Inquiring Minds Want to Know...

This page is dedicated to answering Skrol-related questions that we’ve heard repeatedly or that you may want to ask. They are about the app, its origins, future, and our ability to grow and prosper in the shadow of Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. For technical support questions, please use the Support portal directly from the app.

Skrol for iPhone and Android

Is it difficult to switch to Skrol from the contacts app I am using now?

You don’t need to switch in a literal sense. Skrol will continue working alongside your phone contact app and all the compatible apps you already use, know, and love. The entire “switch” effort takes only three familiar steps:

Step one: Download a free copy of Skrol from the App Store or Play Store;

Step two: Tap the Skrol icon on the home page to launch the app;

Step three: Acknowledge permission to access your contacts;

Done!

Can I still use iPhone’s or Android contact apps, dialer, messages, video calls, and voice assistants?

Yes, you can! Skrol shares the same contacts database with all these apps, so you can continue using them like before. Anything you’ll add, edit, or delete from Skrol will instantly update for all of them and visa-versa.

How does Skrol compare with other contact managers for iPhone or Android?

Skrol compares with most other contact managers in the App Store in the same way Excel or Google sheets compare with a calculator app on your mobile phone. Please watch the videos and comparisons without other apps if you think we exaggerate [link].

Will I still see my contacts in WhatsApp and all other apps that use phone’s contacts database?

Yes, WhatsApp and all other apps that rely on phone’s contacts database use the same Apple or Google-provided tools and services as Skrol for accessing contacts' information.

What is the difference between iPhone Contacts, Apple Contacts, and iCloud Contacts?

An app called "Contacts" runs on your iPhone, iPad, and Macs. You also can access contact information through the iCloud web app that runs inside any browser. All three are accessing the same database in the cloud as Skrol and other compatible apps, but their actual design is slightly different.

Some people say that an address book isn’t necessary in the age of social apps and AI. Is this true?

You are already using the address book built into your phone. Skrol is a more robust version for people with many contacts in different apps and social sites because they need a more sophisticated tool to organize all of them in one place. And AI will make contact apps like Skrol better, but will not replace them anytime soon.

Can I use Skrol if I'm not from an English-speaking country?

Assuming you are OK with its user interface in American English, you can because, internally, Skrol supports all of the non-hieroglyphic languages and international conventions for phone numbers and addresses.

We designed Skrol with multilingual support in mind and plan to gradually add other languages, starting with the most widely used European languages, such as Spanish (538 million speakers), French (277 million), Portuguese (252 million), Russian (258 million) and German (131 million). Other languages will follow as soon as the resources allow.  If you are curious to know, English is spoken by 1.3 billion people. Among them, 370 million are native speakers.

Like the iPhone and Android contacts apps, Skrol forms accept Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Tamil, Hindi, Cyrillic, and similar characters, as well as related phonetic names in English or any other language.

Can I import contacts from XLS or CVS files into Skrol for iPhone?

Yes, you can use the Contacts apps for Mac to import contacts into Skrol from CVS- or vCard-compatible files. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Prepare your contact data in a compatible format, such as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file or a vCard (.vcf) file.

Step 2. Launch the Contacts app on your Mac computer. It can usually be found in the Applications folder or accessed from the Launchpad. 

Step 3. In the Contacts app, click on the "File" menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen. From the drop-down menu, select "Import."

Step 4. A file selection dialog box will appear. Locate and select the contact file (CSV or vCard) you want to import and click the "Import" button.

Step 5. If the contact fields in your file do not match the standard fields in Apple Contacts, you may need to map them manually. The Import dialog box will provide options to map fields such as name, phone number, email, etc., ensuring the data is correctly imported into the appropriate fields in Apple Contacts.

Step 6. Review the import settings and make sure everything is correct. Click the "OK" or "Import" button to start the import process.

Step 7. Please wait for the import to complete. Once finished, you will see the imported contacts inside Skrol on your iPhone.

If you are a Windows user, you can use the Contacts app for iCloud. Open the www.icloud.com/contacts/ page inside the desktop browser to launch it. 

To access the import option, click the Gear icon (settings) in the lower-left corner. The iCloud version can import contacts in the vCard format only. There is no need to mapping fields when importing vCards.

Can I import contacts from XLS or CVS files into Skrol for Android?

To import contacts into Google Contacts database, you can follow these steps:

Step 1. Export your contacts from your current source in a comptible format (see below).

Step 2. Open Google Contacts. Go to contacts.google.com: https://contacts.google.com/.

Step 3. Click Import. This button is located on the left-hand side of the page.

Step 4. Click Select file. Choose the file that contains your exported contacts.

