Google apps and services won’t be coming back to Huawei devices any time soon — and based on a new post published by Google on its Android support forums, it may be difficult to side-load or transfer Google apps onto Huawei devices, too.
The new post details how, because of government restrictions, Google has been prohibited from working with Huawei on new phones — and as such, you shouldn’t expect to see apps like Gmail, YouTube, or the Google Play Store on Huawei phones any time soon.
When it comes to the issue of side-loading, while some users may find a way to transfer apps onto Huawei phones, Google recommends they don’t. Why? Well, according to Google, there’s a “high risk of installing an app that has been altered or tampered with in ways that can compromise user security.”
Before Google allows apps and services to be installed on a phone, the phone has to be “certified,” which includes a rigorous security review. Huawei phones have not had to go through this security review, and as such Google can’t guarantee the security of user data on those devices.
“Because of the government restrictions described above, new Huawei device models made available to the public after May 16, 2019, have not been able to go through this security process nor will they have Play Protect preloaded,” Google said in a blog post. “As a result, they are considered ‘uncertified,’ and will not be able to utilize Google’s apps and services.”
There has been some leeway in government restrictions. Notably, the U.S. government granted a temporary general license that allowed Google to work with Huawei on some security updates for existing phones.
Generally speaking, there seems to be no end in sight for the government restrictions on Google’s work with Huawei — and Huawei is even developing its own operating system that could replace Android on its phones. The operating system is currently called Hongmeng, but it may end up being called Ark OS, according to some reports.
Huawei has also been restricted from supplying 5G equipment to U.S. telecommunications companies, however, the U.K. recently announced that it would allow companies to work with Huawei.
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