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How-To Guides

Step-by-step tutorials to help you get the most out of Ztalio. From setup to advanced features.

23 guides. Type to filter them.

Getting Started with ZtalioLock a Screen So Nobody Can Stop the PlaylistSee Which Screens Are On and WhenDesign a Menu Board in Ztalio StudioConnect Claude (or Any AI Assistant) to Your ScreensAutomate Your Screens with the API and CLITurn a Roku TV into a Menu Board in 3 StepsRun Several Screens from One DashboardCollect Photos from a Family and Play a TributeHow to Set Up Ztalio on RokuHow to Set Up Ztalio on LG Smart TVHow to Set Up Ztalio on AndroidHow to Set Up Ztalio on Google TVHow to Set Up Ztalio on Amazon Fire TVUsing Push to TVSetting Up Digital Signage for BusinessSharing with Family MembersCreating the Perfect PlaylistControl Playback Order (and Shuffle)How to Share a Folder with FamilySend a Magic Link to Anyone (No Signup Needed)Add Closed Captions to Your VideosUpload and Play Audio Files
Beginner⏱ 10 minutes

Getting Started with Ztalio

Your complete guide to setting up Ztalio and streaming your first photos to your TV.

1

Create Your Free Account

Visit ztalio.com and click 'Sign Up'. Enter your email, create a password, and verify your email address. Your free account includes 1GB storage, 1 TV display, and 1 user.

2

Upload Your Media

Once logged in, click the 'Upload' button to add photos and videos. You can drag and drop multiple files or select from your device. Ztalio automatically generates thumbnails for easy browsing.

3

Create Your First Playlist

Go to 'Playlists' and click 'New Playlist'. Give it a name, then add media from your library. Arrange the order by dragging items. Set timing for how long each photo displays.

4

Connect Your TV

Install Ztalio from the Roku Channel Store, LG Content Store, Amazon Appstore, or Google Play Store (for Google TV and Android TV). Open the app on your TV - you'll see a pairing code. Enter this code on ztalio.com to link your TV to your account.

5

Start Streaming

Select a playlist from your TV and press play! Your photos and videos will display on the big screen. Use your TV remote to pause, skip, or navigate.

Beginner⏱ 2 minutes

Lock a Screen So Nobody Can Stop the Playlist

Set a remote pattern on a lobby, waiting-room or menu-board TV so a stray button press can't pause, skip or close what is playing. Pro and Network plans.

1

Open the screen's options

On ztalio.com go to TVs. On the card for the screen you want to lock, open the ⋯ menu and choose 'Screen lock…'. Only the primary account owner can set or remove a lock.

2

Choose a pattern

Press four to six of the on-screen remote keys — Up, Down, Left, Right and OK — in the order you want, for example Up, Up, OK, Left. Press Next, then enter the same pattern again to confirm. Pick something staff can remember but a visitor would not guess.

3

Start the playlist

Push a playlist to the screen as usual. The TV picks up the lock within about 15 seconds; the card on the TVs page shows a LOCKED badge. From now on, while a playlist plays, the TV ignores every remote button except Back.

4

Get back to the home screen

Press Back on the TV remote. A small card asks for the unlock pattern; enter it and the home screen opens. A wrong pattern says 'try again' and keeps playing; ten seconds without a key and the card simply disappears with the playlist untouched.

5

Change or remove the lock

Back on the TVs page, the ⋯ menu offers 'Change screen lock…' and 'Remove screen lock'. Removing it unlocks the TV within seconds. The remote's Home button always leaves the app — no app can block it — so a determined person can still reach the TV's own menu; the lock stops accidents and casual fiddling.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

See Which Screens Are On and When

Use the Analytics page to check every screen's uptime, catch a TV that went dark, and get an email when one stops reporting.

1

Open Analytics

Click Analytics in the top menu. Analytics is part of every paid plan; on Free the page shows what you would get and an Upgrade button.

2

Read the On-now row

The top row lists every linked screen with a green dot when it has reported in the last two minutes, and otherwise the time it was last seen. A screen that is off during business hours is the first thing to check.

3

Pick a range

Switch between the last 7, 14 and 30 days. The hour-by-hour strip shows when each TV was on each day, so a screen that is switched off at the wall every evening shows a clear pattern.

