HUAWEI AppGallery usage is gaining ground and year-end promotions
Huawei has seen its app store grow considerably since the American ban, and users are also increasingly finding the application store. This way you can not only use the AppGallery on Huawei devices!
AppGallery in 2020
The Google Play Store has also taken some time to become a fully-fledged application store and it also seems to be no different for Huawei’s AppGallery. Launched internationally in 2018, the store has been in existence for two years and the AppGallery can be used in 170 countries. Every month, Huawei has about 5 million new users in the European Union on top of the existing 26 million active users. Worldwide the AppGallery manages to reach about 400 million users.
You will also find more and more apps of Dutch origin such as Thuisbezorgd, 9292, Staatsloterij and Basic Fit. The DroidApp App can also be found in the AppGallery. Every year 221 billion downloads are made from the AppGallery, of which 1.2 billion from the EU. About 55,000 applications are already using Huawei’s proprietary “HMS Core” APIs to provide applications with better functionality and experience.
Interview
Of course we want to know more about the HUAWEI AppGallery. This is why we spoke with Pim Geldens, AppGallery expert at Huawei.
Are there any improvements or novelties on the way for users of the AppGallery?
At Huawei, we are constantly expanding the AppGallery. In 2021 our consumers will be able to find even more of their favorite apps in the AppGallery. There is also a dedicated team to further optimize the AppGallery. There are so many updates and novelties, I can hardly keep up with it myself! In addition, Petal Maps and HUAWEI Docs have recently been rolled out, which make the user experience of our HMS devices even better and ensure that consumers do not miss any important functionalities.
Can developers expect new features to expand their apps?
The different kits that we make available to develop apps make it interesting for developers to work with us. Since the AppGallery is still seen by many as the new kid on the block, we invest a lot in projects to show developers that the AppGallery is indeed worthwhile. For example, we organized the AppsUp competition earlier this year, with which we give developers an extra boost to develop apps with our kits. We also reward them for their hard work and interesting contributions. The different (money) prices, but also other support that developers can receive while building their apps, have contributed to the fact that the number of HMS apps has doubled since last September.
Where does the AppGallery hope to be by the end of 2021?
We invest heavily in HMS optimization of all apps that are important to our users. For example, we have researched the most popular apps and most of them have been available in our AppGallery for a long time, such as Thuisbezorgd, 9292, TomTom GO and Tinder in the Netherlands. We already see the HUAWEI AppGallery as a worthy alternative, but by the end of 2021 we hope that the average Dutch person will see it that way, especially if we have even more local and internationally relevant apps in 2021. In addition, with the aforementioned AppsUp competition, but also, for example, our App Awards and many other projects, we want to make the HUAWEI AppGallery as interesting as possible for developers. And luckily that works!
Which developers and apps would you like to attract to the Huawei platform?
Many well-known apps are already available in the AppGallery, from Thuisbezorgd to Tinder and more. The apps that cannot yet be downloaded in the AppGallery, users can almost always find via Petal Search, our own search engine. We are, however, working hard to make the banking apps HMS-optimal as well. Fortunately, these talks are already ongoing and we expect to be able to share good news in 2021.
Is there the ambition to further promote the AppGallery for non-Huawei devices, as an alternative to the Google Play Store.
At the moment, the HUAWEI AppGallery is part of our entire ecosystem and above all we want to give consumers the confidence that they can use Huawei phones properly. We constantly receive compliments about our hardware, but for many it is not yet clear how much we invest in our software. The goal is to ultimately be seen as a fully-fledged third option that should be taken seriously, not just an alternative because there is no other way.
Holidays at Huawei
At Huawei you can also find end-of-year promotions in the app store, so you will find discounts on all kinds of applications in the near future. With your first purchase in AppGallery you will receive a temporary 20 euro exclusive discount and access to services such as;
● TomTom GO Navigation: six months of free access
● HUAWEI Music: 6 months of free access
● Deezer: three months of free access
● HUAWEI Video: Three months of free access
● AliExpress: a five euro voucher
● 50GB HUAWEI Mobile Cloud Storage: Free for 12 months
How do I install the AppGallery?
Installing the HUAWEI AppGallery is very easy if you don’t have a Huawei device. Because even without a Huawei smartphone or tablet, you can easily download your apps from the AppGallery.
- Go to Huawei’s AppGallery page.
- Tap the red “Download now” button.
- An APK file will be downloaded. If you have never done this before, you will receive a warning that you are going to install an application from an untrusted source. Give your browser permission to install this download.
- You can then install the AppGallery.
- Ready? Now you can start the AppGallery and get started!
When you install an application in AppGallery for the first time, you may need to grant permission to install apps from an untrusted source, just like with your browser. You only have to do this once.
