Google warns Huawei users about sideloading apps like Gmail and YouTube

Google, on Friday evening, uploaded a support article addressing its current situation with Huawei and how it's affecting its users. The US government banned companies in its country from conducting business with the Chinese tech company, which means Google's services and apps aren't available in Huawei's newer models. 

While Google tries to steer clear of talking about whether Huawei poses a threat to US national security, it talks about how it works with Huawei while complying with government regulations to protect its existing users. Tristan Ostrowski, legal director for Android and Google Play, wrote: "Our focus has been protecting the security of Google users on the millions of existing Huawei devices around the world. 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."

The devices Google can update are Huawei products released on or before May 16, 2019. At least, they can do so now. But those devices that came after that date are considered "uncertified" since these haven't been through Google's "rigorous" security checks, nor did these products have Google Play Protect preinstalled, which helps detect if your hardware has been compromised.

And so Google warns users of these Huawei products not to sideload its apps onto these uncertified smartphones because the company can't guarantee if what you get will be free of malware. 

Ostrowski wrote, "Sideloaded Google apps will not work reliably because we do not allow these services to run on uncertified devices where security may be compromised. Sideloading Google's apps also carries a high risk of installing an app that has been altered or tampered with in ways that can compromise user security."

You can check if your device is certified under Google Play Protect by going to the Google Play Store on your phone, tap on Menu, and then head to Settings. You'll see there if your device is certified under Play Protect certification.

Source: The Verge