Step 5. Click Import.

Google Contacts will import your contacts and add them to your database.

Here are some additional tips for importing contacts into Google Contacts:

  • Make sure that your contact file is in a supported format. Google Contacts supports CSV, vCard, and XML files.
  • If you are importing contacts from a CSV file, make sure that the file is formatted correctly. The first row of the file should contain the column headers, and each subsequent row should contain the contact information for a single person.
  • If you are importing a large number of contacts, it is best to import them in batches. This will help to ensure that the import process is successful.
  • After you have imported your contacts, you can review them and make any necessary changes. You can also organize your contacts into groups and add labels to them.

If you have any problems importing your contacts, you can visit the Google Contacts support page for more help. [link]

Will Skrol drain my battery?

No, it will not because it doesn't run any round-the-clock services. The only battery power seriously consumed by Skrol is the power you use to light up the phone's display while using the app.

What happens if Skrol stops working?

In the unlikely event Skrol will stop working, just close the app like you would any other iPhone or Android app and launch it again.

Can I request additional features?

Absolutely. We love to hear from you. Please use the Contact Us page [link] to convey your wishes.

Can I use Skrol on more than one iPhone?

Yes, you can. A Skrol for Gmail will also work on all iPads, Macs, Chromebooks, and WindowsPCs connected to your Apple, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, AOL, or Microsoft Exchange accounts.

Can I run the iPhone version of Skrol on iPad or Mac?

Not yet. We plan to release an iPad- and Mac-specific versions in 2024.

Pricing

How much does it cost?

The Skrol app for phones is free. It includes all of the functions demonstrated in the video and described in the comparison table, and there are no restrictions of any kind related to the app.

Why is an app as sophisticated as Skrol free?

No software company in the consumer market has become spectacularly successful with a paid app. We’ve developed a spectacular app to attain equally spectacular success and don’t know of any other formula to attain it.

Will Skrol stay free forever?

If history is any guide, the base version of Skrol will stay free “forever.”

Do you plan to advertise inside Skrol?

Not at this time because advertising negatively impacts the user experience. It may change in the future, though, because supporting a large number of free clients is an expensive proposition.

Will I have to pay for in-app purchases?

No, not with the free base version. In the future, we may offer specialized services for business clients that will be charged on a pay-per-use basis.

Skrol for Work

What is Skrol for Work?

Skrol for Work is an omniplatform Contact organizer for executives, professionals, business owners, or anyone else with a large number of personal and professional contacts. You can access all of the contact information maintained by Skrol on any device (desktop, tablet, smartphone, smart speaker, connected car apps) at any time and from anywhere because the Skrol app is based on the Google Contacts database. This database is connected to your Google account, Gmail, and Contacts apps on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. For more information about Skrol, please study this site.

How to install the Skrol extension for Work?

The Skrol extension [How to use] integrates the Skrol app with Gmail and Chrome-compatible browsers, such as Edge, Brave, Opera, and similar others.

To install the Skrol extension, visit the Chrome web store [link] and select the “Add to Chrome” button to add it to your browser.

If you have already added many extensions to your browser, it may not be visible in the extension section. In this case, follow these instructions for the Chrome browser:

  • Click the last extension icon (white jigsaw puzzle piece);
  • Skrol down the list until you see the Skrol extension icon;
  • Click the pin button on the right to make it visible and click the Esc to close the list;

Optionally, you may drag&drop the Skrol extension icon to a more prominent position because you may be using it a lot while updating your contacts’ information.

Can I use the Work version of Skrol with Apple Contacts or Outlook?

Yes, in the future.

Can I use Skrol in another language?

We designed Skrol with multilingual support in mind and plan to gradually add other languages, starting with the most widely used European languages, such as Spanish (538 million speakers), French (277 million), Portuguese (252 million), Russian (258 million) and German (131 million). Other languages will follow as soon as the resources allow.  If you are curious to know, English is spoken by 1.3 billion people. Among them, 370 million are native speakers.

Will your company’s development or support teams have access to my contacts?

We can’t access your contacts or any other Skrol-related information because this action requires your Google login credentials that we don’t have. We DO NOT STORE, SAVE, OR SCAN your information in any manner for the same reasons as above.

Why can’t I edit or view records in the Other contacts group?

Google API doesn't permit this operation.

Why can’t I perform a few actions in the US Congress demo group?

We’ve added the US Congress group to help you see how functional the Skrol app can be with a well-maintained and detailed contact list. We’ve used the same information in Skrol’s demonstration videos, except updated for 117th Congress.

