CALIFORNIA: Another bad news for Huawei users as Facebook will reportedly no longer allow the Chinese telecom giant to preinstall Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram apps on its devices.
According to an international news agency, if you already have a Huawei phone you should be able to continue receiving updates to Facebook-owned apps. The change will only affect new phones.
Facebook’s decision is the latest fallout from the US government’s decision last month to add Huawei to a list of companies that, due to national security concerns, must get permission to buy US-made technology, including software.
US companies are now refusing to sell microchips and other components to Huawei. Google has revoked licenses for Huawei to install its software, such as the Google Play app store and Gmail, on its phones.
Huawei, the second-largest maker of smartphones worldwide according to IDC, is still allowed to use the freely available, open source version of the Android operating system on its new phones.
Users of those phones should still be able to access Facebook through the web and install WhatsApp by downloading the app directly from the WhatsApp website. Installers for other apps, such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram, are also available from third parties on the web.
But without official support from companies like Google and Facebook, it’s possible that some apps might not work as expected.
In China, where Facebook and Google are banned and alternatives like the search engine Baidu and the messaging app WeChat dominate, that might not be a big deal. But for users in other countries, such as Europe, the lack of popular US-owned applications could make Huawei phones less attractive.
