ZOLEO Satellite Communicator – Two-Way Global SMS Text Messenger & Email, Emergency SOS Alerting, Check-in & GPS Location – Android iOS Smartphone Accessory

I waited a while to test this out in the field before writing a review. I love this device. It is so simple to use, it is rugged/durable and it just works. 1. The device itself is simple to use. No screen, only a few buttons, no confusion, good visual and audio confirmations. 2. The app is very user friendly 3. Setup was simple. 4. Connectivity is really good. With a clear view of the sky messages ususally send within 30 seconds. 5. Battery life is great for what I need it for (up to 5 days of light use) The only con is no USB-C, but for the price I can overlook that. I highly recommend this device if you are traveling out of cell service or just want a little extra safety and peace of mind when in the backcountry.

Got to use all the features on the first time out unfortunately. I bought this unit based on some great reviews and had all the features I needed. Ultimately purchased it to communicate with group of snowmobilers during winter rides. I had a break down and was separated on back to back trips this year and wanted a solution. So I took it on a hiking trip over the recent holiday weekend and told a contact (Android phone) once I got up to the camp site, I would send a location pin (IOS phone) and have him guess which location we ended up in in order to test sharing a location and having them find it on their app with offline maps. Just short of the camping spot I ended up breaking my leg. I started texting contacts in my iPhone using the Zoleo device and phone app to find out how far behind the rest of the group was and learned they were about 3 hours behind me. I debated for about 30 minutes about what to do and ultimately ended up pressing the SOS button due to the severity of the injury and remote location. Things I learned from my Zoleo device experience: 1. Response time between texts was very good. Even though I was in a real bad spot against steep sloping terrain with very tall trees on all sides......signal was the only problem based on my injury location. However, I believe the longest time for sending or receiving a text was 1-2 minutes but most of the time it was almost instantaneous. 2. SOS response was excellent. Once pressed they immediately reached out to my emergency contacts. They were in contact with me within 2 minutes and updated me throughout the ordeal. First communication was "GEOS: This is the IERCC, what is your emergency?". 3. Once IERCC determined that it was an emergency, they contacted a sheriff's office around 65 miles away (nearest location by checking Google). The sheriff's office then immediately contacted a local volunteer search and rescue crew. 4. When the search and rescue crew arrived, they were very professional, prepared, and very good at what they do. Very happy about that part. They immediately said they were pleased that I was able to get a very accurate location and inquired about how I did so. I showed them the Zoleo device and the SOS function and they were super impressed but hadn't heard of it before. They were able to use the location pin sent from my Zoleo device and input it into an onX app on their iPhone's and arrived exactly to my location. So there was no time "searching" around and took the guess work of finding me out of the time it took to rescue me. 5. At some point I inquired if I had to do any paperwork with them once finished and they said no. So there was no financial liability with these search and rescue folks. However, once we reached my vehicle I wasn't sure what their protocol was and requested that I drive myself out to the hospital of my choice. Their response was that there was too much liability for them to release me and instead drove me to the forest area boundary to be picked up by a waiting ambulance. So at that point I was liable for the cost of the ambulance and an overnight stay at an unknown hospital. Not really a bad thing in the end but I wasn't sure what the financial implications would be by pressing the SOS button......but I know now. Bottom line: I will never go off grid again without my Zoleo device. It was peace of mind when I got injured and the search and rescue crew gave me great feedback on how it helped them do their job to help me. Also, my contact that was sent the location pin instantly knew exactly where I was at as well, which is why I initially purchased it. Hope this helps anyone looking for something similar in a satellite communication device linked to IOS and/or Android phone.------not affiliated in any way with this company or how the device works------