Please note that the members of the US Congress do not provide their private email. The emails in the app “…@house.usa and …@senate.usa are fictitious. We added them only because apps like Skrol can’t be demonstrated well without email addresses.

To protect the members of the US Congress from unsolicited messages or spam, we’ve disabled the sending of emails and scheduling of events for this demonstration group.

You can still freely contact your senators and representatives by visiting their respective websites.

How to use the US Congress demo group inside the Skrol app?

Under the startup settings in the web app, we have the option “Show the US Congress demo group”. Please enable that option and it will add a group name “US Congress” under the “Recently viewed” group in the navigational panel on the left.

Can I use Skrol on iPad?

Yes, you can run Skrol inside a browser, just like on a PC or Mac, or install its Progressive Web App (PWA) version and run it similar to the native apps.

What apps are compatible with contact information inside Skrol for Work?

Google Contacts on all platforms (Chrome, iOS, macOS, Windows), Zoom, and all other apps that can access Google Contacts database. Please watch this video for more information regarding Skrol’s compatibility with other apps [link].

Company, development, & team

How long did it take you to develop Skrol?

We started this project in 2017, and it was originally intended for Gmail users. After completing the Skrol for Work version, we realized that the demand for a high-end personal organizer without a matching mobile phone version wouldn't be there. So we started developing Skrol for iPhone and Skrol for Android in June of 2021.

That said, developing an app of this scale for iPhone or Android without all of the prior expertise we've accumulated while developing the web version is impossible. Several companies have tried but failed spectacularly after investing tens of millions of dollars into these projects.

Where is your company located?

Our headquarters are in Northern New Jersey, USA. But our team has been 100% remote since the company's founding in 2017. It's been working great for us because we focus on recruiting associates who score high on integrity, empathy, motivation, and the ability to work hard without supervision.

It seems like your company is going places. How can I join Skrol in its journey?

Thank you. That’s what the plan is. Please send a brief cover note and a link to your LinkedIn profile to jobs@skrol.us.

In addition to a usual “domain expertise,” we are looking for the following qualities: empathy, curiosity, integrity, and a high capacity for self-directed hard work.

We’ve been working ‘remote’ from day one, well before COVID. It has been working well for us, and for now, we don’t plan to change.

May I know what new features are planned for the future?

This question is addressed in the write-up about Skrol’s team here [link]

What is the future of Skrol?

We hope it will be very bright, starting with you using and recommending Skrol to your family, friends, and co-workers. The more people will use, know, and love Skrol, the brighter its future will become.

Miscellaneous

How is the iPhone version synchronized with Google Contacts?

Apple automatically synchronizes the Google Contacts database with iPhone in both directions, and that's the information that Skrol on iPhone works with.

Is the information/SMS/calls updated between mobile and desktop apps or phones?

No, we don’t have access to that information on iPhone or Android phones.

What is the difference between mobile and Skrol for Work apps?

Although both apps use the same contact information, the differences are too numerous to describe here. Please review the respective sections of the site to learn more about both apps.

How does Skrol compare with other contact organizers?

Skrol compares with other widely available contact managers in the same way Excel or Google sheets may compare with a calculator app on your mobile phone. If you think we exaggerate, please watch the videos and review comparisons without other apps on the respective pages.

Don’t you overpromise by saying “on any device, at any time, and from anywhere!”

No, we don’t. You can run Skrol on any device, at any time, and from anywhere for as long as this device can connect to your Google account via the Internet. The Skrol for phones works even when the WiFi and cellular connections aren't available.

In an unlikely never-say-never case, the Skrol app will not run, you will be able to access all of the Skrol-related information via the Apple and Google Contacts apps for Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac.

What do you mean when you say “Contacts for life?”

All of your contact information related to Skrol is stored in the Google and Apple contacts databases, the same databases that are used by Google and Apple apps to manage contacts. Based on Google’s and Apple's business model and mission, it’s highly unlikely to think that they will ever abandon their contacts apps. That’s what we mean when saying “contacts for life.”

Here are the benefits of this arrangement:

  • Skrol app DOES NOT STORE any of your contact information. Thus, if you ever decide to use another app or in the unlikely event our company will abandon this app, all of the data that you’ve collected over the years will remain with you on Google and Apple servers;
  • Google and Apple perform incremental backups for each operation you do with the Contacts database. That means that you can unroll changes to any point between today and 100 days ago.
  • Google and Apple guard the privacy and security of your contacts.
  • Any app designed to work with the Google and Apple contacts databases will have access to all the information you have entered, so you'll never become the hostage of Skrol.

What is the difference between a contacts app on my phone and Skrol?

