exFAT

This HarmonyOS NEXT update has added support for exFAT file system format. This will enable the operating system to detect additional external storage devices.

Extensible File Allocation Table (exFAT) is a file system that is an upgraded version of FAT32. It enables the system to efficiently process large files and storage devices.

It was first introduced in 2006 by Microsoft to replace FAT32 on devices with flash memory such as USB and SD cards. FAT32 has a 4GB size limit but exFAT could handle much larger files.

Furthermore, exFAT is supported by various operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. This allows the user to seamlessly share files between different devices.

HarmonyOS NEXT with exFAT storage support

Charging and other improvements

The new update boosts turbocharging mode to improve overall user experience. The firmware also improves the user interface and optimizes system stability for better performance.

There’s a fix for Celia keyboard which resolves some issues with character position. On the other hand, devices with facial recognition have been facing issues with random unlock errors, which is addressed with this software.

The contact app is getting a new fix for issues in deleting and merging similar contacts. Eventually, the update has optimized the system for a better user experience in some situations.

Beta

Released on October 8, the public beta campaign has gathered more than a million users. The current activity is limited to flagship devices and will expand to other models as the activity progresses.

The program has unlimited test slots and any users with eligible devices can opt for public beta, folowed by OTA release.

The post New HarmonyOS NEXT adds exFAT support and charging improvements appeared first on Huawei Central.

A  new software update goes through different test cycles before a final rollout including closed and public testing. Earlier this year, Huawei began HarmonyOS NEXT closed beta for limited testers.

During September 24’s smart wearable launch event, the Chinese tech maker announced the HarmonyOS NEXT public beta program to open on October 8.

Eligible devices can sign up through the public beta application (instructions below) and test the new features and capabilities before the official rollout.

Here are the HarmonyOS NEXT public beta devices:

1st phase:

• Huawei Mate 60
• Huawei Mate 60 Pro
• Huawei Mate 60 Pro+
• Huawei Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design
• Huawei Mate X5
• Huawei Mate X5 Collector’s Edition
• Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch
• Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch Collector’s Edition

Upgraded from Closed Beta

Meanwhile, Huawei will directly upgrade devices participating in the closed beta phase. These are:

• Huawei Pura 70
• Huawei Pura 70 Beidou satellite massaging edition
• Huawei Pura 70 Pro
• Huawei Pura 70 Pro+
• Huawei Pura 70 Ultra
• Huawei Pocket 2
• Huawei Pocket 2 Art Edition
• Huawei MatePad Pro 11-inch 2024 series

More to come

The Chinese tech company is developing HarmonyOS NEXT builds for older devices with previously released chipsets. This step is crucial to ensure optimum software experience. So, more devices will join the list as soon as software and hardware compatibility is achieved.

How to apply

Customers with these phones can open the My Huawei app, go to the Upgrade menu, and choose the latest test activity to select the HarmonyOS NEXT upgrade plan.

After signup, users can check for the latest software from settings and download. This new upgrade will be available in batches and may take some time to release for all public beta registered users.

Customers can also provide feedback to improve HarmonyOS NEXT as it prepares for the final rollout.

The post Huawei HarmonyOS NEXT Public Beta Devices [List] appeared first on Huawei Central.

Samsung is the largest Android partner and sells most devices in each quarter. Despite this dominance, the South Korean tech firm is a latecomer in the software experience.

It made some changes in One UI 6 including a new quick settings panel and new controls. These are much appreciated by One UI users but that doesn’t reflect any solution for a core issue.

The software feels more rigid and animations are still not fluid enough to fully utilize the device’s hardware performance. The user interface has improved over time yet Samsung could do even better.

One UI 7 will be based on Android 15, the latest Android software version. There are new camera optimizations, better navigation capabilities, satellite connectivity support, and more.

Aside from these, what do the competitors have to offer?

iOS 18

Apple has recently refreshed its iOS operating system for iPhones. It has drastically changed the software UI, improved personalization, and optimized animation effects throughout the system.

