Background information
Huawei P40 Pro: can you do without Google? Yes, but with difficulty.
by Jan Johannsen
Alternative app stores (not only) for the Huawei P40 Pro
21.8.2020
Translation: machine translated
Unlike iOS, with Android you are not restricted to a single app store. This proves to be an advantage, especially with the newer Huawei smartphones such as the P40 Pro.
The Huawei P40 Pro is a excellent smartphone with one big downer: It's missing due to the US boycotts the Google services and thus also the Play Store as the usual source for apps. Huawei is endeavouring to provide a replacement with its AppGallery and AppSearch, but does not yet match the convenience and extensive range of the Play Store.
Huawei is not the only supplier of an alternative app store for Android. I found seven others - with the active support of the comments under my last article (thank you!) - and took a closer look at them, not just evaluating the selection of apps on sale.
I want it to be convenient
The convenience of installing apps is important to me. In other words, I want to be able to install the App Store as an app on my smartphone, be automatically notified of updates and not have to create a new user account. The user experience should be as close as possible to the Play Store. The convenience comparison shows the following picture:
| Automatic updates | Registration necessary | |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Appstore | Only for own downloads | Yes, Amazon account |
| APKPure | Yes | No |
| **Aptoids | Yes | Yes |
| APKMirror | No | No |
| **Aurora | Yes | Yes (anonymous Google account will be provided) |
| FDroid | Only for own downloads | No |
| PetalSearch | No | Yes, Huawei ID |
| Uptodown | Yes | No |
PetalSearch exits directly from the selection. This is basically the "AppSearch" with a different name and not its own app store. I am only referred to different sources where I can find the respective app.
The Amazon app store is the only Play Store alternative where I need a user account and have to log in to be able to use it. Aurora is a special case: you also need to sign in here, even with a Google account. However, as the app operates in a legal grey area, Google may block the account. This is why registration with an anonymous account is offered and automatically completed after one click.
Automatic updates for already installed apps are offered by APKPure, Aptoide, Aurora and Uptodown. The Amazon Appstore and FDroid only have the service for apps that you install via them. The APKMirror has no automatic updates and is therefore out.
How extensive is the range of apps offered by the various stores?
This means that APKPure, Aptoide, Aurora and Uptodown are still in the running. The Amazon AppStore and FDroid are also still in the running. If their offer is large enough, it's not a problem that they only update their own apps. Ideally, I get all my apps from one source.
The last time I with the apps on sale on the Huawei P40 Pro without Google services, I took the top 100 apps from the Play Store as a basis. In hindsight, this proved to be of limited value. That's why this time it's more subjective and I'm checking the alternative app stores for 21 applications that are very important or even indispensable for me. For comparison, I'll add the results of Huawei's app search.
| Amazon | APKPure | **Aptoids | **Aurora | FDroid | Uptodown | AppSearch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpardaSecure | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Signal | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Threema | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Sleeper | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Retro Bowl | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Football.com | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| PlayerPlus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| MyFritz! | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| DB Navigator | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| City bike | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| HVV | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Teams | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Microsoft OneDrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Spotify | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Share Now | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| N26 | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Corona Warn App | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Fitbit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
The numbers are clear. Aurora is in the lead with 20 apps, closely followed by Uptodown and Aptoide with 18 and APKPure with 17. AppSearch, the Amazon AppStore and FDroid, which only includes open source apps, follow behind.
I was unable to install Threema via any of the stores. This is probably because it is a paid app. APKPure wants to redirect me to the Play Store. Aurora lists the app, but I can't make any purchases with the anonymous user account. To do so, I would have to log in with my own account and put it at risk of being blocked. Aptoide finds Threema and lets me install the app. But you should take the missing green tick for trustworthiness seriously. Instead of a messenger, only porn adverts ended up on my P40 Pro. Better to buy directly from Threema and download the APK installation file.
Aurora and Uptodown even allow me to bank online, but without Aurora I would have to look for a replacement for my credit card and organise car sharing differently.
Even for the Amazon apps, you don't need the Amazon App Store. You can also find Prime Video & Co in the other app stores. The typical Google apps are also available for installation there. However, not all of them work on the Huawei P40 Pro, as they require Google's Play services, which you can also install in a roundabout way - and then use the Play Store directly. I digress.
Towards the dawn
Aurora, the dawn, is my favourite. Strictly speaking, it's not an app store in its own right, but a FOSS client for the Play Store. The abbreviation stands for "Free and open-source software" and, put simply, it's just another way to access the Play Store. This is why it is also necessary to log in with a user account.
If Google should decide to stop Auroroa at some point, APKPure, Aptoide and Uptodown could be used as a replacement. These are independent app stores. According to its own information, Uptodown currently has around 150,000 apps on sale. Significantly fewer than the Play Store, but they seem to be the right ones - at least for me.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.