Can You Install Apps On The Huawei GT 3?
The native system within your smart watch may not align with your day to day needs. That is where third party apps come into play. They are an extension of your smart watches capabilities. It’s a good thing in a way, because the user has the option to add something that is unique to their needs, which is why downloading apps on a smart watch these days is important.
Can you install apps on the Huawei GT 3?, the answer is yes. The Huawei Watch operating system HarmonyOS can offer a variety of apps to download. However there are some things you need to know beforehand. In comparison to WearOS (google and Samsung watch operating system) and WatchOS(apple watch operating system), it doesn’t quite compare in a very big way. If you own a Android or Apple phone you are going to find the experience disappointing
In this article I will explain in detail the following things
- What types of Apps Huawei Offer
- How the Huawei App Work With Non Huawei Phones
- Linking the Huawei Health App to Third Party Apps
What Types of Apps Huawei Offer
If the Huawei GT 3 is your first ever Huawei wearable device then this article is definitely for you. As for others who have owned a Huawei Wearable will exactly know what I am writing about. In my experience when using the Apps offered by Huawei is somewhat limited. The only apps that are available to you are within the Huawei Health App. Even still I personally did feel like it would be only useful to a small minority. I’m going to roughly list the types of Apps that are available to you.
- Navigational apps such as Petal (similar to google maps)
- Calculator
- Prayer (Muslim prayer app)
- To do list
- Fitness Trainer (AI coach)
- Puzzles
- Horoscope
- Airlines App (Unsupported on IOS devices) helps you book flights
- Non English apps (News, Lifestyle, Horoscope)
- Train schedule (Only be used in Singapore train services)
- Calorie counter
When you see the types of apps on offer would they be useful to you? I can only speak for the Australasian version of the Huawei GT 3, which is what I have. Then again the app gallery may be different for Europe and American users, so I just wanted to point that out.
Like I said earlier, this is the limitation you will come across if you do decide to purchase the Huawei GT 3. If you don’t own a Huawei phone the app experience takes a further nose dive. That is what I am going to explain next.
How the Huawei App Work With Non Huawei Phones
If you don’t own a Huawei phone, connecting to a third party app can be tricky. I did a quick test before I wrote this article, by randomly picking an app to download, so I can share my experience with you all. The 2 apps I have chosen are the Fitness trainer and the calorie counter. By the way, I own an Android Phone.
Fitness Trainer App.
The Fitness trainer app is an AI coach. You choose your fitness level and the app will present a list of programs you can do, such as HIIT, stretching and body weight exercises. Overall my experience with this app was disappointing. In comparison to Fitbit premium and Apple fitness workouts, it’s way below their level.
Pros
- Great animations to execute exercise correctly
Cons
- Cannot run app directly off watch
- Have to have phone with you
- Takes a long time to load selected workout
- Takes even longer to load if you deny permission to access your phone gallery.
- Drains the phone battery life.
Calorie Counter
This one was easier to load than the Fitness trainer app. I have used Under Armour’s My Fitness Pal for years as my calorie counter, which is so user friendly. As for the Calorie counter, My overall experience was disappointing.
Pros
- None
Cons
- Cannot run app directly off watch
- Have to have phone with you
- Database is limited, compared to My Fitness Pal.
So just trying out 2 different apps, my experience with them was disappointing. It’s always better to connect with a third party app directly from your watch. You have to carry your phone everywhere and use it off the phone. If I did have a Huawei phone, I still think my overall experience would not have changed.
However there is another way you can connect to a third party app is by linking via the Huawei App. I will explain this in detail next.
Linking the Huawei Health App to Third Party Apps
This option is what I use a lot and my experience when using this option is far better than the apps offered in the App gallery. Also this option would be useful to anyone who has a premium account from google play or the Apple store.
But be warned, I can only speak for android devices only but there is a limited amount of apps that can actually link with the Huawei Health App. If you are looking to buy the Huawei GT 3 and you have a premium third party app account, it is best to find out if the third party app can be linked.
I have Third party Apps Komoot, and Adidas Running which are excellent apps. Especially Komoot because I have a lot of recorded routes and I like to import and export my planned routes every now and again. You don’t need to have your phone with you, it can synchronise when in range of your watch, which is pretty awesome.
Also the more high end your watch is, the more access to third party apps you have access to. In a recent update to the Huawei GT series, you can link to third party app Strava. But it’s only for Huawei GT 3 Pro and Huawei GT Runner users, based in Europe.
One last thing also is that linking a third party app to the Huawei Health app can be quite tricky. I have created a video tutorial on how to do that, so go check that out when need be.
Final Conclusion
A quick summary of this article and what to look out for
- Yes, you can download apps to your Huawei GT 3
- Third party apps offered by Huawei app store is limited
- User experience isn’t the greatest if you don’t own a Huawei Phone
- Linking the third party app to Huawei Health App is useful
- High end GT series watches can be linked to more third party apps
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you found this article useful.