An app like Skrol facilitates a near-instant one-click email, text, chat, fax, or voice communication with one person, a group(s) of people, or any number of people and companies in your contact database.

Imagine yourself as a teacher. Out of the blue, you wake up with the flu and can’t make it to school. You also know that a substitute lecturer for your subject isn’t available.

No problem:

  • Select a group that contains the names of students from the corresponding class (One click/tap);
  • Select a personalized email template that contains all of the relevant information related to the canceled class (One click/tap);
  • Click/tap the “Send” button (One click/tap)*;
  • You are done In three clicks/taps in less than a minute!

You can apply a similar approach to just about anything less critical — sending invitations, sales promos, vacation announcements, meeting reminders, birthday greetings, blog post links, letters of introduction, job applications, and on and on and on.

All of that directly from your email account, without paying for hard-to-use and expensive email automation service, without maintaining duplicate contacts directories, and with just a few clicks/taps the moment you need it.

Can you do all that from a contacts app bundled with your smartphone, Windows or Mac? You can’t because these consumer-based apps aren’t intended for serious work.

All that stated, no contact apps can be called “professional-grade” without a well-organized “address book” behind it. In that sense, you’ll soon find that the one in Skrol is just as spectacular as its ability to contact people.

* For using personalized mail merge, you must enable SMTP settings inside the app.

What is the difference between Skrol and CRMs, such as Salesforce or HubSpot?

The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) apps are designed for sales management/marketing automation programs and services that track and prod “leads” into becoming “sales.”

Some of these systems are behind most of those annoying automated emails and phone calls that you may be getting early in the morning from robotized “salespeople” and spammy websites.

Please don’t take it the wrong way. A decent CRM in good hands is an essential l business tool, and it isn’t the fault of the tool that some people may abuse it. For all we know, you can “abuse” your contacts all the same with Skrol, and we hope you will not do it.

All that stated, Skrol is still not a full-blown CRM because it wasn’t designed or intended solely for sales and marketing automation tasks. If that’s what your company is after, consider using Salesforce, HubSpot, or other similar apps.

Are you affiliated with Google or Apple? Do they help you? Is it easy to work with them?

Skrol isn't affiliated with Google or Apple! No, Google and Apple didn't help us to develop Skrol. We rely on the same public information and technical support available to everyone else.

Yes, Google's and Apple's services for developers are exceptionally responsive. Their respective documentation is sometimes sketchy, so you have to dig deep to figure it out.

Who are your competitors? Are you afraid of them?

Besides Google, Apple, and Microsoft, too many to list. If we were afraid of competition, then we wouldn't have started this project in the first place. Because of their immense size, Google's, Apple's, and Microsoft's priorities, opportunities, and constraints are very different from a startup and much greater than the ones we are facing.

Additionally, the fear of competition isn't an emotion typical for "crazy" startup founders. We espouse the strategy and philosophy described in the Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant book [link].

Have we succeeded with this strategy? You’ll be the judge after using Skrol for a few weeks.

Do you have a version for corporate clients?

We can accommodate your needs if your company wants to deploy Skrol for more than 100 employees. We can help you implement a private connection to the in-house contacts database and enable proprietary login, centralized deployment, custom folders, and other features. Below 100 employees, consider using the version from the iPhone's App Store or Android's Play Store.

We want to integrate Skrol with our app/service. Is this possible, and how can I contact the developers?

Like us, you can access all contacts-related information inside Skrol using Apple’s (Contacts framework) and Google's (People API) development tools. If you need “deep links” to call the app from your apps, please let us know what method you need, and we’ll be happy to implement it if possible.

[Contact us].

Technical support

Do you provide technical support?

Yes, we do provide limited support via email and on the site.

I would like to ask a question that hasn’t been answered here, may I?

Please send your question(s) over to support@skrol.us.

Press & Media Inquiries

May I get a review copy of Skrol?

If you are an accredited technology journalist or a well-established influencer, please email your request to press@skrol.us. We will assist you with setting it up either with your contacts or a demo database you have seen in the videos. You must have a Gmail account to use Skrol for Work.

To “win friends and influence people,” start with a great app to first save them!


A well-managed address book full of reliable and trusted people is a must for living a successful life because when the going gets tough, the tough seek help from their network of friends, classmates, coworkers, clients, mentors, and advisers. The larger this network — the more help you’ll get, and, hopefully, the more help you’ll give back! In this respect, the size of your address book predicts your future better than any other factor!

We anticipate the release of the skrol for iphone on or around April,15 2022
We anticipate the release of the Skrol app for Android smarphones on or around May 1, 2022