Harmony OS Next doesn’t natively support Android apps, but that hasn’t stop

[phillynews215]

• A new tool has been released that lets Huawei devices running Harmony OS Next launch Android apps like Chrome, Gmail, Spotify, and more.
• This is notable because Harmony OS Next doesn’t natively support running Android apps.
• While there are several limitations, Android apps seem to run pretty well regardless.

When the “HUAWEI ban” was enacted in 2019, the company lost access to Google Mobile Services for its Android phones and tablets, forcing it to develop its own homegrown alternatives to Google’s apps and frameworks. Developing an entirely new operating system takes a lot of time, though, which is why the original version of Harmony OS, HUAWEI’s homegrown operating system, was based on Android. That’s meant that HUAWEI devices running Harmony OS can run Android apps, though that’s set to change next year with the release of Harmony OS Next.

HUAWEI positions Harmony OS Next as a genuine Android alternative for its phones and tablets. Unlike the previous version of Harmony OS, Harmony OS Next doesn’t natively support installing or running Android apps. To compensate for this, Next ships with basic applications every smartphone should have such as a calculator, a maps app, and a gallery, but HUAWEI is also working with developers in China to port 4,000 of the 5,000 most popular apps in the country to the platform.




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