I have used and recommended this device many times. I love the fact that the messaging app tries to send WIFI first, Cell second and Satellite last, saving money. I find it much easier to send a pin to someone using this app than using Google Maps. You don't have to be connected to the device in order to use the app as long as you have WIFI or Cell service. I have also used this off the grid and unlike some other systems, the message goes through quickly as there are many more satellites in this constellation. I also used it in Dallas this summer when AT&T's system was down (and for some reason the WIFI was down as well). I noticed that a few people gave this a "1" rating and so I read some of them. They are not describing anything like my experience or the experiences of my friends that have purchased this item. Satellite communication is not free and while it's cheaper than the past, it's similar to the cost of using a cell phone. For me it's about safety and being able to communicate at all times and everywhere. I bought this right after hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Coast. I was inspecting property north of Corpus Christi just 36 hours after Harvey hit. I had a Ham radio, CB radio, multiple cell phones and nothing worked. Turns out, hurricanes knock down EVERYONE's antennas for several miles. My neighbor's land line worked but her chordless phone battery was dead. That's when I resolved to go satellite and bought this device. We love to go to Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Most of the park is off the grid, and for nearly 100 miles around. The Big Bend Amateur Radio Club has a robust system of repeaters but even that does not cover the whole park. I've used this for business communcation and just checking in from many areas in the park that are off grid. I've noticed the other national parks have very poor cell service as well. In my opinion, this device is well priced and the service cost is reasonable and the device has never failed to perform. As I said, I have and I continue to recommend and use this device.

La possibilité de suivre avec des points GPS régulier sur une appli maison est un vrai plus. On peut aussi importer les rapports CSV dans Google Earth

As I will be doing a lot of solo back country hiking / camping in Arizona shortly, I was looking for a product that would keep me in touch with love ones when out of cell phone signal, as well as giving me the assurance of calling for assistance should I injure myself etc. I done a lot of research and chose the Zoleo GPS Communicator over all the other brands as this gave me everything I needed at a reasonable cost. The set up was so easy and after making some test SMS and emails was confident that I will be able to keep in touch with people back home. The unit itself is small and feels high quality. This item will take some knocks in its stride. You do need to sign up for a monthly subscription but out of all the others on the market this one gave more buck for my money and also gave me the option to suspend or cancel after 3months which will suit me just fine. I obviously have not tested the SOS function and hope I never have to So far happy with the purchase Update….. Have just got back from almost a month off grid in the US backcountry. It would not be right to not of give an update. This tiny little box was fantastic! It kept me in touch, not only with mt SOS buddies, but anyone else I wanted to (upto 5 additional people). There was never a time I had any concerns while out solo. It sent out OK updates to all my contacts along with a breadcrumb trail. It never let me down once. Another great thing was, it held its charge for just over 7 days. Fantastic piece of kit. Can not recommend this enough if you do solo trips where there is no mobile signal or patchy. I am now using this in the windscreen of my car driving around the U.K. as a back up for when mobile signal drops

Totalmente confiable para la transmisión de mensajes. De fácil configuración y con un app muy sencilla de usar. Mis amigos y familia en cualquier momento pueden ubixarme y comunicarse conmigo.

Easy to set up. Worked first time. Affordable. Will save your life. No brainier

What works: Does exactly what it promises - reliable satellite messaging when you're off-grid Battery life is solid - I got 3 days with 3-4 messages per day and still had 50% left The app actually doesn't suck (rare for this kind of device) Way cheaper than a Garmin inReach if you just need communication, not full GPS features The catch: You still need your phone to send texts, which feels redundant. I'm carrying two devices to do one job. It's convenient enough, but not ideal. Why I bought it anyway: This is currently the best bang-for-buck option if you need reliable backcountry communication. But let's be real - this whole product category has maybe 3-5 years left. Apple already added satellite SOS to iPhones, and it's only a matter of time before full satellite texting is just another phone feature. Think of the Zoleo like a good interim solution. It works, it's reliable, and it's reasonably priced for what it does. I am expecting this feature to be built into my phone by my next upgrade in a year or two. For now though? It's exactly what I needed, and it does the job well. If you need satellite communication today and don't want to drop Garmin money, this is your best bet.