Navigating the Yo! Zone: Where Your Sessions Take Place
[PLATFORM GUIDE]
Aleksandra
Last Update 2 tháng trước
The Yo! Zone is the space where all the magic happens at Yo!, it's our video-calling platform for your sessions. No need to download any apps, add contacts, or go through complicated processes. Here, with one click on the link, you’re already in the session, ready to chat!
In this article, we’ll walk you through all the Yo! Zone’s features so you can make the most of your experience.
Setting up the Yo! Zone
The Yo! Zone works directly in your browser, so you don't need to install anything on your computer or phone.
In case you accidentally leave or need to restart your device, don't worry! A session's Yo! Zone access button will always be available on your dashboard:
In the session card, in the sidebar panel, if the session is still happening.
In the Session Page, accessible via the session status that you can find on your schedule, or in the session list area in the "My Journey" tab.
💡 Pro-tip: Before your session starts, we recommend doing a test call to make sure everything is working correctly.
Microphone and camera permissions
The first time you access the Yo! Zone or do a test call, your browser will ask for permission to use your microphone and camera.
To make sure everything runs smoothly:
Click "Allow" when the request appears.
If your microphone or camera is deactivated, a warning will be displayed on the corresponding icons.
Denied access by accident? Follow these steps to grant permission:
Click the camera icon in the top right corner of the address bar.
Choose the option that allows access and click "Done".
If you are still having problems, check our Yo! Zone Troubleshooting Guide or contact us.
Camera and microphone settings
As soon as you enter the Yo! Zone, a panel will appear to let you configure your camera and microphone.
If you have more than one microphone or camera connected, you can choose which one to use.
To improve your audio, activate "Automatic Volume Adjustment" (if available on your device).
To change settings during the session, click the gear icon ⚙️ in the call menu.
Background effects
Want more privacy? You can activate a virtual background to blur or replace what's behind you. Pick a fun background in video settings before you start. Just tick "Add a call background effect" and choose. Change it anytime, or turn it off.
❗️ Important: This can slightly affect the call quality, depending on your device.
Yo! Zone session interface
As soon as you enter the session, even before the yoser arrives, you can start exploring the controls available on the screen.
Main controls
Microphone 🎤 – Activate or mute your audio. If you're on mute, an icon will be displayed.
Camera 📷 – Activate or deactivate your video. If turned off, the Tutor will see a blocked camera icon.
Call settings ⚙️ – Adjust your audio, microphone, camera, and virtual background.
Full screen 🖥️ – Click to switch between regular and full-screen mode.
Leave session ❌ – If you need to leave, click the "Leave" button. If you need to come back, you can still access the Yo! Zone again from your dashboard.
💡 Remember: If you accidentally leave the Yo! If you accidentally click the "Leave" button, just hit “Reconnect” on the exit screen while your session’s still live.
Fore more information on leaving a session before its end time, please check the Session Recordings & Exiting the Yo! Zone: Your Guide to Smooth Endings policy
Tools and settings
Tabs 📂 – Access Daily News, the materials library, the whiteboard, and screen sharing.
Copy session link 🔗 – Copy the Yo! Zone link for quick access.
Interface language 🌍 – Customize your experience by choosing the language.
❗️ Important: do not share the Yo! Zone link with third parties. Only you are allowed to use Yo! Zones generated in connection with your account. This goes against our rules and is a violation of your agreements.
Session timer ⏳
Before the session starts: you will see a timer counting down to the session start time.
During the session: the timer will show the time remaining until the end of the session.
Grace period: in case you go overtime, there is a count-up 2-minute timer until the session is automatically ended in the system.
When the yoser arrives
As soon as the Tutor enters the Yo! Zone, their video will appear on the screen.
If the yoser has their audio or video deactivated, here’s what happens:
Muted microphone 🔇 – The yoser is muted, and a silenced microphone icon will appear.
Deactivated Video 📷 – If the yoser's camera is turned off, a blocked camera icon will be displayed.
Yo! Zone key features: enhancing your sessions
Our Yo! Zone has a plethora of cool options you can use to make your sessions more interactive and fun.
