We wanted to understand what Huawei is doing to protect you from harm when using these sites and the APKs they provide. Petal Search recommends APK files from sites like APKPure, APKMonk, AppParks, and Uptodown. This happens if you want Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, VSCO, Waze, Microsoft Teams, Fitbit’s app, Duolingo, and many other common, often-used apps. Why? Huawei’s Petal Search will lead you to APK repositories when you search for an app not available in the AppGallery. This puts anyone with a recent Huawei phone in a difficult position. On most Android phones, sideloading an app bypasses the protections offered by Google Play, and it’s possible an APK may have been modified to include malware prior to installation on your phone. OK - but is it safe?īecause of the way APK files are distributed and installed on a phone, there is a somewhat greater chance of the app being a security risk than when you use an official store. But this does not forgive copyright infringements or breaking the terms and conditions of the app contained in the APK file. Huawei lost access to the Google Play Store in 2019 and has since used its Petal Search app to push owners towards APK files to get the apps its own store is missing.īecause it’s simply a file format, there are no legal issues with downloading and installing APKs.

However, anyone who owns an Android phone can download and install apps using APK files, a practice often referred to as “sideloading.” These files are generally distributed through third-party repositories, although some companies also let you download official APK files directly. One of last year’s most luxurious smartwatches finally has Wear OS 3 These Android apps are spying on you - and there’s no easy way to stop them The Huawei Watch Ultimate looks like the perfect Apple Watch Ultra rival

Apk store app