Deprived of Google applications and services on its devices for several years, Huawei is constantly looking for ways to get around this limitation. After offering alternatives such as sandboxes or web apps, the Chinese brand is now banking on the Aurora Store. This application store created by independent developers allows you to download the same applications as the Play Store, directly from Google's servers.
Huawei pushes the Aurora Store to install Google applications
Faced with the ban on using Google services on its smartphones, Huawei has long had to deal with more or less practical solutions to be able to use Google apps. The most recent is the Aurora Store, which we have already been able to test on the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. The application allows users of Huawei smartphones and tablets to directly download around 98% of the applications from the Play Store. Indeed, applications using Google SafetyNet (a set of security APIs for Android that allows applications to verify the integrity of a device and prevent fraud or threats) will not be available on the Aurora Store. This is the case for Pokémon Go or ChatGPT, for example, Jaime Gonzalo, vice president of Huawei's consumer mobile services in Europe, told us at MWC 2025.
Unlike previous methods, which often involved installing equivalent applications from Huawei (Petal Maps, Petal Search, etc.) or accessing Google services via a web browser, Huawei is trying to simplify the experience as much as possible. So, when you go to Huawei’s App Gallery and search for a Google app (YouTube, Maps, etc.) the Aurora Store will come up first in the search results. However, to work properly, the store requires the installation of MicroG, an open source alternative to Google Play Services, which is requested right after installing the Aurora Store.
You then just have to log in to your Google account and download the apps from the Aurora Store, whose interface looks exactly like the Play Store. The apps in question come directly from Google's servers, but Huawei has still decided to run them through a quick antivirus scan to provide an additional layer of security.
Although relatively simple, the installation still requires several steps, which could discourage some users who are less comfortable with this type of manipulation. But by offering this alternative, Huawei is above all trying to fill a significant gap for its users, without violating the restrictions imposed by the United States. While this solution does not completely replace the classic Android experience, it nevertheless represents a notable step forward for Huawei smartphone owners who want to find their Google applications in the least painful way possible. As for a possible pre-installation of the Aurora Store on its EMUI interface, Huawei does not seem ready to take the plunge yet.
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