For example, the two new popular sections in this new OS are the control center and home screen. Apple is now allowing users to customize the control center and add custom controls.

This feature is already available in Android devices but Apple took it to the next level with new customizations. You can resize control buttons based on the space and group them. iOS 18 users can also manage different control screens based on their categories for an improved experience.

Another addition is the app icons with colors based on a tint selection right on the screen without even going to the settings. These capabilities are far more accessible compared to Samsung or Android.

Coming to the performance, the app and animations open slightly faster and animations are optimized to feel surrealistic, except for the 60Hz devices.

HarmonyOS NEXT

Coming to the new player, HarmonyOS NEXT is a new operating system based on HarmonyOS. Huawei has been polishing this Android-influenced OS for the past four years.

The software has now achieved a native app ecosystem in the Chinese market. It is redesigned for maximum fluidity and physics-based controls.

In comparison to One UI 6, HarmonyOS (not HarmonyOS NEXT) performs far better in smoothness and app interactions. HarmonyOS NEXT has even better interactions with the native experience.

One UI 7 will be better?

Even though Samsung may not achieve superiority over these two software, it should at least come to the same level as its competitors because it will eventually benefit its customers. We’ll see what the company unveils at SDC event.

The post One UI 7 can compete against HarmonyOS NEXT and iOS 18? appeared first on Huawei Central.

These collections are curated automatically by the Google Play editorial team to ensure they include the best apps and games on offer. You can get apps, games, and digital content for your device using the Google Play Store app. The Play Store app comes pre-installed on Android devices that support Google Play.

August 2024 updates:

Google has optimized the user experience for Android smartphone users and improved app download performance.

Open the Play Store app:

• Go to the Apps section on your device.
• Tap on Google Play Store.
• The app will open and you can search and browse for content to download.
• Download the latest version of the Google Play Store app

Get the latest Google Play Store app:

• 42.9.16 (October 3, 2024)
• 42.2.28 (August 19, 2024)
• 41.8.14 (July 19, 2024)
• Play Store 41.5.29 (June 26, 2024)
• Play Store 40.7.26 (April 28, 2024)
• Play Store 39.9.31 (March 3, 2024)
• Play Store 39.5.19 (February 11, 2024)
• Play Store 39.4.23 (January 25, 2024)
• Play Store 38.8.24 (December 24, 2023)
• Play Store 38.4.22 (November 18, 2023)
• Play Store 38.0.37 (October 29, 2023)
• Play Store 37.8.26 (October 13, 2023)
• Play Store 37.2.18 (August 25, 2023)
• Play Store 36.6.20 (July 15, 2023)
• Play Store 36.5.20 (July 8, 2023)
• Play Store 36.2.11 (June 17, 2023)
• Download Play Store 36.0.13 (June 5, 2023)
• Download Play Store 35.9.11 (May 24, 2023)
• Play Store 35.2.19
• Play Store 34.8.10
• Play Store 34.3.13
• Play Store 34.1.09

If downloads from the Play Store aren’t complete, try the troubleshooting steps you can’t from the Google Play Store.

However, you should also know that if your phone has Google apps pre-installed then it would be seeded automatically in the background.

The post Download the latest Google Play Store APK [42.9.16] appeared first on Huawei Central.

Aside from being a voice and text-sharing app, WhatsApp enables you to make voice and video calls and share images, documents, user locations, and other user-generated content. You need to download WhatsApp and start using its amazing features.

WhatsApp is available to download from different platforms and app stores on mobile devices. However, WhatsApp developers test and roll out new app updates as soon as they enter the testing pool and send release stable app versions once they are tested.

Below you can check the latest WhatsApp Stable and Beta app versions.

