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Harmony OS Next Doesn't Natively Support Android Apps, But That Hasn't Stopped Some People
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
When the "HUAWEI ban" was enacted in 2019, the company lost access to Google Mobile Services for its Android phones and tablets, forcing it to develop its own homegrown alternatives to Google's apps and frameworks. Developing an entirely new operating system takes a lot of time, though, which is why the original version of Harmony OS, HUAWEI's homegrown operating system, was based on Android. That's meant that HUAWEI devices running Harmony OS can run Android apps, though that's set to change next year with the release of Harmony OS Next.
HUAWEI positions Harmony OS Next as a genuine Android alternative for its phones and tablets. Unlike the previous version of Harmony OS, Harmony OS Next doesn't natively support installing or running Android apps. To compensate for this, Next ships with basic applications every smartphone should have such as a calculator, a maps app, and a gallery, but HUAWEI is also working with developers in China to port 4,000 of the 5,000 most popular apps in the country to the platform.
Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
Still, many alternatives to Android have failed before because they struggled to get app developers to support the platform. While HUAWEI will likely find success in convincing developers in its home market of China to support Harmony OS Next, it may struggle to persuade overseas developers to follow suit. Instead of waiting for international devs to port their apps to Harmony OS Next, though, beta testers have discovered a new tool that lets them run many of their favorite Android apps right now.
The tool is called εΊε’ζ, which roughly translates to "Easy Abroad." It's apparently designed to aid Chinese tourists who travel abroad. The tool seems to create a container for Android apps to run in, which is not a new concept but is surprising to see pop up so quickly for the new operating system. When installed, the tool lets you install a number of Android apps from its self-contained app store, including Facebook, Instagram, Discord, Reddit, YouTube, Google Search, Google Maps, Uber, Chrome, Gmail, Spotify, Disney Plus, Netflix, Steam, and more. These Android apps show up in a folder in the home screen but they cannot be dragged out of the folder. You can see what this looks like thanks to these screenshots courtesy of Reddit user Active-Recover-4013:
An early hands-on of the tool from YouTuber LL Techview shows that it works surprisingly well. Android apps launch quickly, run pretty smoothly, and even appear in the recents menu. It's even possible to sign into your Google Account to use apps like Google Search and Gmail.
Of course, there are a few limitations with the tool, as noted by X user Living In Harmony. First of all, it's highly unlikely that this containerized version of Android 12 will pass Play Integrity checks, especially once the new Play Integrity upgrades roll out next year. That means many Android apps will refuse to run entirely. Second, the container appears to use microG instead of Google Play Services, which means certain features won't be supported. Third, only whitelisted Android apps can be installed, according to early adopters. Fourth, notifications for many apps only appear when they're open. Fifth, apps like Netflix won't stream videos above SD quality as the build lacks Widevine L1 DRM support. Finally, Android apps in the container don't have access to files or photos from Harmony OS Next, though it is apparently possible to share files to the Android container.
Apart from the third and sixth limitations, everything else also applies when sideloading Android apps on HUAWEI devices running an Android-based Harmony OS build. But while these limitations are mostly nothing new for HUAWEI users, it remains to be seen whether this tool will continue working as well as it does right now when the stable version of Harmony OS Next is released next year.
If you have a HUAWEI device running the Harmony OS Next beta, give the "Easy Aboard" app a shot and let us know how well it works for you!
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CommentsHow To Sideload Android Apps Using WSA On Windows 11
Although Windows Subsystem for Android allows Windows 11 users to install Android apps on their Windows computer, you can sideload apps as well. If the desired app is not available on the Amazon Appstore, you can sideload Android apps using WSA on Windows 11 with the help of this step-by-step guide.
It is quite straightforward to install Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11 when you are from the USA. However, if you do not live in the USA, you will get some issues installing apps from Amazon Appstore even if you use the manual method to install Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. It is not possible to install any app from Amazon Appstore without a US-based Amazon account. If you do not have one, you can sideload Android apps without any issues.
Before getting started, you must know that Google apps won't work using this method. As those apps require additional libraries, you cannot sideload any Google app using this particular way. Other than that, some online movie and web series streaming apps, such as Netflix, etc., also don't work by sideloading.
To sideload Android apps using WSA on Windows 11, follow these steps:
To learn more about these steps, continue reading.
1] Download APK file It is the first step you need to follow. You must have the APK file on the Android app you want to install or sideload using WSA. There are several websites from where you can download the app's APK file to your computer. For example, apkpure.Com, apkmirror.Com, etc., are some of the best websites in the market. However, do not download any pirated version of any paid application. You may end up getting some issues by doing so. Related: How to SideLoad apps on Windows 11 by enabling Developer Mode. 2] Download SDK Platform Tools As per the official statement, Android SDK-Platform Tools is the component for the Android SDK. In this case, you need to download the Platform Tools to run the ADB command, which is necessary to sideload apps on Windows 11 using Windows Subsystem for Android. Therefore, you can visit the developer.Android.Com website and click the Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows link.
