Call & SMS blocker: functions exclusive to Chinese Nokia Lumia phones

By Kane Gao
last updated

As Chinese stores are beginning to get the new generation of Lumia devices in tiny, tiny trickles, consumers who are lucky enough to secure a phone or two in the extremely limited supply have found a pleasant surprise: the phones are coming with a much called for feature, which is call & SMS blocker.

The stealing and selling of private information has always been a big problem in China. It's developed into a full fledged industry. Occasionally even employees of ISPs, mobile carriers and banks are caught selling their customer information in bulks. What follows immediately is spamming, quite precisely targeted, coming through all sorts of channels in bulks.

Sales calls and SMS coming out of nowhere is a daily experience for most Chinese mobile subscribers. If there's a day you are not getting any spam SMS at all, most likely it means your account has just been suspended.

Therefore phone call and SMS blocker has always been an extremely highly demanded feature to the Chinese users, in whatever ecosystem. Microsoft's lack of API support on this front in Windows Phone 7 through 8 has caused the mobile OS some significant negative review in China. So it's really a relief to find out Nokia catching up with what's missing for 2 whole years with its over-OEM privilege.

The blocker comes pre-loaded with all Chinese Lumia 920 and 820 devices, allowing users to:

  • Block callers per mobile numbers
  • Block all SMS from specific sender
  • Dynamically block SMS containing specified keywords
  • Update the keyword database online for said SMS blocking
  • View all blocked calls and messages
  • Trace the geographic origin of specific phone numbers (only works for mobile numbers, precise to municipality and carrier)

Curiously in the credit section there's a line saying "technically powered by Tencent Inc.". It's not clear exactly what Tencent has done for this feature yet.

Source: WPDang

59 Comments
  • Why isn't this feature standard on all WP versions and handsets? I'm sure I sound like a broken record.
  • I'm guessing thanks to operators. (Specially in the US)
  • this
  • Funny cause the Samsung ativ s comes with just the call blocker. Its very useful as you can add numbers to blocked list, block withheld. Very nice feature.
  • Agreed. Exclusive apps I understand but to have a WP feature built in to the OS (correct me if I'm wrong) only available on one handset is rather silly.
  • I know on Verizon you can block up to 5 numbers for up to 90 days. Just go to you privacy/security settings.
  • Good question Vikarmo. I think part of the problem is, we don't demand it. We instead make excuses for why we don't have the features we want, accept what they give us pretend we really don't need them.
  • It would be nice to have those features available on all Lumias...sigh
  • These functions so important should be on all devices with Windows Phone 8, and not being exclusive of a make or model ...  
  • Because it's not yet duh
  • I rarely to never get SMS from someone I don't know, so for me this isn't useful... however... I can see it being a HUGE boon in China.
  • Really?? People will complain about anything. How often will you really use SMS block. Oh wish I had SMS block because this person keeps texting me against my wishes'. And call block? You really going to use it? Or you just want to be able to say. . . Yeah I got call block to. 99.9% of people ain't going to use it.
  • SMS not a biggie for me, can't remember the last time I got a text that was spam. Now call blocking... I still get calls from telemarkets, repeated calls with no one else on the line, etc. Yup, like to block those.
  • Well, I wish I were able to block unknown callers, like I could on my old Omnia 7. Someone who calls me with a masked phone number is basically someone who knows I wouldn't answer if I knew who he was.
  • Not necessarily. 
    If you use some VOIP services to save airtime minutes, for example: Skype, the incoming number is shown as unknown many times. So, I don't want to block all unknown numbers by default. 
  • Really nice to hear that Nokia studies the needs of phone users and then provides solutions for them.
  • Only in China by the look of it.
  • That would be nice, but at least that spamming of sms is not an issue here in cda as of yet.
  • I won't SMS block that much but call blocking, hell yes!! I get so many weird calls a day asking for some guy named "Bernard" they need to update our phones with this feature!
  • Bernard is that you?
  • It has to be. No one ever changes their number.
  • What language does the chinese lumia have? only chinese or chinese and english rom?
  • lol its running on WP 8 of cos it will have all langauge WP8 support..
    Basically the addition nokia spamfliter is nokia self create apps or system add on to cater to China Market
     
