Current Huawei smartphones will keep Google Play access

Following yesterday’s news that Huawei is being cut off from Google’s version of Android which includes access to the Google Play store and security patches, there was a lingering question of what would happen to Huawei devices which are currently on the market. Google has released a statement through its official @Android Twitter account, assuring current Huawei customers that they will not be losing access to Google Play and the security that’s offered from Google Play Protect which scans applications for malware.

For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.

— Android (@Android) May 20, 2019

That being said, there’s no indication as to what Huawei plans to do for its global Android devices going forward. The company does run its own app store for China and a few other markets, but Google’s official apps are only available through Google Play.

It’ll be interesting to see how the situation is handled at the launch of the Honor 20 Pro which will take place tomorrow.