Walkie-talkie-like app Zello, emulating push-to-talk walkie-talkies over cell phone networks, recorded the highest downloads in Kenya amid the youth-led protests. It hit highs of 40,000 downloads on June 17 and June 25 as Generation Z looked to avoid scrutiny from the authorities during their mobilization and coordination drives.
Popularity Surge
According to data by mobile apps intelligence and analytics firm Sensor Tower, Zello became the third most downloaded app on Apple’s App Store between June 19 and June 24 in Kenya. On Google Play Store, it rose to position four on June 25, up from position 45 the previous day. All in all, it has recorded over 100 million downloads on Google Play Store.
About Zello
Zello is a free app developed in 2007 by US engineer Alexey Gavrilov that enables smart devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops to act like walkie-talkies. The user can communicate either one-on-one or connect up to radio channels whereby huge groups can talk to each other from any distances. An internet link is needed through Wi-Fi or mobile data, and one loses the connection if there is no internet connectivity.
After installing, users sign up for an account, and then send voice messages by long pressing the microphone button—the same way one would send WhatsApp voice notes. If the receiver was not online, they will play once they get onto the app. Users can create or join channels where multiple speakers can converse, and usernames flash to show who is speaking.
Features and Advantages
Zello offers several features that make it ideal for quick coordination:
- Instant Message Delivery: It delivers instant messages in a live conversation, unlike WhatsApp groups.
- Channel Communication: One can join channels, and thus big group discussions are possible where one is signaled with beeps when one is talking.
- Media Sharing: It is possible to share media files like photos among others while one tracks and plays back conversations.
- Social Media Integration: One can share conversations from channels on various social media platforms.
Historical Use
Zello has been used in many countries in logistics, disasters, and emergencies. It was used to save the lives of endangered people during a Texas hurricane in 2017. In 2014, it was central to the anti-government protests in Venezuela, where organizers hiding behind anonymity used the app for secret communications.
Final Thoughts
The sudden increase in Zello’s popularity in Kenya once again underscores its effectiveness as a method of quick, coordinated protest communication. Its application during emergencies and political movements in history proves its reliability and versatility. Therefore, it has emerged as the means of resort while organizing and communicating when one wants to keep away from the traditional eye of scrutiny.
Increased usage of Zello by Kenya’s Gen Z during protests foreshadows a shift towards safer and more efficient ways to handle political movements. The trend may affect how protests will henceforth be organized, if not controlled, and might lead to wider diffusion of technologies belonging to the same category. The second ability of the app to operate in anonymous communication will therefore affect the digital activism landscape and protest coordination in the case of Kenya and beyond.