Some Huawei smartphone users recently faced an unusual problem as their devices flagged the Google application as malicious. This issue emerged after users installed the application from sources other than the official Google Play Store for Android apps.
The problem wasn’t restricted to Huawei phones alone but affected several phones and tablets from other Chinese companies, including Vivo and Honor, according to a report by BleepingComputer.
As per the report, the warning message displayed to affected users claimed that the Google application should be immediately removed, alleging that it could secretly send text messages and urging users to install and purchase explicit content. Occasionally, the warning even suggested that the Google app could compromise user data privacy.
A Google spokesperson clarified that the warning did not originate from the Google Play Store and its Play Protect app scanning service. Instead, it came from phones that were not authorized to install Google apps or its official store.
The spokesperson advised users facing issues to directly contact their phone manufacturers for resolution.
It’s crucial to note that Huawei phones have been entirely excluded from using the Android operating system and all Google services since May 2019, following the Chinese company’s inclusion in the U.S. trade blacklist. This blacklist prohibits the use of any products involving U.S. technologies.
As a consequence, the appearance of the Google app on Huawei phones occurred through channels outside the official Play Store.
While Google has been unable to pinpoint the nature of the issue causing its app to be categorized as “malware” on some Chinese phones, cybersecurity software developer Avast admitted that its application-scanning system on several Chinese phones mistakenly identified the Google app as malware.
Avast clarified that its code within the Huawei Optimizer app labeled the Google app, particularly the Google search box within its app, as malicious software that should be removed from Huawei phones. The company stated that this warning appeared on Huawei users’ phones outside of China and confirmed that it released a software update on October 30 to permanently resolve the issue.
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