Why Huawei phones are flagging Google Allo as 'security threat'?
Though Huawei and Google may not have the best of relations (thanks to the US trade ban), they both are doing everything possible to keep the sanctions from affecting the end-consumers. However, just recently, the folks at Android Authority witnessed something weird: Huawei phones are flagging Google's now-dead Allo messenger as a security threat. Here's all about it.
Google killed Allo back in 2018
Google Allo, as many may remember, is a part of Google's history, a product the internet giant developed as a messaging alternative to WhatsApp and iMessage. It worked for about two years but failed to match the likes of the competition, eventually prompting Google to pull the plug on the service and add another ghost to its graveyard in 2018.
Now, Huawei phones are showing 'infected' warning in Allo
While Allo is dead and no longer in development, the app has returned to the news, thanks to a bunch of Huawei phones classifying it as a 'security threat'. Essentially, Android Authority has noted that launching Allo on Huawei devices like P20 Pro and Mate 20 displayed a warning message saying that the app 'appears to be infected' and should be uninstalled immediately.
Reason behind classification remains unknown
So far, it remains unclear why exactly Huawei smartphones are classifying the defunct app as malware. Neither the Chinese giant nor Google has commented on the matter, but many speculate that this could be an error by the former. There is a chance that the security suite bundled with the devices might have incorrectly considered Allo a security threat as it has been shuttered.
Either way, there is no need to worry
That said, as Allo is not even available on app stores, there is no need to worry about the security warning being issued. The app can only be present on a smartphone if it was sideloaded manually or never uninstalled after being shut down. If it is still there on your device, you may uninstall it as there is no point in keeping it.
