Whoscall

Whoscall

Developer(s)	Gogolook Co., Ltd., a division of NHN
Initial release	August, 2010
Operating system	Android, Windows Phone, iOS
Available in	English, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Hindi
Type	Caller ID, Telephone Directory, Spam Filtering, Fraud Protection
License	Proprietary
Website	apps.whoscall.com

Whoscall is a caller ID and number management mobile application developed by Gogolook, a division of the mega Korean IT company NHN. The app identifies incoming call as the call comes in allowing users to identify important business calls and filter out unwanted callers. It also includes number management features, number and keyword blocks, an offline database, and is available across the Android, Windows Phone and iOS platforms.. It is completely free with no additional in-app or upgrade purchases.

Whoscall relies on its strong networks of local partners, internet searches and user community generated content to identify numbers.

It was selected as Google Play’s Best Apps of 2013 in 8 countries across Asia.^[1]

The name Whoscall derives from "Who is calling?", and is now available for download free in 31 countries, including Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Brazil amongst others.^[2]

History and development

The conception of the app arose in a weekly gathering between the three founders of what later became Gogolook, who at the moment took time off their day jobs to work on various app ideas over the weekends and their free time. During the gathering, one of the founders received a telephone call, and promptly asked the others to do a quick search of the incoming unknown number online, hoping for a search result, either from a forum or a business page so he can prepare himself for the call, or choose to ignore it. This got them all wondering if an app that did just that was feasible.^[3]

The first version of the app was launched in August of 2010, and still one of several apps by the part-timers at the moment got off to a slow start. It eventually gained some traction and propelled itself into the limelight when Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, on a visit to Taiwan, mentioned the app, Whoscall, by name. “An app called WhosCall tells you who a strange numbers’ from. It’s fast growing… and its from Taiwan.”^[4]

It was that moment which triggered the three founders to quit their day jobs, focus on a single application and found Gogolook Co., Ltd. in April 2012.

It received initial funding from Trinity Investment Corporation and angel investors.^[5]

Features

1. Instant Caller Identification helps users identify incoming callers that are not in your contact lists, allowing users the time to prepare for important business calls or ignore unwanted calls.
2. Number and Keyword Block allows users to block numbers with a single button at a calls end. You may also choose to blog keywords in tags, such as blocking all numbers that contain the word Bank in its search results, all numbers that begin with 081, or all international numbers amongst many other options.
3. ShowCard allows you to customize your outgoing call screen and number information. It's a your personalized mobile business card.
4. Number Management helps users group numbers in categories that are otherwise unavailable to them with the native OS. This allows for a separate list of contacts or acquaintances that you may not want to save in your phone’s contact lists.
5. Offline Database lets you search for numbers even without being connected to the Internet. This also yields lightning fast search results. It is an optional free downloadable feature.
6. Lightning Identification accelerates identification for thousands of popular telemarketing and store numbers.

ShowCard

The Whoscall ShowCard was released as Beta in v4.3. It allows users to customize their outgoing call screens. Users can edit their personal or business names, along with descriptions such as business address, business hours or photos to be shown to be shown as his or her ShowCard. This info will be shown in all outgoing calls as it rings on screen of the receiving end. When the call ends, the receiver, through the call end dialogue, may also choose to view more information regarding the number.

Accolades and reception

Whoscall has been featured in several prominent international media including TechCrunch,^[6] TechinAsia,^[7] and e27.^[8] It is highly regarded with overwhelming positive reviews and holds an average of 4.4 star ratings on the Google Play Store.^[9]

In 2013, Google Play Taiwan awarded whoscall with its 2013 Innovation Awards.

In the same year, whoscall was awarded as Google Play’s Best Apps of the Year in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Notable events

In November 2011, Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, on a visit to Taiwan, mentioned the app, Whoscall, by name. “An app called WhosCall tells you who a strange numbers’ from. It’s fast growing… and its from Taiwan.”^[10]

On May 20, 2014, during the President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou's address to the nation marking his 6th year in office, he mentions Gogolook by name, and refers to it as an example of the creativity and potential of the youth of Taiwan.^[11]

In April 2014, there were growing concerns regarding Whoscall's privacy issues prompting public figures to take to the press cases where their public records including home telephone numbers and addresses showing up on incoming calling screens. Gogolook swiftly came out with a statement that they never collected nor stored any personal information on their servers, let alone make them publicly available.^[12] It was soon discovered that the personal information of said public figures were leaked from government servers with poor security that made it available through search engines where Gogolook sources some of their information from. Whoscall was promptly lauded as not only a call screen for telemarketers but also a reliable reminder for the possible dissemination of your personal information.^[13]

References