4

Check a playlist's hours

The By playlist section shows how many hours each playlist played and on how many screens. It shows usage only — never the photos or videos inside.

5

Turn on offline alerts

Flip Screen alerts on. Ztalio learns each screen's usual hours and emails you when a TV that is normally on stops reporting, then again when it is back. If a Roku goes dark at the same time every day, its screensaver is usually the cause — see the Roku guide.

Beginner⏱ 10 minutes

Design a Menu Board in Ztalio Studio

Build a menu or promo slide from your own photos and prices with the AI assistant, then push it to a screen.

1

Open Studio and start a slide

Click Studio in the top menu, then New slide. Pick a blank 16:9 canvas or one of the templates (menu, welcome, promo). Studio is included on every paid plan.

2

Add your own photos and logo

Click Image to place a photo from your library or upload a new one. Drag to position, pull the corners to resize. Your logo goes in the same way.

3

Ask the assistant to lay it out

Open the Assistant panel and type what you want, for example 'Lunch menu for a taco place: 3 sections, 8 items with prices, dark background'. It builds the sections, prices and typography on the canvas. Ask for changes in plain words — 'make the prices bigger', 'swap to a light theme' — and it edits the slide in place.

4

Fine-tune by hand

Every text box, price and image stays editable. Click any element to change its words, size, colour or alignment. Keep headings large: on a TV across the room, 60 px text is the minimum that reads.

5

Save and push to a screen

Click Save. Studio exports a full-resolution PNG into the Studio folder of your library. Add it to a playlist (or make it the only item) and Push to TV — the board updates on the screen within seconds. To change a price later, open the slide in Studio, edit, save again and replace the image in the playlist.

Intermediate⏱ 10 minutes

Connect Claude (or Any AI Assistant) to Your Screens

Let Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Codex list your screens, build playlists, make slides and push them to a TV, through Ztalio's MCP server or the ztalio command-line tool. Included with the Pro and Network plans.

1

Create an API key

Sign in at ztalio.com, open Settings → API access and click Create API key. Give it the scopes the assistant should have: read to look, write to edit playlists and folders, push to change what a TV shows. The key starts with ztk_ and is shown once, so copy it now. You can revoke it from the same page whenever you like.

2

Install the CLI and sign in

On a computer with Node 18 or newer run: npm install -g ztalio, then ztalio login and paste the key. Check it with ztalio screens, which lists your TVs, whether each is online and what it is showing. The CLI is open source (github.com/Ztalio/ztalio-cli, MIT) and has no dependencies.

3

Connect over MCP

Claude Code: claude mcp add ztalio -- ztalio mcp (local, uses the key from ztalio login), or with no install: claude mcp add --transport http ztalio https://api.ztalio.com/v1/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer ztk_…". Claude Desktop: Settings → Developer → Edit config and add "ztalio": { "command": "ztalio", "args": ["mcp"] } under mcpServers. claude.ai, where request-header authentication is available: Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector, URL https://api.ztalio.com/v1/mcp, Authentication 'No sign-in', request header authorization = Bearer ztk_…. Cursor, Codex and other MCP hosts: command ztalio, args ["mcp"]. Run ztalio mcp --setup to print all of this.

4

Or just hand it the CLI

An assistant with a shell, such as Claude Code or ChatGPT with a terminal, does not need MCP. Tell it to run ztalio agent: that prints how the tool is meant to be used, with --json on every command for machine-readable output. From there it can run ztalio screens, ztalio playlists, ztalio push and ztalio slide on its own.

5

Ask for what you want on the TV

Try: 'Which of my screens are on right now?', 'Put the lunch menu on the lobby TV at 8 and the dinner menu at 4', 'Make a promo slide that says Happy hour, $5 margaritas, and push it to the bar TV', 'Add the three new photos in the Promos folder to the Window playlist and set it to 10 seconds a slide'. The assistant finds the screens and playlists by name, makes the changes, and the TV updates within seconds.

6

Know what it can and cannot do

A read-only key cannot change a TV, and a key without push cannot change what a screen shows. Assistants confirm the target screen before pushing and never push to all screens unless you said all screens. The API cannot delete media from your library. Every call is audited against the key that made it, each key is limited to 120 requests a minute, and revoking the key in Settings → API access cuts the assistant off immediately.

