Due to the fact that Android phones are made using different specs, using different processors, and also featuring the manufacturer’s own take on Android, the experience can vary across brands. Unfortunately for Huawei users, it seems that the developers behind VLC have decided to blacklist their phones on the Google Play Store.
What does this mean? This means that if you own a Huawei handset that does not already have VLC installed, you won’t be able to download it on the Google Play Store. According to VideoLAN, they cite Huawei’s “ridiculous policy” of killing all background apps (save for Huawei’s own) which can sometimes lead to a less than ideal experience for users.
PSA: @HuaweiMobile phones are now blacklisted and cannot get VLC on the Play Store.
Their ridiculous policy of killing all background apps (except their own) breaks VLC audio background playback (of course).
See https://t.co/QzDW7KbV4I and many other reports…@HuaweiFr— VideoLAN (@videolan) July 25, 2018
This is actually not the first time that Huawei has come under fire for its Android build. As Android Police notes, the company had previously been accused of being rather aggressive with its app management on older builds of EMUI, which presumably the folks at VideoLAN have had enough of.
We’re not sure if Huawei will be making changes to address this issue, but in the meantime if you absolutely need to use VLC on your Huawei handset, the APK can be downloaded from various websites. However you’ll probably want to double check that these are legit sources as there have been instances in the past where malware has been disguised as proper apps and uploaded onto third-party Android app stores.