Surprise! Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT Can Run Android Apps

As Huawei prepares to launch its HarmonyOS NEXT operating system, which only runs native apps and has dropped support for Android, you might be surprised to learn that there’s a way to run Android apps on devices powered by HarmonyOS NEXT. Despite having no Android code, Huawei’s operating system uses the Harmony kernel, the Cangjie programming language, and the Pangu AI model.

The EasyAbroad Android Emulator

Recently, a beta tester posted on Reddit about an Android emulator found on the AppGallery, Huawei’s app storefront. The emulator, titled “EasyAbroad,” is designed for Huawei device users who work outside of China and need Google Mobile Services (GMS). The emulator allows users to install Android apps such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Google Search, Google Maps, Chrome, Gmail, Disney Plus, Netflix (in SD quality only), and more from the tool’s own app store.

• The app store appears as a folder on the smartphone’s home screen.
• You can’t pull out apps from the folder and place an app icon on the phone’s screen.
• There may be some issues receiving alerts and notifications normally sent to the user of these Android apps.

Using the EasyAbroad Android Emulator

The EasyAbroad Android emulator is available on the latest version of the HarmonyOS Next beta. A YouTube content creator tested the emulator and found that the Android apps loaded quickly and for the most part, ran smoothly using microG, a free and open-source implementation of proprietary Google libraries. This allows the tool to replace Google Play Services on Android and deliver important Google Play Services functionality to those without a Google account or a connection to Google’s servers.

Thanks to microG, the tool will not run any Android app that has been blacklisted. However, it’s worth noting that the emulator may not work with all Android apps, and some may experience issues or errors.

History of Huawei and Android

It was back in 2019 when Huawei was placed on the Entity List by the Trump administration that the company lost the ability to access its U.S. supply chain. This included Google, which prevented Huawei from using the Google Mobile Services version of Android. As a result, Huawei developed HarmonyOS, a new operating system that allows the company to run native apps and continue to innovate without relying on Android.