Google asks US for license to let Huawei use its services

In brief: It’s not just Huawei that wants Google’s apps and services back on its latest devices; the search giant has the same goal, and it’s asking the US government for a license to deal with the Chinese giant once again.

After Huawei was added to an entity list last May that prevented it from doing business with US companies without a license, the firm was unable to use Google Mobile Services (GMS), such as the Play Store, Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, on its latest phones and tablets.

According to German wire service Deutsche Press Agentu, Vice President of Android and Google Play Sameer Samat confirmed that Google has applied to the US government for a license to resume working with Huawei.

Only two Huawei devices have launched without GMS: The Mate 30 series and Mate XS foldable, neither of which are available in the US. The company said if Google is granted a license, its newest phones would be updated with Google’s suite of apps and services.

While the US government continues to battle against Huawei—the US Department of Justice recently charged it with conspiracy to steal trade secrets—it did grant Microsoft a similar license late last year, allowing Windows 10 to ship on Huawei’s latest laptops, including the MateBook 13 and updated Matebook X Pro. As such, Google will likely be feeling optimistic about its chances.

Google recently warned users of new Huawei devices not to sideload its apps, explaining that doing so brought a high risk of installing an app that had been tampered with in ways that could compromise security.

Huawei has developed its own alternative to the Play Store called the AppGallery, but it lacks some of the world’s most popular apps, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Uber, Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify.

Earlier this month, Huawei told the US to look at its own history of spying on phone networks before accusing it of doing the same thing.