Huawei can’t count on Android or Google apps anymore

The famous Chinese manufacturer got a major low blow when Google announced that they’d be cutting ties with them, according to Reuters. This information originated from the fact that Huawei is included in the blacklist of companies that cannot do business in the United States unless the government allows it. Yup, this means that Huawei can’t use Google apps and services, or the latest versions of the Android operating system.

[Update (05/21/2019)] The U.S. Department of Commerce is delaying Huawei’s government-imposed ban, which means that Google’s support, as well as the component distribution, will remain unchanged until then. The apparent reason is a truce that would give the company enough time to adapt to its new situation. However, reality seems to dictate something different: after the ban was announced, several semiconductor manufacturers such as Qualcomm suffered a drastic fall in the stock market. This truce could be one of the ways that Trump’s government is trying to minimize the impact that the ban could have in other companies like Intel or Microsoft.

American companies cut ties with Huawei

An executive order was signed on the 15th of May in which the United States declared a national emergency regarding foreign technological companies. Although Trump didn’t mention any specific companies, he did affirm that foreign companies are “exploit[ing] technological vulnerabilities in information and communication technologies” in the United States. A similar event happened a year ago with ZTE, which resulted in the end of a signed agreement between them and this North American country.

A couple of days have passed, but it is now when we can witness the order’s consequences.  Alphabet Inc., which owns Google, will stop doing business with Huawei. Good-bye Google Play Store, Gmail, Google maps and other Mountain View services and apps for Huawei smartphones. This also means that smartphones manufactured by the Chinese company won’t receive the new Android versions directly; they can only use the different versions of the open code operating system known as AOSP (Android Open Source Project). Google isn’t the only one that’s announced their decision. Other tech companies such as Intel Corp., Qualcomm Inc., and Broadcom Inc. won’t do business with Huawei either.

What if I already own a Huawei smartphone?

The decision reached by the United States’ government will mainly affect future Huawei devices due to the restrictions imposed on the hardware and software. But perhaps the main question still remains: what happens with the current Huawei smartphone and tablet users? Can they continue using Google apps and services? Will they continue to receive updates and security patches? It looks like they will. At least that’s what they’re saying over at the Android’s official Twitter account.

For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.

— Android (@Android) May 20, 2019

They affirm that they’ll comply with the US government’s requirements but that Google Play Protect and the Google Play Store will continue to work in the already existing Huawei devices. We assume that this includes the rest of the Google apps, although there’s no further news regarding the matter. We’re also unsure about what will happen to future upgrades of the operating system. Although Huawei uses EMUI, this OS is entirely dependent on Android. The only thing we can do is wait for the parties involved to announce further details. However, you shouldn’t panic if you currently own a Huawei device. As we previously mentioned, the AOSP versions will continue to be available and there are other alternatives to Google.

Google Play alternatives

A while ago, we made a little experiment in which we tried using an Android smartphone that wasn’t completely dependent on the Google services. Although the process was eye-opening, we proved that it is indeed possible to use your smartphones and tablets without the presence of the Big G. The users’ main question regarding Google’s restrictions on Huawei won’t be about the operating system, as much as their access to the app store.

In this long Reddit thread regarding today’s headline, you’ll notice that users are worried about losing access to the Google Play Store. The fear is quite justified because of the incredible ease that this marketplace brings to any Android user in their day to day lives. But, there are high-quality alternatives to Google Play such as APKPure or the Uptodown App Store, our official marketplace.

Using our official app lets you easily install apps, as well as automatically update them. This tool includes the safety seal that Virus Total and its more than 50 antiviruses provide. Plus, you can access the apps available on Google Play as well as a bunch of other legal apps that you can’t find there. Regardless of whether you have a Huawei or not, our app is compatible with all Android devices.