Tokyo, Japan – January 9, 2014 – LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, today announced the release of “LINE whoscall”, a free call-filtering and number management app for Android developed by Gogolook Co., Ltd., a world leading caller ID service company.

With the advent of the smartphone era, mobile markets around the world have seen a rise in the number of cases involving users being tricked into scams simply by answering a call without checking who is calling, or returning a missed call to an unknown number.

In response to this situation and in order to create a pleasant smartphone user experience, LINE now offers a free service called “LINE whoscall” for Android devices that allows users to identify the source of incoming numbers and filter out unwanted calls and messages. The app is a reworked interface for LINE users based on whoscall, which has been downloaded more than 6 million times worldwide, and was selected for the Google Best Appsof 2013 on Google Play in eight regions, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia,  Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Phillipines, and Thailand.

LINE whoscall utilizes a database of over 600 million numbers, including businesses and shops, sourced from the Yellow Pages and other public data resources to automatically identify and display the source of incoming calls and messages as they arrive. This allows users to filter out suspicious numbers before they answer a call or message.

LINE whoscall offers the following features.

1. Database of over 600 million phone numbers worldwide

LINE whoscall boasts a database of over 600 million phone numbers pooled from the Yellow Pages, other public data resources, tags made by other users, and internet search results, which allows users to identify numbers from all round the world. The service will become even more useful as users expand the database by identifying new suspicious numbers.

2. Immediately identify the source of unknown numbers

Through tags made by other users, search results on the internet, and its comprehensive global database, LINE whoscall allows users to identify the source of an unknown number as a call or SMS message arrives. The ability to identify whether an incoming number is from a business, shop, or a possible malicious source means users can protect themselves from troublesome calls and messages, even if they come from overseas. 

3. Permanently block unwanted numbers with just one tap

Users can instantly block malicious numbers with one tap, and never hear from the number again.

4. Ultra-fast number search and accessibility even without internet

Users with limited data plans or residing in regions with unstable internet connections have the option of downloading the database to their phones. This allows users to enjoy LINE whoscall’s services and identify and block unknown numbers in real time, even without being connected to the internet. (Offline use is only supported in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and United States.)

Important Notes

1. Contacts found on mobile devices will not be collected by the LINE whoscall service offered in Japan. 

2. The app will not include a feature that offers LINE account authentication on its release. For this reason, messages and calls received inside the LINE app will not be affected by the filtering settings made with LINE whoscall.

LINE whoscall

Supported devices: Android

Supported languages: English, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese

Supported regions: Global

Service begins: January 7, 2014

Cost: Free

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gogolook.callgogolook2

For more information, please visit  http://whoscall.line.me/