptions from channel subscribers.

Channel moderation is important to ensure that conduct within the channel aligns with Zello’s Community Guidelines. If multiple subscribers in the channel share abusive content, the channel might be blocked by Zello staff.

Some recommendations for maintaining a constructive, inviting Zello channel are provided below. These settings can be adjusted at any time by channel owners and administrators.

Channel Types

When creating a channel, you can select from four channel types with varying levels of protection from disruptive users.

• Anyone can talk: These channels are fully open and public for both listening and talking. This is the least protected channel type.
• Zelect: New users are only allowed to listen until a moderator or administrator designates them as a trusted subscriber. At this point, they can talk freely in the channel.
• Zelect+: New users are not allowed to listen or talk until a moderator or administrator designates them as a trusted subscriber. At this point, they can talk and listen freely in the channel.
• Listen only: Everyone in the channel can listen, but only the channel owner, administrators, and moderators can talk.

Identity Verification

From the channel profile screen, you can select whether or not Zello users must have a verified email address connected to their account to join the channel. This option can be adjusted at any time.

Channel Password

If you would like to limit channel membership, you can password-protect the channel. This option can be adjusted from the channel profile screen at any time.

Moderation Tools

Channel owners, administrators, and moderators can take several moderation actions to limit disruptions within the channel:

• If you Block a user, they will not be able to access the channel either permanently or for a specified period of time.
• If you Prohibit talking, the user will experience a timed block.
• If you Bounce a user, they will be temporarily removed and able to rejoin the channel immediately.
• If you have a Zelect or Zelect+ channel, you’ll see an option to Trust a user or Revoke trusted status – revoking their trusted status will remove them from these types of channels.
• Make moderator gives users the ability to manage other subscribers. Channel moderators can mute, prohibit talking, block, trust, and bounce disruptive users. 
• Make administrator gives users the ability to manage subscribers and make certain changes to channel settings.
• If you Mute a user, their audio will be turned off.

To unblock or unmute a user from the channel, scroll to the bottom of the channel profile and select the Blocked users or Muted users option.

Channels vs. Group Conversations

If you prefer to use Zello to have conversations with people you already know, you can set up one-on-one or group conversations with your contacts. In both one-on-one and group conversations, no one outside of the group can access your messages.