Here are the key features:
| Feature | Explanation |
| ⭐ Tabs | ➡️ Tabs allow you to have multiple contents open simultaneously. This simplifies accessing and switching between additional content during a session, which can help with explanations and provide a better session flow. You can add new tabs for additional materials, tools, and resources. For example, if you want to use a whiteboard to explain something during a Daily News session, you can open it in a new tab and switch between them easily. Clicking on the dictionary or embedded images within materials will open them in a new tab automatically. Similarly, images and PDFs uploaded to the chat will also open in a new tab when you click on them. Your yoser's tab location is indicated by a blue icon. |
| ⭐ Shared navigation and highlighting | ➡️ Stay perfectly in sync! Our shared navigation ensures you and the yoser are always on the same page (literally!). When you jump to a new page or click on an exercise, your yoser's view updates instantly. 🔹 Shared navigation works only in Yo! Zone (does not affect other browser tabs or apps). 🔹 Scrolling up or down does not affect the yoser’s view. 🔹 Only clicking exercise numbers or opening a different page changes the yoser’s view. 🔹 Tutor-only content and information are not visible to the yoser. 🔹 The drawing tool and the expansion of images and lists of example sentences are also shared with the yoser. Pro-Tip: Highlight text to "point" to words or ask yosers to read specific sections. What you see, they see - except for tutor-only info, of course! |
| ⭐ Dictionary | ➡️ The in-Yo! Zone dictionary allows shared word lookups. Yosers see a red notification on the dictionary icon and can join your dictionary page. Images display over material without disrupting shared activities, and you can use the drawing tool on them. The dictionary is accessible before and after session, and you can use shared text highlighting here as well. |
⭐ Screen sharing | ➡️ Our screen-sharing feature lets you and your yoser explore internet materials and videos together. Share your entire screen, a single window, or just a Chrome tab, whatever works best. If you're using a Mac device, make sure to set up the screen sharing feature for Chrome before your sessions. |
| ⭐ Whiteboard | ➡️ Our interactive whiteboard is your shared creative space. Draw, erase, and shape ideas together. And don't worry, everything on the board is downloadable for later! |
| ⭐ Chat box | ➡️ The chat box is your go-to for communicating with yosers during sessions. Need to tweak a message? Hover, then edit or delete. Share images by uploading, copying, pasting, or dragging them in. You can also upload and download PDF files. For multi-line messages, just hit Shift + Enter. |
| ⭐ Notes | ➡️ Our collaborative text editor is like a shared whiteboard where you and your yoser can brainstorm and refine ideas together. It's great for showing how sentences are built or for proofreading, but feel free to skip it if it doesn't fit your session. |
| ⭐ Drawing tool | ➡️ Draw and write on: shared images and PDFs, images in the Yo! Zone materials and dictionary, whiteboard, shared screen...have fun! |
| ⭐ Session recording | ➡️ All Yo! Zone sessions are automatically recorded so you can review your yosers' progress, or simply assess your tutoring skills. 🔹 Quick access – Watch recordings directly in the Yo! Zone. 🔹 Playback tools – Skip 10s forward or backward. 🔹 Speed control – Adjust according to your needs. 🔹 Timestamps – See local recording times. 🔹 Audio Download 🎧 – Download and listen whenever you want. |
| ⭐ Shared Audio Playback | ➡️ Our shared audio feature ensures that you and your yoser are always on the same page, whether you’re listening to a song, a news clip, or any other audio from our materials. 🔹 Synchronized playback: when you or your yoser starts an audio track, both of you will hear it simultaneously, even "tutor only" content. Audio controls (pause, resume, skip, or speed) are also shared and synced for both. 🔹 One sound at a time: only one audio track can play at a time. If a new track is started, the old one stops automatically. The audio will keep playing even if the person who started it switches tabs, but it stops when they close the tab. 🔹 Joining mid-playback: if someone joins a call where audio is already playing, it will start for them from the current spot, so they don’t miss a beat! 🔹 Unmute notifications: if your browser initially blocks the sound for any reason, a simple “unmute” notification will appear to get the playback going. |
If you need help with whatever Yo! Zone issues, please check our Yo! Zone Troubleshooting Guide or contact us.
Now that you know your way around, just enter the Yo! Zone and enjoy your session! 🚀💬
Please be advised that we might edit this page from time to time, when there are relevant updates to the system.