Android App for Blocking Unwanted Calls

Seattle-based WhitePages has acquired Mr. Number–a startup whose Android software aims to make it easier for people to see who is calling them and to block unwanted calls.

Mr. Number has been fighting an uphill battle since last year when Google made it turn off a crowd-sourced Caller ID database it was building from its user’s contact lists. In response, the company turned off the calling and texting features of its app and focused on reverse lookup and other features.

WhitePages, which already has a Caller ID mobile product of its own, didn’t say how much it is paying for Mr. Number.

“Truly effective call management must provide consumers not only an understanding of who’s on the other end of the line, but the ability to block spammers and unwanted callers and texters,” WhitePages CEO Alex Algard said in a statement. “Our users now have access to the best of both worlds.”