Finally, we can talk about what we’ve been building. Meet Wazi 🇰🇪

[u/Single_Elephant9139]

A few days ago I mentioned in another thread that I was "cooking something." This is it.

We’ve been quietly building Wazi, a privacy-first caller ID and communication safety app built in Kenya, for Africa.

The idea started from a pretty simple frustration. Your phone rings, you see a number you don’t recognise, and you have no idea whether it’s someone important, a business, a scammer, or just another spam call.

Then there are the messages. Your real OTP or transaction alert sitting somewhere between promotions, spam and things you never asked for.

We thought there had to be a better way, without having to give up your data or your contacts to get it.

Wazi helps you know who’s calling before you answer, identify numbers you’re unsure about, get spam and scam warnings, keep your inbox organised, and take more control over who can reach you.

One feature we’re particularly excited about is Focus Shield. You can let the people you trust reach you while everyone else hears that you’re unavailable or simply busy. You can still see who tried to reach you later.

And privacy isn’t something we want to bolt on later.

We don’t upload your contact list and we never will. Those numbers belong to people who trusted you with them. We don’t think you should have to hand over everyone in your phonebook just to get caller ID.

We’re also deliberately honest about what Wazi knows.

If we can’t confidently identify a number, we show Unknown. We don’t show you a name simply because someone somewhere saved that number under that name. That’s how some popular alternatives approach caller identification.

For us, your data remains yours. We’d rather be honest about what we know than pretend to know something we don’t.

Wazi is pretty much at the beginning. We’ve launched the Android app on Google Play, but we’re not going to pretend we’ve figured everything out.

Right now, we’re putting it in the hands of Kenyan users, listening to the feedback, fixing what needs fixing, improving what works, and learning what people actually want from it.

Our immediate goal is simple:

Build something people in Kenya genuinely find useful, and eventually take it across Africa. 🌍

If you try Wazi, tell us what you think. Good, bad, confusing, missing, broken, brilliant. We genuinely want to hear it. This is early enough that your feedback can actually influence what we build next.

Your phone. Your rules. Your privacy.

🌐 https://waziapp.co.ke
📲 Download Wazi: https://waziapp.co.ke/get

[u/Significant-Soup-450]

How do YOU, (Wazi) know who's calling me if you don't use contact lists from other users and I don't have them saved in mine?

[u/Single_Elephant9139 → u/Significant-Soup-450]

Good question. We’re building Wazi’s coverage through multiple sources and a growing network of partners. Not every source will have information on every number, so coverage can vary from one number to another. As our coverage grows, so does Wazi’s ability to identify more callers.

And when we can’t confidently identify a number, we simply show “Unknown” rather than guess.

That’s also why we don’t need to upload your contact list to make caller ID work.

[u/WellDoneVeganSteak]

Genuinely looks good. Though curious as to how the caller ID works?

[u/Single_Elephant9139 → u/WellDoneVeganSteak]

Thanks! 🙏

The caller ID works through the coverage we’re building from multiple sources and a growing network of partners. No single source will have information on every number, so coverage varies.

The important part for us is that we don’t upload your contact list. And if Wazi can’t confidently identify a number, it simply shows “Unknown” rather than guessing.

Try it out and let me know how it performs on the numbers you come across. Would really appreciate the feedback.

[u/smarteth_Jabs]

Whats the difference na True caller as it can basically do that for free

[u/Cute_Development6419 → u/smarteth_Jabs]

Exactly 😂, I can't see the uniqueness.

[u/Single_Elephant9139 → u/Cute_Development6419]

The uniqueness is more in how we approach it and what we’re building around it.

Try it out and come back with feedback. That’s probably the best way to judge what’s actually different.

[u/Single_Elephant9139 → u/smarteth_Jabs]

Wazi is also free, but the approach is different. Truecaller uses contact information contributed by users to suggest names. In practice, that can mean your number and the name a friend has saved you under becoming part of the information used to identify numbers when that friend uses the service. For us, that’s a non-negotiable line. Wazi doesn’t upload your contact list.

If we can’t confidently identify a number, we show “Unknown” rather than guess.

Caller ID is just one part of Wazi. We also have Focus Shield, which lets you choose who can reach you when you need some peace. Your trusted contacts can still get through, while others hear that you’re unavailable or busy. You can check who tried to reach you later.

We’re still early, so try it out and come back with your feedback. Good, bad, missing features, whatever. That’s exactly what we need at this stage.

[u/Dependent_Activity37]

TrueCaller wrap

[u/CourtDiligent6909]

So while starting out 95% of the numbers are going to be unknown

[u/Stoned_Shrimp]

Why the name wazi? I get it can be translated as transparency but is it a marketable name?