Google Warns Huawei Owners against 'Sideloading' Its Apps
In the News
Recent Huawei devices cannot download the Google Play app store or hugely popular apps such as Gmail, YouTube, or Google Maps.
Android phones allow users to install apps from unverified sources, however.
But now, Google has warned this "sideloading" - manually installing app files found online - is " high risk ", as the files may have been tampered with.
CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood said Google was right to warn people the practice was "risky".
"Unless you are 100% certain about the integrity of the app, it is not a risk worth taking," he said.
What did Google say about it apps?
The restrictions on Google apps date back to May 2019, when the US government placed Huawei on a trading restrictions database called the "entity list".
That restricts what kind of deals US businesses - such as Google - can do with the company.
And because Google owns the Android phone operating system, that decision has affected Huawei's Android phones.
Google said it was now releasing official advice because "we have continued to receive a number of questions about new Huawei devices".
Join for free to get genuine deals, money saving advice and help from our friendly community
Chief Bargain Hunter