Download WhatsApp (Beta and Stable):

• 2.24.20.73 – Stable (September 03, 2024)
• 2.24.21.19 – Beta (September 03, 2024)
• 2.24.20.14 – Beta (September 22, 2024)
• 2.24.19.76 – Stable (September 22, 2024)
• 2.24.18.77 – Stable (September 13, 2024)
• 2.24.19.34 – Beta (September 13, 2024)
• 2.24.18.18 – Beta (August 31, 2024)
• 2.24.17.79 – Stable (August 31, 2024)
• 2.24.17.25 – Beta (August 19, 2024)
• 2.24.16.76 – Stable (August 19, 2024)
• WhatsApp 2.24.16.5 Beta (July 26, 2024)
• WhatsApp 2.24.15.76 (July 26, 2024)
• WhatsApp 2.24.15.12 Beta (July 19, 2024)
• WhatsApp 2.24.14.76 (July 19, 2024)
• WhatsApp 2.23.25.23 Beta (December 3, 2023)
• WhatsApp 2.22.24.83 (December 3, 2023)
• WhatsApp 2.21.23.16 (beta) APK
• WhatsApp 2.21.22.26 (stable) APK
• WhatsApp 2.21.21.6 (beta) APK
• WhatsApp 2.21.21.2 (beta) APK
• WhatsApp 2.21.19.21 (stable) APK (September 30, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.19.20 (beta) APK (September 26, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.18.17 (stable) APK (September 26, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.19.17 (beta) APK (September 22, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.18.16 (beta) APK (September 14, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.18.14 (beta) APK (September 10, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.18.7 (beta) APK (August 31, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.17.24 (stable) APK (August 31, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.17.17 (beta) APK (August 20, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.20 (stable) APK (August 20, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.17.12 (beta) APK (August 16, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.17 (stable) APK (August 16, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.17.5 (beta) APK (August 12, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.15.20 (stable) APK (August 12, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.10 (beta) APK (August 8, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.9 (beta) APK (August 7, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.7 (beta) APK (August 4, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.6 (beta) APK (July 31, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.16.2 (beta) APK (July 28, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.15.11 (beta) APK (July 22, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.14.24 (Stable) APK (July 22, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.15.8 (beta) APK (July 19, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.15.6 (beta) APK (July 17, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.15.3 (beta) APK (July 15, 2021)
• WhatsApp 2.21.14.18 (beta) APK
• WhatsApp 2.21.13.28 stable APK
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.14.15 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.14.8 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.14.6 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.14.3 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.14.1 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.13.15 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.12.21 (stable)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.13.10 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.13.7 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.13.6 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.13.5 (beta)
• WhatsApp APK 2.21.13.1 (beta)

Download from Google Play Store or WhatsApp website.

WhatsApp Features:

NO FEES: WhatsApp uses your phone’s Internet connection (4G/3G/2G/EDGE or Wi-Fi, as available) to let you message and call friends and family, so you don’t have to pay for every message or call.* There are no subscription fees to use WhatsApp.

MULTIMEDIA: Send and receive photos, videos, documents, and Voice Messages.

FREE CALLS: Call your friends and family for free with WhatsApp Calling, even if they’re in another country.* WhatsApp calls use your phone’s Internet connection rather than your cellular plan’s voice minutes. (Note: Data charges may apply. Contact your provider for details. Also, you can’t access 911 and other emergency service numbers through WhatsApp).

GROUP CHAT: Enjoy group chats with your contacts so you can easily stay in touch with your friends or family.

WHATSAPP WEB: You can also send and receive WhatsApp messages right from your computer’s browser.

NO INTERNATIONAL CHARGES: There’s no extra charge to send WhatsApp messages internationally. Chat with your friends around the world and avoid international SMS charges.

SAY NO TO USERNAMES AND PINS: Why bother having to remember yet another username or PIN? WhatsApp works with your phone number, just like SMS, and integrates seamlessly with your phone’s existing address book.

ALWAYS LOGGED IN: With WhatsApp, you’re always logged in so you don’t miss messages. No more confusion about whether you’re logged in or logged out.

QUICKLY CONNECT WITH YOUR CONTACTS: Your address book is used to quickly and easily connect you with your contacts who have WhatsApp so there’s no need to add hard-to-remember usernames.