Following that, accept their terms and conditions and start downloading the Platform Tools on your computer. Once done, extract the compressed file and place the platform-tools folder somewhere safe. 3] Enable Developer mode in WSA 
It is one of the essential steps in this process. Without enabling the Developer mode, you cannot sideload apps on Windows 11. To enable the Developer mode in the WSA, follow these steps: Open Windows Subsystem for Android app on your PC. Find out the Developer mode option. Toggle the corresponding button to turn it on. However, if it is already enabled, you can skip this step. 4] Copy IP address 
Whenever you open Windows Subsystem for Android app on your computer, it displays an IP address for further connection. You need to copy this IP address to your clipboard. For that, do the following: Open Windows Subsystem for Android app on your computer. Find out the IP address option. Click the Copy button. However, if you cannot find the IP address and instead it shows an Unavailable message, you need to click the Files option and click the Refresh button. Then, you can find the IP address under the IP address label. Once done, you can click the Copy button. 5] Open Windows Terminal in platform-tools folder You need to open Windows Terminal in the platform-tools folder and ensure that the Command Prompt instance is opened. For that, double-click on the platform-tools folder that you extracted in the second step of this tutorial. After opening, right-click on empty space, and select the Open in Windows Terminal option. 
If it opens Windows PowerShell, you can click the arrow icon in the Title bar and select the Command Prompt option. Next, you need to navigate to the platform-tools folder only if it is not done yet. For that, you can use the following command: cd [platform-tools-folder-path] 6] Connect to the IP and install app Now, you need to connect to the IP from the host computer. For that, enter the following command: adb connect [IP] Don't forget to replace the [IP] with the original IP address you copied earlier from the WSA window. After entering this command, it should show a success message. Next, you need to copy the APK file path. For that, right-click on the APK file that you downloaded in the first step of this tutorial, and select the Copy as path option. Following that, enter the following command: adb install [apk-file-path] 
Once done, you can find the app in the Start Menu. How to run Android apps on Windows 11? To run Android apps on Windows 11, you need to follow the aforementioned guide. First, you need to download the APK file and the Platform Tools from the respective websites. Then, turn on the Developer mode in the WSA, and copy the IP address. After that, open Windows Terminal's Command Prompt instance in the platform-tools folder and enter the adb connect command. Following that, copy the file path of the APK file, and enter the adb install command. Can I sideload an Android app in Windows 11? Yes, you can sideload an Android app in Windows 11. For that, you need to download the APK file of the app and the SDK Platform Tools. Then, you need to turn on the Developer mode in WSA, copy the IP address and open the platform-tools folder in the Windows Terminal. Next, you need to connect to the IP and start the installation process. All these steps are mentioned in the article in a detailed form, and you can follow them to get the job done. Hope this tutorial helped you sideload Android apps on Windows 11 using Windows Subsystem for Android. Read next: How to run Google Play Store Android apps on Windows 11. Surprise! Huawei's HarmonyOS NEXT Can Run Android Apps
Considering that Huawei's upcoming HarmonyOS NEXT operating system only runs native apps and has dropped support for Android, it might surprise you to learn that there is a way for devices Recently Huawei announced that all of its 2025 releases, including the recently unveiled flagship Mate 70 line, will be pre-installed with HarmonyOS Next. Huawei is currently running a public beta of the new operating system. Recently a beta tester posted on Reddit about an Android emulator found on the AppGallery, Huawei's app storefront. The emulator can be found under its title, "EasyAbroad." Interestingly, it is developed for those with Huawei devices who work outside of China and must have Google Mobile Services (GMS).
With "EasyAbroad," the user can install Android apps such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Google Search, Google Maps, Chrome, Gmail, Disney Plus, Netflix (in SD quality only), and more from the tool's own app store. The app store appears as a folder on the smartphone's home screen. You can't pull out apps from the folder and place an app icon on the phone's screen. Additionally, there could be some issues receiving alerts and notifications normally sent to the user of these Android apps.
The EasyAbroad Android emulator can be found in Huawei's App Gallery. Image credit-@Active-Recover-4013
"EasyAbroad" is available on the latest version of the HarmonyOS Next beta. A YouTube content creator tested the emulator and found that the Android apps loaded quickly and for the most part, ran smoothly using microG. The latter is a free and open-source implementation of proprietary Google libraries. It replaces Google Play Services on Android and delivers important Google Play Services functionality to those without a Google account or a connection to Google's servers. Thanks to microG, the tool will not run any Android app that has been blacklisted.
It was back in 2019 when Huawei was placed on the Entity List by the Trump administration that the company lost the ability to access its U.S. Supply chain. That included Google which prevented Huawei from using the Google Mobile Services version of Android leading Huawei to develop HarmonyOS.
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