Zalo messenger guide: features, Zalo OA and security

Zalo is a messaging app developed by VNG, a Vietnamese technology company, and it is one of the most widely used messengers in Vietnam. It offers text and voice messages, photo and file sharing, and voice and video calls, and it is available on phones and computers.

An account is created with a phone number, and you can add contacts by searching for their number, scanning a QR code or accepting a request. Signing in on a computer often works by scanning a QR code with the phone app, so your phone stays at the center of the account.

Features and settings change between versions and regions, so use this guide for the concepts and check Zalo's official help pages for the current steps.

Conversations support text, stickers, voice messages, images, videos and documents, and you can reply to specific messages and pin important ones. Voice and video calls work between two people and in groups.

Zalo also has a Timeline where you post updates and photos that your contacts can see and comment on, much like a personal feed. Check the privacy options for it, including who can see your posts and who can find you by phone number, so that the account shows only what you intend.

Groups are the backbone of Zalo for families, classes, neighborhoods, teams and small businesses. A group has members and admins, a shared space for files and images, and options to limit who can join or post. If you run a group, write a short set of rules and use the admin settings, for example approving new members, rather than leaving it fully open.

Communities and other large groups are organized around a topic, with members who may not know one another. In those spaces, keep personal details out of view, be careful with links and requests to move to private chats, and remember that anything you post can be seen or copied by many people.

Be considerate when adding people. Add contacts who know you and expect to hear from you, and check with someone before putting them in a group. Mass-adding strangers, or sending the same unsolicited message to many people, is spam; it annoys recipients, invites reports and can lead to restrictions on the account.

A Zalo Official Account, often shortened to OA, is a public profile for a business, brand, organization or public figure. People follow it, read its posts and can start a conversation with it, which makes it useful for announcements, product information and customer questions.

Businesses manage an OA through Zalo's official management tools, where they set up the profile, publish content and answer conversations. Developers can connect an OA to other systems through official interfaces, including chatbots that answer routine questions. Zalo also supports mini apps that run inside the app.

Verification adds a mark that shows an OA belongs to a real organization, and it usually requires business documents. Requirements and any fees are set by Zalo and can change, so read the official documentation before you apply. Never present an OA as belonging to a company or person it does not represent, and follow the platform's rules on messaging followers.

Choose a strong password that is unique to Zalo and keep it in a password manager. Your account is tied to a phone number, so protect that number as well: use a screen lock, keep the SIM safe and be wary of anyone who asks you to read out a code you receive.

Open the account and security settings and look for a second layer of verification, sometimes called two-layer verification, so that a password alone is not enough to sign in. Turn on whichever options your version offers and note any recovery steps it explains.

Check the list of devices signed in to your account and sign out any that you do not recognize, especially after lending a phone, replacing one or using a shared computer. Never scan a login QR code that someone sends you, because approving it on your phone gives that person access to your account.

Scammers often pose as friends or relatives asking for money, as officials threatening consequences, or as support staff asking for a code. If a message creates pressure, verify it through another channel you already trust, such as a phone call to the person, before you act.

Do not click links from unknown senders, do not install apps or files sent in chats, and do not share verification codes, passwords or login QR codes. Report and block suspicious accounts using the in-app options, and warn your contacts if your own account is ever misused.

If you forget your password, use the recovery option on the sign-in screen, which verifies you through your phone number. If you change your number or lose the SIM, sort out the number with your mobile provider first and then follow Zalo's official help pages, rather than asking a third party to do it for you.

If you think someone else has signed in, change the password, sign out other devices, review recent activity and tell your contacts to ignore unusual requests from your account. Keep your recovery phone number active, and find the official help pages before you need them.

The Zalo name and service belong to their owner, and rStock is an independent marketplace that is not affiliated with it. Follow Zalo's terms of use for any account you use, however you obtained it, because those terms decide what is allowed and what can lead to restrictions.

On rStock, independent stores sell digital items and you pay from your rStock balance, which is topped up with cryptocurrency through the payment provider Cryptomus. Buyers need a verified email address. Before you choose a store, read its public profile, which shows its sales count, rating and insurance balance.

After payment, the delivered content appears on your order page as a delivery record, and your money is held rather than released to the store right away. You have a limited window after delivery to open a dispute, where the store answers first and a moderator can be called if you cannot agree. When you have access, change the password and check the signed-in devices.