APIs for call and SMS blocking found in Windows Phone GDR2 update

Code found in Windows Phone’s GDR2 update suggests Microsoft is prepping up the ability to block unwanted calls and SMS, a feature the company has not officially mentioned thus far.

The GDR2 update for Windows Phone mostly brings under-the-hood changes such as support for FM radio, ability to set a default camera app, etc., but one low-level change that Microsoft may have forgotten to mention is support for blocking calls and SMS, APIs for which have been found hiding inside the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 emulator code.

Apparently, GDR2 has the capability to block and filter calls (and SMS), with the option to block specific numbers, numbers not stored in your address book, and also private numbers. However, there’s no user-facing interface for these APIs in devices like the Nokia Lumia 925 and 1020 that come with GDR2 out of the box, so it is possible it is a feature accessible by only carriers and by third-party developers to bake into their apps, or it could also be preliminary code that will find its legs in the GDR3 update later this year as a default feature of the OS.

Also, as far as third-party apps are concerned, it will be interesting to see how these will sit in the background and block calls/SMS, as Windows Phone doesn’t exactly allow apps to do anything in the background unless they’re using the GPS, playing music, or are waiting for incoming push messages from social networks and the like. Microsoft will probably add call blocking to the list of tasks third-party apps are allowed to carry out in the background, though we’ll have to wait for more info on that front to know what they have in mind.

Via: WMPoweruser | Source: Twitter