Google Warns New Huawei Phone Owners Against Sideloading Gmail And YouTube

Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOG owned Google warned on Friday that sideloaded Google apps such as Gmail or YouTube will not work reliably on new Huawei phones and may pose security threats.

What Happened

Google noted that the U.S. government had put Huawei on its Entity List, and it has prohibited U.S. companies from “collaborating” with Huawei.

Apps from Google, such as YouTube, Gmail, Maps and Play Store etc., will not be available for preload or download on Huawei devices manufactured after May 16, 2019, according to the company. It also advised against sideloading apps, citing security concerns.

Sideloading refers to installing apps on Google’s Android phones without using the official Google Play app store.

The U.S. tech giant said that they have been working with Huawei on security-related matters for existing devices, but U.S. law only allows Google to work with Huawei on devices made available before May 16, 2019.

Why It Matters

The company’s “Play Protect” malware protection service won’t be available for owners of new Huawei devices, either making sideloading a security threat. 

According to Statista, Huawei global smartphone shipments in 2019 stood at 240.6 million units, and the company held 17.6% of the world’s smartphone shipments. 

Price Action

Alphabet class A shares traded 0.60% higher at $1,484.06 on Friday in the after-hours session. The shares had closed the regular session 2.21% lower at $1,483.46.

The company’s class C shares traded 0.041% higher at $1,485.72 in the after-hours session. The shares had closed the regular session 2.18% lower at $1,485.11.

Posted In: NewsGlobalMarketsTechGeneralAlphabetGoogleHuawei
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Loading...