  • im a Chinese ,and i using Lumia 920,of course ,it have more language you can choose ,including English ,but i think if you really buy it ,you maybe Feel very disappointed.hah
  • I remember when this used to be a standard feature.  Now providers charge an arm and a leg if you want to block someone, which is aggravating.  Considering how easy it is for someone to spam you via SMS from a PC, which has caused me to go over my allotment on more than one occasion, it's a bit unfair.  I would love to see this come Stateside.
  • I miss the Symbian feat. to send a sms on a specific time. Sometimes on a graveyard shift and needing to send text during the day...when im asleep, it was perfect. I managed to fool my GF a couple of times getting her to think I was up and about when I was infact sleeping. :-D
  • Since you wrote "stateside" I assume you live in the USA. Can't you simply text STOP to the sender to avoid getting additional SMS? 
    And why do customers in the USA accept being charged for incoming texts? This is another mystery for me. I think there is no other country in the world where it works like that.
  • What is the build number?
  • Ok so where the hell is my 7.8??
  • I wonder how many people have said that today lol
  • I have some spam I got a few years back doing an offers program I get calls/text telling me I've won a cruise all the time but im so familiar with the number I don't answer it so while this feature would be helpful to me im not gonna cry about no having it
  • I would like to have this feature. I wonder if we will ever get it.
  • Interesting. I don't get SMS spam...except from my carrier (AT&T). I would use the call blocker, though. I actually use a silent ringtone now and I've looked for a 3rd party blocker.
  • This would be great in the UK so I could block any SMS containing the word "PPI claim" "PPI compensation" "owed compensation" "claim compensation" etc etc.
  • By reading this I understand Microsoft and/or Nokia are fully aware of the benefits of localizing their products. I.e. adapting them to the needs of a local market in addition to translating them into the language of that market.
    I don't understand however why only the Chinese will benefit of Microsoft's and Nokia's awareness. I look at my Lumia 920 which I bought in Germany and this phone was only translated. My phone lacks certain features especially with regards to Bing search (Local scout anyone?) and it was not adapted to the local needs. Otherwise you could integrate the Xing business network and not only LinkedIn which is not really that relevant here.
  • for your information, asia region also don't hv local scout 
  • The point is "technically powered by Tencent Inc."
     
    Tencent is a Chinese company and cares little about oversea markets.
     
    So if Tencent doesn't agree, how can MS and Nokia use it in other countries?
     
  • As in China Nokia can cooperation with Tencent Inc.Why in a foreign country，Such as US,Nokia can't cooperation with software provider.Although in our country Tencent is a big company,but not better company .
  • I got the feeling BB10 is going to put Nokia and WP to shame.
  • I don't think so.
  • lol make me laugh
  • Call blocking is handled similarly to tethering in the USA. The OS technically has it, but some of the carriers block it to be dicks. Att has its own premium call blocking service they want you to pay for at the carrier level, so they prob removed it. I can speak for all carriers but it is probably the case.
  • I am not a girl, but I know a couple of girls who would love to be able to block certain annoying guys from harassing them via text or calling.
  • Not surprising, the carriers in the US try to f*** over everyone. I still can't believe that I am charged when someone calls me, that sort of bullshit would not be acceptable in Europe, where a pay as you go topup could last me months, since I use my mobile for mostly receiving calls.
    As a result of this US crap whenever I am near wifi I just switch off my mobile antenna and use a skype number for people to call me, now only if Skype run properly on my WP.
     
  • T-mo has free block
  • I personally don't feel the lack of this feature, but I suppose it will be available as a future update now that all want it ;)
    I see this request on WP suggestion app too.
  • These features should be standard on all WP8 and WP7.8 devices, Microsoft should f* the operators that try to block it.
  • They need this in all model. At least in UK you can block spam SMS by texting message to a short ode.
  • Can't believe that with so much hanging in the balance, Nokia and Microsoft have dropped the ball on so many features. If Nokia teamed with Android instead of Microsoft they would be back in the smartphone race.
  • Phaser if you love blackberry and android so much then what are you doing trolling windows phone central?
  • ATT Doesn't allow sms block anyways, they just want your money.
  • this is much needed....... thank you nokia
  • I just noticed my Samsung omnia w 7.5 actually has the call blocking option unser settings... Its one of some buildt-in apps that sometimes get updates via marketplace... (just like the advanced GPS Sensor blabla & the connection manager i never needed)
  • Damn we need this
  • In this technological era there is no excuse that a feature like this isn't offered as a standard feature on any phone or network!
  • Well it looks like I'll be picking up a new 920 while I'm in China :D
  • We can use that in US too. Why isn't it available in all countries?
  • i will need to try to install it, i've a 920T in repair, will be back soon, and hopefully will be able to get the store link for my 920 and hopefully can install it. it works great in china filtering almost all spam by sms..
  • you naive, this particular part is provided by Tencent