Full MCP, CLI and API reference →

Intermediate⏱ 15 minutes

Automate Your Screens with the API and CLI

Script your signage: list screens, push playlists, upload files, render a slide from text and set schedules from a terminal, a cron job or your own software. Included with the Pro and Network plans.

1

Get a key and pick its scopes

At ztalio.com open Settings → API access → Create API key. Scopes: read lists screens, playlists and media; write edits playlists, folders and uploads; push changes what a TV shows. The key is shown once and starts with ztk_. Keys allow 120 requests a minute each and can be revoked at any time. Every call is audited.

2

Call the REST API

The base URL is https://api.ztalio.com/v1 and every call carries the key as a bearer token: curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ztk_…" https://api.ztalio.com/v1/screens. Answers are JSON. Endpoints cover screens (list, rename, push, analytics), playlists (create, edit, items, speed, transition, shuffle, music, schedule), the library (media, folders, music), uploads and slides. The OpenAPI document at https://api.ztalio.com/v1/openapi.json is the source of truth and can feed a code generator or an assistant.

3

Or use the CLI

npm install -g ztalio (Node 18+, no dependencies), then ztalio login with the key. ztalio screens shows your TVs; ztalio push "Happy Hour" --to Lobby puts a playlist on a screen; ztalio playlists create, add, set and remove manage playlists; ztalio upload ./menu.png --folder Promos sends a file. Screens, playlists and media go by id or by part of their name. Add --json to any command for JSON on stdout, and set ZTALIO_API_KEY in CI or a container instead of logging in.

4

Make a slide from text

No design file needed: ztalio slide --template promo --title "Happy hour" --badge "$5 margaritas" --push Lobby renders a 1920×1080 slide on the server with the Studio engine, saves it to the Studio folder of your library and pushes it. Templates: menu board, price list, promo, announcement, hours, welcome, event and portrait menu; ztalio slide --templates lists the fields each accepts. ztalio slide --items "Tacos=$4; Burrito=$9 *Popular" --title Lunch --add-to "Lunch menu" builds a menu board from name=price pairs, ztalio slide --prompt "…" lets the Studio assistant lay it out, and --preview check.png renders without saving. Over HTTP the same is POST /slides, /slides/preview and /slides/propose.

5

Upload files

ztalio upload does the whole thing. Over HTTP it is three calls with the write scope: POST /uploads to start (filename, contentType, sizeBytes, totalParts), POST /uploads/{uploadId}/part-urls for presigned URLs that you PUT each part to, then POST /uploads/{uploadId}/complete with the parts' ETags. The file is optimised and appears in GET /media within about a minute; poll the library rather than the upload.

6

Schedule and automate

ztalio playlists set "Lunch menu" --schedule "mon-fri 11-16" gives a playlist a window in your account's timezone ("off" clears it); --speed 10 --transition dissolve --shuffle on --music "Tokyo Dreams" set playback. Over HTTP it is PATCH /playlists/{id}. From there a cron job, a Zapier or n8n step, or your own point-of-sale export can push a fresh menu every morning: upload the image, add it to the playlist, push to the screen. Errors come back as JSON with a code (NO_KEY, UPGRADE_REQUIRED, SCOPE, RATE_LIMITED, NOT_FOUND), so a script knows exactly what to do next.

Full API and CLI reference →

Intermediate⏱ 20 minutes

Run Several Screens from One Dashboard

Set up a café, salon, clinic or school with a handful of screens that each show the right content, managed from one account.

1

Pick a plan by screen count

Starter covers 3 screens, Pro 10 and Network 25. Storage and team seats scale with the plan, and there is no per-screen licence. Start free with one screen and upgrade from Settings when you add the second.

2

Pair each TV and name it by location

Install the free Ztalio app on every TV (Roku, Fire TV including Vega OS sticks, LG, Google TV or Apple TV can be mixed), pair each one with its code and name it by location: 'Lobby', 'Room 304', 'Window'. Names are what you will pick from when pushing content.

3

Organise content into folders

Create a folder per screen or per purpose, such as Menus, Promotions and Announcements, and put folders inside them when one location has many: a folder can hold folders, three levels deep. Drag a file or a folder onto another folder to move it, or use 'Move to…' in its ⋯ menu; a folder moves with everything inside it. Any folder can be shared; a link covers that folder's own files, so share the inner folders one by one when each person should see only theirs. When something is finished with, Archive it from the ⋯ menu: it leaves every TV and phone, stays in your library under 'Archived', and any links to it keep working.