OFFLINE MESSAGES: Even if you miss your notifications or turn off your phone, WhatsApp will save your recent messages until the next time you use the app.

AND MUCH MORE: Share your location, exchange contacts, set custom wallpapers and notification sounds, email chat history, broadcast messages to multiple contacts at once, and more.

The post Download WhatsApp [2.24.20.73 stable and 2.24.21.19 beta] appeared first on Huawei Central.

Tipster FixedFocus has revealed that the company’s native operating system will bring extended cloud storage for those upgrading from HarmonyOS 4.2.

The tipster confirmed that the storage will help people store data from one device as a backup and restore if the device loses the data after the upgrade process is completed.

Furthermore, this storage could be temporary but there’s no certain information on whether it will be free or come under a special offer.

This bells some rings and reminds us of a free storage service launched in July 2023. Under this model, Huawei smartphone users were allowed to store their data in cloud storage and format the device.

(Source – FixedFoxu/Weibo)

The service was free of charge but the data could only be stored temporarily such as for 24 hours. Within that time, the user was reminded to restore the data or buy more storage to keep it on the cloud.

HarmonyOS NEXT is a native operating system designed to provide a new user experience and improved performance compared to the existing HarmonyOS. The version also supports only native mobile apps.

Since it’s a whole new upgrade, the company may want to ramp up its upgrades at the beginning. Therefore, offering free temporary cloud storage will speed up the upgrades from older devices without worrying about the cloud storage price or data.

Huawei will open HarmonyOS NEXT public beta on October 8. This will enable users of selected models to test the latest features with unlimited testing slots.

The first batch of devices includes Huawei Mate X5 foldable, Mate 60 Series, and MatePad Pro’s latest tablet. Over the past two years, Huawei has collaborated with the Chinese software industry to develop thousands of native HarmonyOS applications.

(source)

The post HarmonyOS NEXT could offer free cloud storage for upgrade process appeared first on Huawei Central.

In 2019, the company was under immense pressure due to US restrictions. At the same time, it lost access to Google services for the global market.

In the same year, Huawei introduced HarmonyOS, a self-developed operating system. Initially, it only supported smart TVs and in 2020, it landed on smartphones.

This was the most recognizable step in the tech industry as it garnered new users and developed compatibility with old devices. The interface was similar to EMUI software skin and carried some libraries from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

The company retained Android libs to support EMUI applications on existing and newly launched Huawei devices. It also reflects the lack of HarmonyOS apps (at that time).

Within the last three years, HarmonyOS evolved with a new user interface, features, animations, interactiveness, and personalization options.

On the other hand, its multi-device architecture has allowed the Chinese tech maker to expand this software in its device portfolio including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, smart glasses, earphones, smart car screens, and more.

Throughout this time, the company also added millions of HarmonyOS developers.

Last year, Huawei started a new chapter with “HarmonyOS NEXT”. But what’s the difference between HarmonyOS and this version? The former OS has multi-modal software architecture including Android app support to utilize the EMUI app ecosystem.

On the other hand, HarmonyOS NEXT sets its Android branches apart and it only supports native apps.

Throughout the last 12 months, many large and small developers from the Chinese software industry have started native HarmonyOS app development.

Thus, creating a whole new app ecosystem for this operating system, a crucial part for a new user experience.

HarmonyOS NEXT apps could provide a massive boost in performance with seamless interactions. The overall experience of this new operating system will be much better than the existing HarmonyOS version.

Huawei has started testing HarmonyOS NEXT for consumer devices and soon, it will be released for all public users.

The post HarmonyOS NEXT is taking ‘HarmonyOS’ to a whole new level appeared first on Huawei Central.

A few months ago, Huawei launched the EMUI 14 beta program, allowing smartphone users to test this new software before public release. The company introduced new features with this EMUI version to simplify user interactions.

EMUI 14 redesigns animations and provides a sense of interactiveness. It has a live view providing real-time insights for background activities. EMUI 14 has new customization features and personalizations for the home and lock screen with new themes.

