I can feel your pain, considering you are here because you’re unable to run Google Apps and services on your Huawei phone. China has stringent policies regarding data sharing, which is why Google Apps and services are banned in China. Significant social networking apps like Facebook, X formerly Twitter, and Instagram are also blocked in China. Some people use them anyway. Well, coming back to the point. If your phone is from China or you are in China. You will probably be unable to access the Google Play Store and services because of censorship. Additionally, you won’t be able to use any social media apps. You can use this guide to install Core GMS packages on Huawei Chinese phones, run Google Apps, and install the Google Play Store.
The problem with Chinese smartphones is that they don’t work even if you leave the country. If you have a smartphone from China or bought a Chinese phone, like a Huawei or Xiaomi phone, someone got you one. In most cases, the firmware is designed so that the phone doesn’t run any Google Services or Apps. Google apps are dependent on each other. Many apps won’t run without Google Play Services, and Google Play Services won’t run without the Google Play Store.
Install Core GMS Package on Chinese Phones to Run Google Apps:
Internet censorship has proven to be a significant issue for internet consumers. I have dealt with many people who cannot run Google apps on their phones or don’t have the Google Play Store. Usually, even if you install the Google Play Store and services APK from the web on your phone, it won’t work. The reason is that the Chinese firmware is designed to prevent Google services and apps from functioning.
Several solutions exist for installing the Google Apps and Play Store on Chinese apps. Some devices work for a few months, but after a new firmware update is released, they stop working. However, Google apps and the Play Store are running fine on the Huawei P30 with the July 2020 update of EMUI.
Even if you somehow get the Google Apps. From time to time, you will come across different issues. For instance, if you have successfully installed the Google Play Store on your Huawei Chinese phone, opening the app store will prompt an error message: “Install core GMS packages to use Google Play Store.” Other apps will require Google Play services to work. Even apps like Snapchat need Google Play services to work on your Android phone.
Prerequisites:
Since you are here to install Core GMS Packages on a Huawei phone, I presume you already have installed the Google Play Store and Google Play Services on your phone. These are prerequisites.
- Suppose you don’t have the Google Play Store on your phone. Then, you can see this detailed guide on installing the Google Play Store on Chinese phones.
- You will need this guide to identify and install the correct Google Play Services.
Once you have Google Play Store and Google Play services on your phone, for them to work, you will have to install core GMS packages on a Huawei Chinese phone:
Installing the Core GMS (Google Mobile Services) packages on a Huawei phone is not an official process as it violates Huawei’s agreement with Google. However, some users may still want to install these packages to access Google apps and services on their Huawei devices. Here are the steps to install the Core GMS packages on a Huawei phone:
- Download the GMS packages for Huawei phones from here. You can find these packages online through various websites. Make sure to download the latest version and check its authenticity to avoid installing malware or harmful files.
- After downloading the Google Installer, you need to make some settings changes to complete the installation.
- You have to go to Settings -> Security & Privacy.
- Then, enable”Download Apps from Unknown Sources.”
- Disable “Check Apps from External Sources.” This option is only present in EMUI 9 and EMUI 10. It is okay if you can’t find this option in your settings menu. Proceed further.
- Now unzip it and install it on your phone.
- Restart your phone: After the installation, restart your phone to apply the changes.
- Check for Google apps: You should now see Google apps and services on your Huawei phone. If you still can’t see them, try clearing the cache and data of the Google Play Store app or installing the Google Services Framework.
- Once installed, it might ask you to update your Google Play Store. Or your phone will do that automatically. Let it install the updates for Google Phones. If you live in China, you will need a VPN to update your Google Apps even after you install core GMS packages on a Huawei phone. You will receive some warnings while using apps like YouTube and Snapchat. You should regularly update your Google Play Store and Services. Read about how to use VPN and update Google apps from this guide.
Note: Installing the Core GMS packages on a Huawei phone is not an official process and may void your warranty or cause other issues. Additionally, these packages may not work optimally on Huawei devices and may not receive updates or support from Google. Proceed at your own risk.
I hope this guide helped you install core GMS Packages on your Chinese Huawei phone. However, suppose you are still having issues. Then, you can review the updates below, which are updated regularly whenever a new update is released.
Other updates that might help you install core GMS packages on Huawei Chinese phones: (As we discover new methods, we will add them to this list.)
Update: 01.04.2024: Although Huawei smartphones running on HarmonyOS support Google Apps, if your Huawei Phone is from China and has HarmonyOS, it won’t. You can use this guide to install Google Apps and GMS using Googlefier.
Update: 16.01.2024: You can now run Google Apps on Huawei Phones, such as the P60, running on EMUI 13.1 via MicroG. You can use this guide to install Google services and apps on your Huawei devices.
Update: 15.02.2021: An app called Gspace; you can find it on the Huawei App Gallery. Now, you can download and install Google Apps and the Play Store on Huawei Phones. This guide works on each Huawei Device.
Update: 28.10.2020: Now, you can install a virtual environment on your Android phone to install Google Apps and the Play Store. You can find the step-by-step guide on how to do it here.
Update 31.10.2020: The Huawei P40 Pro is shipped without Google apps or Google Play services. Even apps that depend on Google Services, such as the Maps API and location services, rely on these services. You can use this guide to install GMS on Huawei P40 Pro. It will allow you to use Google Apps on P40 Pro or P40 Lite.
Update 09.10.2019: If you are running Huawei’s latest operating system, EMUI 10, you will have to install Google Installer version 3. That works on Huawei P30, P30 Pro, Mate 30, and Honor 9X. You can use this guide to install them on your Huawei Phone running EMUI 10.
Update: 02.10.2019: A new version of the GMS installer has been released and is said to work on Chinese devices running on EMUI 9. You can use this guide to install the Google Play Store on your phone.
Update 11.02.2019: If you are using new Huawei phone models, such as the Honor 10 and Honor 8X, you will have to install GMSanzhuangqi. The process is the same as above; install the APK from here.
Hopefully, the guide above or any of the methods helped you install Google Play Store and Google Apps on your Chinese Huawei phone.
Furthermore, you can use most of the Google Apps on your phone. There might be some limitations, but you can use the Google Play Store and download any app you want from the app store.
That is all. Once you finish the above process, you can run the Google Play Store, Play Services, and apps on your Huawei phone. If you have any questions or queries regarding how to install core GMS Packages on Huawei, Xiaomi, or any other Chinese phone, feel free to ask me in the comments. You can also contact me on Facebook.