4

One playlist per screen, or one for all

Build a playlist for each screen that needs different content, or a single playlist for identical screens. Push a playlist to one screen or to all of them at once from the Playlists page.

5

Invite the people who will keep it fresh

From Settings, add team members up to your plan's seats. A manager can swap the special of the day, a designer can drop in new artwork, and billing stays with the owner.

Intermediate⏱ 15 minutes

Collect Photos from a Family and Play a Tribute

For funeral homes, memorials, reunions and events: one link collects the photos, a playlist shows them on the room's TV, and the family gets a finished slideshow video to keep.

1

Make a folder for the location, and one inside it for the family

In Media, create a folder for each location, for example 'Berkley Chapel'. Open it and click 'New folder' to add a folder for the family, 'The Smith family', and inside that, if you like, 'Pictures' and 'Tribute video'. Folders go three levels deep (location → family → pictures), the newest family sits at the top of its location, and the search box finds any folder by name. Drag a family onto another location, or use 'Move to…', if it was filed in the wrong place.

2

Send the family one link

Open the family's folder ⋯ menu, choose Share, then the Link tab. Keep 'Contribute' and create the link; it lasts 7 days unless you choose otherwise, and you can send it by text, email or as the QR code shown. Anyone who opens it can add photos and videos from their phone without an account, and the same page has 'View the slideshow' so relatives can watch what has been gathered so far. Send a fresh link any time; the old one keeps working until it expires.

3

Turn the folder into a playlist

When the first photos are in, open the family folder's ⋯ menu and choose 'Export to playlist…'. Leave 'Keep it in sync with this folder' on: anything the family adds later joins the playlist on its own, oldest first, and anything you remove from the folder leaves it. Under Playlists → Settings, pick the music, the seconds per photo and the transition once. The playlist card says 'follows folder' so you can tell it apart.

4

Put it on the room's TV

On the playlist card, press 'Push to TV' and pick the screen for that room. While the playlist follows its folder, late additions reach the TV by themselves within seconds; nobody has to touch the remote. Pushing the same playlist to a second room is one more tap.

5

Share the finished slideshow with the family

Open the playlist's ⋯ menu and choose 'Share link…'. Sharing makes the slideshow video, a single 1080p MP4 with the music and cross-dissolves, and the link opens a page with just that video: the family can watch it there and download it to keep. Nothing else from your library is shown. The video is rebuilt whenever the playlist changes, so the family always gets the latest version, and playlist links stay live until you turn them off.

6

Archive when the service is over

Choose 'Archive' in the playlist's ⋯ menu, or set it to happen by itself under Settings → Schedule → Auto-archive, for example 30 days after the last change. Archiving takes the playlist off every TV, archives the family's folder with it, and moves both under 'Archived' on the web. The family's links and video keep working, and 'Unarchive' brings everything back. Archived files still count toward your storage; only Delete frees space.

More about folders, links and archiving in the FAQ →

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

How to Set Up Ztalio on Roku

Detailed instructions for installing and configuring the Ztalio Roku channel.

1

Find Ztalio in the Channel Store

On your Roku, go to 'Streaming Channels' > 'Search Channels' and type 'Ztalio'. Select the Ztalio channel from the results.

2

Install the Channel

Click 'Add Channel' and confirm. The Ztalio channel will be added to your Roku home screen. You may need to enter your Roku PIN if you have one set.

3

Open Ztalio

Launch Ztalio from your Roku home screen. The app will display a 6-digit pairing code on screen.

4

Pair Your Account

On your phone or computer, go to ztalio.com and sign in. Navigate to Settings > Devices and enter the pairing code shown on your TV.

5

Start Watching

Once paired, your playlists will appear on your TV. Select one to start streaming. The connection is saved, so next time you open Ztalio it will connect automatically.

