The document summarizes Star Media Group's experience onboarding their Android apps to Huawei's AppGallery and supporting HMS devices. The main goals were to convert existing SMG apps to work on Huawei devices and AppGallery within 1 month. While AppGallery and Huawei's support were beneficial, some challenges included initial lack of devices for testing and removing dependencies on Google Mobile Services by finding HMS and alternative solutions. Converting specific GMS features to HMS equivalents sometimes required workarounds. Results showed increasing numbers of SMG apps on AppGallery over time.

1. Star Media Group +
Huawei Mobile Services

2. The Goals
■ To onboard existing SMG (and subsidiary) Android apps to Huawei AppGallery
■ To support HMS devices (e.g. Mate 30)
■ Quick conversion to HMS (achieved within 1 month in Oct 2019)

3. The Star

4. Kuali

5. ePaper

6. StarProperty

7. 988

8. Great things we found developing on Huawei
1. AppGallery
● Easy set up for account
● Automated scanning of APK for compatibility
● Easy deployment
● Improving analytics (new features constantly being added)
2. Huawei Tech Support
● Fast response
● Multi-channel support (email, dev console, Whatsapp)
3. Testing Support
● Cloud debugging with virtual devices
● New automated cloud tests!

9. Some Challenges we found
1. Initial Lack of HMS devices for testing
● Solved by getting loaner physical devices (Thanks, Huawei!)
● Cloud (virtual) device debugging
2. Removing dependencies on GMS requires us to examine each specific GMS
dependency/ implementation and the need to find workarounds
● Some dependencies are easily replaced in Huawei
● Others required finding alternative HMS solutions

10. Converting GMS to HMS specifics
GMS Features Supported by Huawei Workaround needed
Google Ads Yes, Available since Feb 2020 Yes – via webview embeds
Google Analytics Yes via Huawei Analytics Kit but
limited tracking (always improving)
Google Sign-In with
Android phone
Yes via Huawei Account kit Yes – REST API for Google sign-in,
and Huawei ID for device sign-in
Firebase Push
Notifications
Yes via
Huawei Push Kit
Video Player with Google
Ads integration (JW
Player)
Yes, Huawei Video Player with
Huawei Ads integration
Yes – switch to open-source player
Google Maps Yes, Huawei Map Kit Use JSON calls to Google Maps APIs

11. Results to date
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
Nov 2019 Dec 2019 Jan 2020 Feb 2020 Mar 2020
SMG apps on AppGallery
988
Kuali
TheStarePaper
TheStar
Dimsum

12. Thank you