How-Tos

Here’s another way to install Google Play Store on your Huawei smartphone

Here’s a new way to install the Google Play Store and its apps on your Huawei smartphone. I have tried this on the Huawei P40.

Update 07/31/20: As of July 31, 2020, this method still works. I have tried it again on my Huawei P40 running on EMUI 10.1.0.141.

I used the method originally posted here (if you want to check it out, use Google Translate because its in Portuguese). It was based on this YouTube video. According to the original post, this is compatible with the Huawei P40 Pro, Mate 30 Pro, Mate Xs, and P40 Lite.

Moreover, you won’t be getting the notifications errors once the whole process is complete.

You might also like: Huawei P40 review: Small and outstanding

Before we start, a word of caution. This is not an easy process. It does require some technical know-how. Potential issues might still occur, it might not work on the first try (meaning you might need to do it more than once), and it might not work on all devices. Plus, there is the very real threat of security. Do this at your own risk.

You have been warned. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

What you need

  • USB flash drive
  • OTG adapter
  • The install files which you can download here.

Install Google Play Store on your Huawei phone

  1. Download the file and unzip its contents. Transfer the files to the root directory of the USB flash drive.
  2. Connect the flash drive to your smartphone via the OTG cable. Copy the APK folder from inside the unzipped folder (GMS Android geek folder) you got from step one to your smartphone.
  3. Go to Settings> System & Update> Backup & restore> Data backup> External storage> USB storage. Under Restore from backup is the restore file. Tap it and make sure only Apps and data is selected. Tap Restore. Password is androidgeek.pt2 (05/02/20: You can opt to disregard Icebox from the Apps and data selection)
Huawei Google Play Store
  1. After restoring, you will have two new apps — Icebox and LZPlay. Icebox was used to freeze a service. While LZPlay (G icon with Chinese name) was a previous method used to install GMS on Huawei devices.
  2. Open the LZPlay app and approve all requested permissions.
Huawei Google Play Store
  1. Close all applications.
  2. Open the LZPlay app again, and run the process. And then leave it running in the background.
  3. Open your phone’s file manager and go to the APK folder (from step 2). Install the first 6 APK files (in order of how they are numbered).
  4. Close all applications.
  5. Go to Settings> Users & accounts and add your Google account. Tap Next if there’s a minor error message. It will proceed to an in-browser log-in. Proceed with adding your account. If you want to add more than one Google account, now is the time to do it. You won’t be able to add anymore once we are done with the whole process.
  6. Close all applications.
  7. Go to your phones file manager and install the APK number 7. At this point, you will start getting the Play Services errors. Ignore them for now.
  8. Open the Play Store and install the Device ID app.
  9. Run Device ID and give it the necessary permissions.
  10. Go to Settings> Apps> Apps, then tap the three dots, and then tap Show system processes.
  11. Look for Google Play Services and tap force stop until it stops running. Uninstall Google Play Services.
  12. Go to your phone’s file manager and install APK number 8.
  13. Open the Device ID app to confirm if you have the Google Service Framework number.
  14. Go to Settings> Apps> Apps> Show system processes. Look for the Google Services Framework and clear cache and data.
  15. Go to the Device ID app. The Google Service Framework number should have disappeared.
  16. Open the Google Play Store, then close all applications. The Play Store should give you an error similar to the image below. If there is no error, go to Settings> Apps> Apps> and force close the Google Play Store. If that doesn’t work, go back to step 19 (another option is to clear cache and data, and then uninstall and then re-install the Google Services Framework).
Huawei Google Play Store
  1. Restart your device.
  2. Wait a few minutes and then open the Google Play Store. It should load properly. If you encounter the error again. Keep tapping Retry. If you’re still getting the error, go to Settings> Apps> Apps> and then force close the Play Store. Wait a few minutes and then open again. If it still fails, force close and then clear cache and data of the Play Store. It should eventually load as normal.
  3. If the Play Store loads properly, go to Settings> Apps> Apps> Show system processes. Uninstall Google Play Services.
  4. Go to your phone’s file manager and install APK number 9. You can test the Play Store at this point.
  5. Restart your phone.

And that should do it. You can then install the other Google apps such as YouTube, Chrome, and Gmail from the Play Store.

You can also uninstall the LZPlay and Icebox apps at this point. Don’t forget to revoke/deactivate it in the Device Administrator before you do this.

If you are still getting the notification errors, there must have been an error somewhere in the process. In this case, uninstall all Google apps and APKs and start again from step 8.

Update 07/31/20: If the notification errors persist, then there must have been an error somewhere in the process. You can try this method to fix it. I have personally tried this and it worked on the Huawei P40.

  1. First, go to Settings> Apps> Apps> Show system processes. Look for Google Services Framework and Google Play Services. Clear data and cache, then uninstall both items.
  2. Next, go to your phone’s file manager, go to the APK folder, and then install APK number 3. You can use Device ID to check if the Google Services Framework number is there.
  3. Go to Settings> Apps> Apps> and uninstall Google Services Framework (do not clear data and cache). Install APK number 7.
  4. Go to Settings> Apps> Apps> and uninstall Google Services Framework (do not clear data and cache). Install APK number 8.
  5. Go to step 18 in the process above and proceed from there.

Good luck.

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

66 Comments

  1. henrik arjen Trul Reply

    my mate 30 pro wont recognize the update/ i can see the storage device and copy from and to it but it wont see the backup…

  2. Micah Stauffer Reply

    Does Google Pay work? I noticed that people were getting error messages about not being certified. Google Pay at least “acts” very secure, and it doesn’t seem like it would work.

    Some tutorials were saying to go to google.com/android/uncertified to register the new device. Is this correct?

    I assume this method works on the Mate 30 Pro.

  3. When i try to login in my my google acc there is an error message that there are comunication problem with the google servers try again later

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