Zello's translation feature automatically converts voice and text messages from a sender’s device language to a recipient’s, enabling seamless communication, collaboration, and efficiency for multilingual teams—regardless of where in the world they're located. With support for over 50 languages, it's a powerful tool that minimizes communication barriers and heightens team connectivity in real-time.
Functionality
Translations will automatically occur if/when a discrepancy between a sender and receiver's device language is detected. They're limited to one minute; if a message exceeds this length, the remainder will play in the original language.
Zello will begin translating a message once the speaker has finished talking. A visual indicator will appear informing the receiver that a translation is in-progress.
| From the talk screen | From the history screen |
Translated messages are accompanied by an icon that indicates they were translated; to see or hear the original message, tap the icon.
Enablement
Translations can be enabled for both new and existing group (e.g. team, dynamic, and hidden) channels from the Management Console. They're included in Zello's Plus pricing tier.
Please note: This feature is enabled on a channel-by-channel basis.
- 1) Sign in to the management console (yournetworkname.zellowork.com).
2) Open the Channels tab. From the list, select the channel you'd like to enable translations for.
3) Click the setting icon that's situated in the top right-hand corner of the Channel Details section. This opens your channel's advanced settings.
4) Toggle ON Enable translations. Then click Save. - 1) Sign in to your management console (yournetworkname.zellowork.com).
2) Open the Channel tab and select + New Channel.
3) Assign the channel a name. Configure the channel type to Group, then click Create.
4) Add users to the channel, then click Add people.
5) Click the setting icon that's situated in the top right-hand corner of the Channel Details section. This opens your channel's advanced settings.
6) Toggle ON Enable translations. Then click Save.
Testing Translations
If you'd like to test translations prior to rollout, locate 2 devices and follow the steps below. Note that for purposes of this demo, we are opting to configure one device in Spanish and one in English.
To test translations:
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Enable translations for your channel of choice.
- Ensure there are, at a minimum, two configured users in the channel.
- Configure one of the user's devices in a different language.
Android iOS Android users can change their language through either the Zello app or their device's language settings.
If changing via the Zello app, open Zello and follow the pathway Options>Appearance>Language.
If changing from the device itself, open your device settings and follow the pathway General Management> Language and input.
Open your device’s settings—not the Zello app—and follow the pathway Settings > Language & Region.
- Sign in to 2 different Zello accounts (each from a different device). Open the channel you've enabled translations for.
- Press the PTT button to send a voice message from the device configured in English to the device configured in another language. The message will play in the recipient's language, and all transcriptions available on the history screen will be in that language as well.
English (Sender) Spanish (Receiver)
Users: Toggle Translations Off
Enablement of translations will apply to all users in a channel by default. However, individuals can disable translations for themselves from the channel's talk screen.
Multilingual users may wish to disable translations if they comfortably speak the same languages as their coworkers. Note that, even when translations are disabled, users can retroactively translate a message from the channel's history screen.
To disable translations:
- Open the channel's talk screen. Tap the three horizontal dots to the right of the channel's name. Tap Turn off translations > Stop translating.
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If using an Android device, tap the menu (downward-facing arrow) in the upper right corner. Then, select Stop hearing translations aloud.