Can Huawei’s HMS Replace Google’s GMS? Inside the Mobile Ecosystem Battle

Background

Google Mobile Services (GMS) were prohibited on Huawei devices after the U.S. entity‑list decision, preventing access to core Google apps (YouTube, Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps) and the underlying APIs for maps, video, GPS, and weather. This loss severely impacted Huawei’s overseas sales and forced Android developers that relied on GMS to seek an alternative.

HMS Core 4.0 Overview

In early 2020 Huawei released HMS Core 4.0, a suite of services designed to be a one‑to‑one replacement for GMS. The core includes:

Huawei Account authentication

Huawei Pay

Analytics

Cloud storage

Game services

Advertising

Machine‑learning Kit (ML Kit)

Unified Scan Kit (QR‑code, barcode, payment code)

Safety Detect

Map Kit (backend map service for developers)

HMS Core is packaged as a set of SDKs that can be integrated into Android or HarmonyOS applications. The APIs are intentionally modeled after GMS so that a call such as GoogleMap.getMap() can be replaced with HuaweiMap.getMap() with minimal code changes.

Migration Process

For apps that use only standard Android APIs, migration consists of:

Replace GMS import statements with the corresponding HMS packages.

Update Gradle dependencies to point to the HMS SDK Maven repository (e.g., implementation 'com.huawei.hms:maps:5.0.0').

Test the app on a Huawei device or an emulator with HMS Core installed.

Publish the binary to Huawei AppGallery instead of Google Play.

If an app relies on specific GMS services (e.g., Maps, Ads, In‑App Purchases), developers must:

Identify the GMS feature used.

Map the feature to the HMS counterpart (e.g., GoogleAds → HuaweiAds).

Integrate the HMS SDK for that feature and adjust any configuration files (e.g., agconnect-services.json instead of google-services.json).

Perform functional testing for edge cases (e.g., payment flow, location accuracy).

Huawei provides a WeChat group, documentation portal, and a dedicated Global Ecosystem Development Department to assist developers during these steps.

Developer Case Studies

APUS (a Chinese overseas mobile‑service provider) was contacted by Huawei in November 2019. Huawei supplied migration documents and set up a direct communication channel. Because HMS mirrors GMS, APUS required only interface substitution and completed the migration in a few days.

Red Child City Technology and several Indonesian developers reported that Huawei engineers responded to bug reports within hours, sometimes providing night‑time fixes, which contrasted with the more self‑service model of Google.

Early HMS SDK releases lacked some documentation, but Huawei’s engineering team reportedly addressed critical bugs quickly (e.g., a crash reported at 21:00 was fixed and delivered by the next day).

Key HMS Services

Map Kit – a backend map service aimed at developers rather than end‑users. Huawei partnered with TomTom for global coverage and obtained Class A surveying qualifications for high‑precision mapping.

Search Kit – a basic web, video, news, and image search service launched in overseas beta. It is not yet a full‑featured replacement for Google Search.

Payment & Ads – HMS Pay and Huawei Ads provide in‑app purchase and monetisation capabilities with a 15 % revenue‑share rate (vs. 30 % for Google Play/App Store).

Unified Scan Kit – supports QR codes, barcodes, and custom payment codes, enabling use cases such as shared‑bike QR codes.

ML Kit & Safety Detect – expose on‑device machine‑learning models and security checks similar to Google’s ML Kit.

Ecosystem & Market Share

Google Play generated US$293 billion in 2019, while the Apple App Store generated US$540 billion. Huawei’s AppGallery, launched in 2018, now operates in over 170 countries but holds a modest share of the global Android market.

Huawei’s strategy relies on lower revenue‑share rates, hardware integration, and targeted incentives to attract developers in emerging markets where GMS penetration is lower.

Incentives & Revenue Model

Huawei announced a US$10 billion fund and developer subsidies up to US$1,700 per app to encourage HMS integration. The subsidy process is case‑by‑case; developers submit their HMS‑enabled apps, and Huawei evaluates traffic and quality before granting additional flow or promotional slots.

Revenue‑share for HMS services is fixed at 15 %, which is half of Google’s standard 30 % cut.

Challenges & Outlook

Key challenges include:

Limited availability of popular third‑party apps (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) on AppGallery, which hampers user adoption.

Regulatory differences: Google can delist apps abruptly, while Huawei tends to communicate before removal, but occasional unannounced takedowns still occur.

Technical parity: although HMS replicates many GMS APIs, some services (e.g., full‑featured search, high‑resolution maps) are still maturing.

Analysts suggest that Huawei may find growth in regions with low GMS usage (Southeast Asia, parts of Africa and South America) by leveraging its hardware base and offering lower fees. Success will depend on developer willingness to integrate HMS, user migration to AppGallery, and the eventual inclusion of high‑traffic third‑party apps.