6

Stop the Roku screensaver interrupting a slideshow

Roku apps cannot hold the screensaver off, so set it once on the Roku: Settings > Theme > Screensaver > Wait time > Disabled, and Settings > System > Power > Auto power savings > uncheck both options. Without this, a photo slideshow is replaced by the Roku screensaver after the wait time and the Roku may turn itself off after four hours.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

How to Set Up Ztalio on LG Smart TV

Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Ztalio on LG Smart TVs running webOS 5.0 or newer.

1

Find Ztalio in the LG Content Store

On your LG Smart TV, open the LG Content Store (also called Apps). Search for 'Ztalio' and select it from the results. Your TV must be running webOS 5.0 or newer (generally LG Smart TVs from 2020 onward).

2

Install the App

Click 'Install' and wait for the download to complete. The Ztalio app will be added to your LG TV's app list.

3

Open Ztalio

Launch Ztalio from your LG TV's app list. The app will display a 6-digit pairing code on screen.

4

Pair Your Account

On your phone or computer, go to ztalio.com and sign in. Navigate to Settings > Devices and enter the pairing code shown on your LG TV.

5

Start Watching

Once paired, your playlists will appear on your LG TV. Select one to start streaming. The connection is saved, so next time you open Ztalio it will connect automatically.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

How to Set Up Ztalio on Android

Instructions for installing Ztalio on your Android phone or tablet from the Google Play Store.

1

Find Ztalio on Google Play

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Play Store and search for 'Ztalio'. Select the Ztalio app from the results, or visit play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cre8iveinnovations.tvyou on any browser.

2

Install the App

Tap 'Install' and wait for the download to complete. Ztalio will be added to your Android home screen and app drawer.

3

Sign In or Create an Account

Open Ztalio and sign in with your existing account, or tap 'Sign Up' to create a free account. Your free plan includes 1GB storage, 1 display, and 1 user — no credit card required.

4

Upload Your Media

Tap the Upload button to add photos and videos from your device's camera roll or gallery. Ztalio automatically generates thumbnails for easy browsing.

5

Stream to Your TV

Create a playlist and use Push to TV to send content to any paired TV display. Your Android app syncs in real-time with your Ztalio account across all platforms.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

How to Set Up Ztalio on Google TV

Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Ztalio on Google TV and Android TV devices.

1

Find Ztalio on Google Play

On your Google TV or Android TV device, open the Google Play Store and search for 'Ztalio'. Select the Ztalio app from the results. Ztalio is available on Google TV devices and Android TV boxes.

2

Install the App

Click 'Install' and wait for the download to complete. Ztalio will appear in your Google TV app list and home screen.

3

Open Ztalio

Launch Ztalio from your Google TV app list. The app will display a 6-digit pairing code on screen.

4

Pair Your Account

On your phone or computer, go to ztalio.com and sign in. Navigate to Settings > Devices and enter the pairing code shown on your Google TV.

5

Start Watching

Once paired, your playlists will appear on your Google TV. Select one to start streaming. The connection is saved, so next time you open Ztalio it will connect automatically.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

How to Set Up Ztalio on Amazon Fire TV

Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Ztalio on Amazon Fire TV Stick, Cube and Fire TV Edition televisions, including the Vega OS sticks (Fire TV Stick HD and Fire TV Stick 4K Select).

1

Find Ztalio in the Amazon Appstore

On your Fire TV Stick, Cube or Fire TV Edition TV, go to the Home screen and select the search icon or open the Appstore. Search for 'Ztalio' and select the app from the results. This works the same on the new Vega OS sticks (Fire TV Stick HD and Fire TV Stick 4K Select): it is one listing, and the store installs the native Vega OS build on those.

2

Install the App

Click 'Get' or 'Download' and wait for the installation to complete. Ztalio will appear in your Fire TV app list and on the home screen.

3

Open Ztalio

Launch Ztalio from your Fire TV app list. The app will display a 6-digit pairing code on screen.

4

Pair Your Account

On your phone or computer, go to ztalio.com and sign in. Navigate to Settings > Devices and enter the pairing code shown on your Fire TV.

5

Start Watching

Once paired, your playlists will appear on your Fire TV. Select one to start streaming. The connection is saved, so next time you open Ztalio it will connect automatically.

Beginner⏱ 3 minutes

Using Push to TV

Learn how to instantly send photos and videos from your phone directly to your TV.

1

Ensure Your TV is Connected

Make sure Ztalio is open on your Roku or LG TV and paired with your account. The TV should show it's connected and waiting for content.