The Chinese phone maker opened EMUI 14 beta for the P60 series, Mate 50 series, P50 series, and Nova 11 series simultaneously. Interestingly, it ended the beta activity for the P60 and Mate 50 series by releasing new firmware and transitioning to EMUI 14.2.

This new firmware follows the global debut of the Pura 70 series, first Huawei phones with EMUI 14.2 out of the box. In the past, Huawei used to release P-series phones with incremental versions but paused temporarily in the past few years. However, the Huawei P60 series returned to this tradition and now Pura 70.

EMUI 14.2 adds a new layer of improvement over EMUI 14 including further polishing visual appearance. It enhances security and users can now interact with the theme by playing games.

Some users received this version straight ahead with a full-size build. While others have been reporting EMUI 14.2 beta release. That may be due to the staged rollout and will eventually make a way to more users with the stable release.

In case the update doesn’t pop up in your phone maker sure to check it manually by going into Settings > System & updates > Software update. Check for a new software version from this settings menu.

If you want to send us tips about EMUI or software updates contact – email@huaweicentral.com

The post Huawei steps up EMUI 14.2 amid EMUI 14 rollout appeared first on Huawei Central.

EMUI 14.2 is currently shipping with the Huawei Pura 70 series and it’s available for global users in line with the Chinese versions of HarmonyOS 4.2 with similar functionality.

EMUI 14 was the first version that Huawei prioritized for new personalization options including the live weather, magazine themes, and emoji wallpapers. EMUI 14.2 takes the lock screen and themes experience two steps further with its new interactiveness.

Focusing on the interactive part, some themes now have touch responses that will perform certain sets of animations or actions. For example, a theme will pop objects in the air once you tap on the screen. Then the object comes back to settle and you can reiterate this.

Similarly, you can play games on the lock screen with a tennis theme with simple touch inputs to pass the ball from one side to another. Furthermore, the emoji theme will also receive some new improvements with EMUI 14.2 using touch controls.

These are just three examples and there might be more interactive themes that are shipped with EMUI 14.2.

EMUI 14.2 interactive themes

In Watch:

Huawei shipped this feature first with HarmonyOS 4 for smartwatches. Customers can play games and interact with the lock screen of the smartwatch with taps and long presses.

Adding this feature on smartphones brings a better experience and improves the personalization capability of the software. The interactive themes remain exclusive to the Huawei Pura 70 series but it may come soon to the other EMUI phone users with a software upgrade. However, there are no dates available for the rollout.

The post EMUI 14.2 brings Interactive themes and games appeared first on Huawei Central.

Initially, the tech company registered the Huawei P60 series, P60 series, Mate 50 series, Mate X3, Mate XS2 foldable, Nova 11 series and Nova Y91. While there’s room for more devices to come later on, these phones are the first to test the new EMUI 14.

Users confirmed to us that the Beta program has now started in all of the regions where Huawei sold its latest flagship devices. The registration process requires only the HUAWEI BETA app. The rest is up to Huawei to verify the signup process and release new firmware for the corresponding devices.

EMUI 14 comes with a handful of new features including the new multi layout large folders. The company has smoothened the animations with this firmware. You can check the transition while operating the UI or switching through applications.

The new themes are also an interesting component of the EMUI 14. This software enables the users to set different types of home screen and lock screen personalization. This new Huawei software for global phones will improve security and give insights into privacy.

New Upgrade:

The new update in the meantime, strengthens testing for these features. The changelog mentions that the user experience will be improved in certain situations. You can check for the new software release via the Settings and Software Updates menu.

The firmware package has no build version and a below 40 MB download size. This update won’t impact your data but it’s recommended for you to make a backup of important files and folders. The update package will be deleted after installation.

Thanks to the tipster for this amazing input.

EMUI 14 Beta improvement update screenshot

The post Huawei releases a small improvement update for EMUI 14 beta devices appeared first on Huawei Central.