It began in 2019, when the U.S. started prohibiting all U.S. companies from collaborating with Huawei.
What this means, Google as a U.S. company cannot work and partner with the Chinese company on new device models that were made available to the public after May 16, 2019.
Because of this, Huawei devices that were shipped after that date have not been able to go through its security process, and don't have Play Protect preloaded.
After more Huawei's newer devices are on sale around the world, Google addresses the Huawei ban, by saying that due to the restriction, customers are urged to not sideload its apps on those new Huawei devices.
In other words, Huawei devices that don't come loaded with Google apps, shouldn't be fiddled with by customers who wish to install apps like Gmail, Maps, YouTube and other Google apps.
Those devices are not considered Play Protect certified devices, and will not be able to utilize Google’s apps and services, said Tristan Ostrowski, Android & Play Legal Director, in an announcement.
"Play Protect certified devices go through a rigorous security review and compatibility testing process, performed by Google, to ensure user data and app information are kept safe. They also come from the factory with our Google Play Protect software, which provides protection against the device being compromised. "
"This has been our long-standing approach to user security and privacy and is applied consistently across all device manufacturers."
Without Google Play Store, users should download apps elsewhere.
As these devices aren't Play Protect Certified, they aren't shipped with Google Play Protect, meaning that users won't be safe if they sideload Google apps from third-party app stores.
The company can’t guarantee that the apps customers install are the real deal or free from malware.
"Sideloaded Google apps will not work reliably because we do not allow these services to run on uncertified devices where security may be compromised. Sideloading Google’s apps also carries a high risk of installing an app that has been altered or tampered with in ways that can compromise user security," added the Google employee.
However, this isn't the case for older Huawei devices.
There are millions of Huawei devices that were sold before May 16. These devices were shipped with Google's products, meaning that Google is still obliged to protect them.
"We have continued to work with Huawei, in compliance with government regulations, to provide security updates and updates to Google’s apps and services on existing devices, and we will continue to do so as long as it is permitted. To be clear: U.S. law currently allows Google to only work with Huawei on device models available to the public on or before May 16, 2019."
In the announcement, Google is staying clear of weighing in on whether or not Huawei poses any threat to U.S. national security, which intelligence agencies and lawmakers have insisted is the case.
Simply put, Google is trying to avoid the U.S.-China politics and putting it away from its business.
On Huawei's side, the company has what it calls the 'HarmonyOS', its first home-grown operating system that boasts the ARK compiler.
But in the meantime, since it still prefers using Android, it relies on AOSP (Android Open Source Project) which is free for it to download and alter. It also has what it calls Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), which include Huawei AppGallery, Huawei Browser, Huawei Mobile Cloud, Huawei Themes, Huawei Music, Huawei Video, Huawei Reader, Huawei Assistant and more.
HMS is meant to replace Google Mobile Services (GMS) Huawei cannot use because of the U.S. ban. The company has ">decided to expand Huawei Mobile Services throughout its global users.
According to Huawei, the Honor View 30 and View 30 Pro are among the first to have the HMS out-of-the-box. The Mate X was the first Huawei smartphone that was shipped without Google.