2

Open Ztalio on Your Phone

Open the Ztalio app on your iPhone or Android device, or go to ztalio.com on any browser. Sign in to your account.

3

Select Media to Push

Browse your media library and find the photo or video you want to display. Tap on it to open the viewer.

4

Tap 'Push to TV'

Look for the 'Push to TV' button (TV icon). Tap it and select which TV to send to if you have multiple displays connected.

5

Watch on Your TV

The content will instantly appear on your TV! Perfect for sharing moments during gatherings or quickly showing something to the room.

Intermediate⏱ 20 minutes

Setting Up Digital Signage for Business

Configure Ztalio for restaurant menus, retail displays, hotel lobbies, and more.

1

Plan Your Display Strategy

Decide how many displays you need and what content each will show. A restaurant might have 2 menu boards showing the same content, while a retail store might have different displays for different departments.

2

Create Business Content

Design your signage content using any graphic design tool (Canva, PowerPoint, etc). Export as images. Common sizes are 1920x1080 (landscape) or 1080x1920 (portrait).

3

Upload and Organize

Upload your signage images to Ztalio. Create folders to organize by purpose: 'Breakfast Menu', 'Lunch Menu', 'Promotions', etc.

4

Create Playlists for Each Display

Create separate playlists for different times or purposes. A restaurant might have: Morning (breakfast items), Midday (lunch specials), Evening (dinner menu).

5

Set Up Multiple Displays

Your plan sets how many screens you can link — 3 on Starter, 10 on Pro, 25 on Network. Install Ztalio on each TV or stick and pair it with its own code, then rename each one from the TVs tab so they are easy to tell apart (e.g. 'Front Counter', 'Drive-Through').

6

Manage Remotely

Update content anytime from your phone or computer. Changes sync automatically to all connected displays. Perfect for updating prices or adding daily specials.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

Sharing with Family Members

Add family members to your account so everyone can upload and enjoy photos together.

1

Go to Account Settings

Sign in to ztalio.com and navigate to Settings > Family & Users.

2

Add a Secondary User

Click 'Add User' and enter their email address. They'll receive an email invitation. Your plan sets how many users you can add — 3 on Starter, 10 on Pro, unlimited on Network.

3

Family Member Accepts Invitation

Your family member clicks the link in their email, creates a password, and joins your account.

4

Shared Access

Secondary users can upload photos, create playlists, and view all shared content. You maintain control as the primary account holder.

5

Everyone Enjoys Together

Now the whole family can contribute to your shared media library. Grandparents can add photos, kids can create playlists, and everyone can enjoy on the TV.

Beginner⏱ 10 minutes

Creating the Perfect Playlist

Tips and tricks for organizing your media into engaging playlists.

1

Choose a Theme

Great playlists have a theme: 'Summer Vacation 2024', 'Birthday Party', 'Product Showcase'. This helps viewers follow along and keeps content cohesive.

2

Curate, Don't Dump

Quality over quantity. Select your best 20-50 photos rather than adding hundreds. Remove duplicates and blurry shots.

3

Set the Play Order

The order you arrange items in IS the order your TVs play them — Ztalio never re-sorts your playlist. Open the playlist's three-dot menu, choose Settings, and use the Playback tab: drag the handle on any row to move it, or use the up/down arrows. Arrange chronologically or as a story, start strong, and end with something memorable. See the 'Control playback order' guide below for the full walkthrough.

4

Set Appropriate Timing

5-10 seconds per photo works well for casual viewing. Use longer times (15-30 seconds) for detailed images or signage, and a minute or more for a menu board. Set it per playlist in Settings › Playback — choose a preset or type your own number of seconds. Videos play at their full length.

5

Test and Refine

Watch your playlist on the TV. Does it flow well? Too fast? Too slow? Adjust timing and order based on how it feels in person.

6

Add Background Music

In the playlist's Playback tab, upload an audio file or pick from your library to play as the slideshow's soundtrack. Toggle Shuffle to randomize the order each time the playlist plays — great for keeping a rotating display feeling fresh.

Beginner⏱ 3 minutes

Control Playback Order (and Shuffle)

Decide exactly what plays first, second and last — on every TV, every time.

