Google has recently published a support article on the Android Help Community to explain the current situation between the company and Huawei. Subsequently, it also warned users against sideloading of Google apps on Huawei smartphones.
The article started off by diving into the point on why Huawei smartphones released after May 16, 2019 are no longer pre-loaded with licensed Google apps and services.
A short summary is because on May 19, 2019, Huawei was placed into the “Entity List” by the U.S. Commerce department. As a result of that, U.S. companies will be prohibited from collaborating with Huawei, including Google itself.
This means that Google is prohibited from working with Huawei on new device models or providing Google’s apps including Gmail, Maps, YouTube, the Play Store and others for preload or download on these devices.
However, courtesy of the temporary general license which was issued to Huawei by the U.S. Commerce Department, it had allowed Google to continue rolling out security updates and patches to Huawei smartphones that were released on, or before May 19th, 2019.
We have continued to work with Huawei, in compliance with government regulations, to provide security updates and updates to Google’s apps and services on existing devices, and we will continue to do so as long as it is permitted.
Due to the ban, devices which were released after May 19th, 2019 will not be pre-loaded with licensed Google apps and services. For this batch of smartphones, Google had warned it’s users against “sideloading” of Google apps like YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps.
Firstly, these devices did not go through a “rigorous security review and compatibility testing process, performed by Google, to ensure user data and app information are kept safe”. Hence, they are not Play Protect certified.
Secondly, these devices are also not loaded with Google Play Protect software, which provides protection against the device being compromised.
Therefore, sideloading “carries a high risk of installing an app that has been altered or tampered with in ways that can compromise user security,” according to Google.
Moreover, Google also said that the sideloaded apps will not be able to work reliably since the apps are not designated to work on “uncertified” handsets.
Source: Google
Featured Image: Huawei Press Center