1

The rule: your order is the order

A playlist plays top to bottom, exactly as you arrange it. Ztalio never re-sorts by filename, date or upload time — what you see in the list is what your TV plays. That is what makes it reliable for signage, where a menu board or a sequence of offers has to appear in a fixed order.

2

Open Settings for the playlist

On ztalio.com, go to Playlists and click the three-dot (•••) menu on the playlist card, then choose Settings. In the iOS and Android apps it is the same: tap the ••• on the playlist, then Settings.

3

Rearrange in the Playback tab

The Playback tab holds both Shuffle and the play order list, because they answer the same question: what plays next. Drag a row by its handle to move it, or use the up and down arrows — the arrows also work on touch screens and with a keyboard, where dragging can be fiddly.

4

Save, and the TVs follow

Press Save. Every linked TV picks up the new order the next time the playlist starts — you do not need to re-push or re-pair anything.

5

Shuffle overrides the order

Turning Shuffle on tells the TV to randomise the order each time the playlist starts, so your arranged order is ignored while it is on. The order list stays exactly as you left it and takes effect again the moment you turn Shuffle off. Use Shuffle for an ambient photo wall; leave it off for signage or anything that tells a story.

6

Adding and removing items

Use Manage Media to choose which items are in the playlist; use Settings › Playback to choose what order they play in. Newly added items land at the end of the list, so you can drop in a new photo and then move it wherever it belongs.

Beginner⏱ 5 minutes

How to Share a Folder with Family

Invite family members or coworkers to view and contribute to a shared folder.

1

Open the Media Page

Go to ztalio.com and sign in. Open the Media tab — you'll see your folders in the grid.

2

Find the Share Button

Hover over the folder you want to share. A toolbar appears with Rename, Delete, and Share icons. Click the Share icon (the arrow-out-of-box).

3

Invite by Email

Enter the email of the person you want to invite. Choose a permission tier: View (read-only), Contribute (can add content), or Admin (can manage sharing). Click Send.

4

They Accept

Your recipient gets an email and sees the invitation under their notification bell when they sign in. After accepting, the folder appears in their library with a 'shared' marker. Photos you add show up on their TVs in seconds.

5

Manage or Revoke

Open the share dialog and switch to the Access tab. It lists everyone who has access — their permission level, whether an invitation is still pending, and how many times a share link has been used — and you can revoke any of them with one click. The iOS and Android apps show the same list inside the share sheet. Recipients can also leave a shared folder from their own Sharing page.

Intermediate⏱ 10 minutes

Add Closed Captions to Your Videos

Make your videos accessible with .vtt caption sidecar files.

1

Create or Obtain a .vtt File

WebVTT (.vtt) is the standard captions format. Generate one from your video using tools like Rev, Otter, or YouTube's auto-caption export. Or write one by hand — it's a simple text format with timestamps.

2

Match the Filename

Name your caption file with the exact same base as your video. Example: vacation.mp4 → vacation.vtt. Ztalio auto-detects sidecar files by name.

3

Upload Both

Upload the video and the .vtt file to the same folder in Ztalio. The captions are signed and attached to the video on every TV platform that supports them (Roku, Google TV, Fire TV, LG).

4

Enable Captions on the TV

The TV respects your system-level Closed Captioning setting. On Roku: Settings → Accessibility → Captions Mode → On Always. On Fire TV / Google TV: Settings → Accessibility → Captions. Once enabled, captions automatically appear on any Ztalio video that has a matching .vtt file.

Beginner⏱ 3 minutes

Upload and Play Audio Files

Add music tracks and audio recordings to your library.

1

Drag In Your Audio

Upload audio files the same way you upload photos and videos — drag-and-drop into the upload sidebar, or click Upload and browse. Supported formats: MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG, FLAC, Opus.

2

Spot Them in the Grid

Audio files show with a purple music-note icon and a ♪ corner badge, distinct from photos and videos so you can tell them apart at a glance.

3

Play Them on TV

Click an audio file on the TV grid to play it. The TV displays a clean now-playing view — music note + filename — while the audio streams. Perfect for ambient background music in stores or family gatherings.

4

Mix into Playlists

Add audio alongside photos and videos in a playlist. The TV plays each item in sequence; long-press right on your remote to skip to the next item, short-tap to skip ±10 seconds (works on video and audio).

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