Apps

No bootloader unlocking for Huawei Mate 30

But installing Google apps is still possible

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A Huawei spokesperson officially clarified that it has no plans to unlock the bootloader of the Mate 30. As such, the Mate 30 won’t be able to sideload Google apps, including the Play Store.

No Google apps by default

Huawei launched the Mate 30 series last September 19 with impressive specs. One of the highlights of the Mate 30 was the cameras — packing features first for a smartphone. However, the Mate 30 has an Achilles heel: it doesn’t come with Google apps by default. One of which is the Google Play Store.

The Play Store is a standard for all Android phones as it allows users to download their favorite apps securely and hassle-free. Losing the Play Store has been a big blow to the Mate 30, and Huawei has already provided an alternative in the form of the AppGallery.

However, since it is new, there are only few apps that would be available here to cover the needs of most users. These users would want to install the Google Play Store. This is where the bootloader unlocking comes in.

Bootloader unlocking

Bootloader unlocking lets users sideload Google apps. Until recently, Huawei’s policy doesn’t allow for the unlocking of the bootloader. But considering the situation Huawei has faced over the recent months, Huawei’s CEO Richard Yu has stated that they initially planned to allow bootloader unlocking on Mate 30 during in an interview with various journalists.

However, a Huawei spokesperson has reached out to Android Authority and clarified that there is “no plans” yet to allow bootloader unlocking. So Mate 30 users have to look for other ways to install Google apps on their phone.

Other ways to install Google apps

There are other ways to install Google apps. As reported by Android Authority, Reddit users have installed Google apps without rooting or hacking involved. However, the method is risky since there are privacy and security issues concerned.

The method involves installing a third-party app called LZ Play. The app is used by system administrators to manage Android devices. The app requires a hefty list of permissions — for example, the app requires users to grant it system-level permissions. This alone should discourage some users wary of giving their data to a third-party app.

For those who want to proceed despite the risks, installing LZ Play is fairly simple. Simply download the app’s APK through its official website. After downloading the APK, install the APK and follow any prompts thrown by the installation process. Google apps should appear after the installation.

If any issues appear with signing-in to the Google apps, simply restart the phone. The folks at Android Authority have installed the app on their Mate 30 Pro and it worked seamlessly. No other methods had been reported that would let Mate 30 users install Google apps on their devices.

Serious uphill battle

Without Google Play Store to access millions of Android apps, most users will be discouraged from buying the Mate 30. Without bootloader unlocking, it will leave few who are courageous to buy the Mate 30 with no choice but to stick with Huawei’s own apps.

As of right now, the Mate 30 series is facing a serious uphill battle. The loss of Google apps means that most users might stay away from it.

Apps

Honor, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays

Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular.

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Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like Honor, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.

As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Honor is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.

Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.

That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either Honor or Xiaomi.

SEE ALSO: LE SSERAFIM Chaewon flexes Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display

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Meta is reportedly experimenting on a gambling app

Users can spend virtual points on Arena.

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Meta does not have the most stellar of reputations. Despite offering the world’s most popular social media platforms, the company, through its various experiments throughout the years, continuously proves that it has other priorities than just providing the best for its users. Today, another reported experiment wants to take Meta to a new market that its users might fall into: the prediction market.

If you haven’t heard of the prediction market, consider yourself lucky. These apps, such as Kalshi, are basically just gambling platforms without the glitz of playing cards or the rigor of the stock market. Users gamble on mundane circumstances like the weather and more serious ones like war.

Today, as reported by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking Meta to develop a prediction app of its own. Interestingly, the experimental app, supposedly called Arena, will use virtual points, rather than real money. However, Meta has not ruled out real money — and hence, real gambling — in the future.

Meta is entering the industry at an extremely volatile time. The world is starting to crack down on prediction markets. Some users, for example, have been accused of using insider information to get easy wins on these platforms. Some markets have also accused these platforms of subverting anti-gambling laws.

SEE ALSO: Meta adds subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

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foodpanda relaunches cult-favorite roast chicken brand after 8 years of persistent search queries

Heritage chain Andok’s returns to the platform, driven entirely by long-term user analytics.

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In the world of e-commerce and food delivery, platform algorithms usually dictate what consumers see. But occasionally, consumer behavior is so relentless that it shapes the platform’s strategy.

In a move driven entirely by long-term user analytics, foodpanda has officially relaunched Andok’s, one of the Philippines’ most iconic heritage rotisserie chains, back onto its platform after an eight-year absence.

The search bar as a digital wishlist

The decision to ink the partnership wasn’t just a marketing play. It was a response to an ongoing data anomaly. Despite being offline from the foodpanda platform for eight years, Andok’s consistently ranked as one of the most-searched merchants on the app.

Year after year, users treated the empty search results page as an unofficial wishlist. This persistent search intent gave foodpanda a clear, data-backed signal of pent-up demand.

Prior to the official digital rollout, teaser campaigns on social media validated this demand, generating thousands of organic interactions from users anticipating the return.

Bridging heritage flavor with digital infrastructure

For foodpanda, onboarding a merchant with this level of built-in demand fits its broader strategy of marketplace optimization and hyper-local network expansion, turning a heritage brand into another data point for how legacy retail plugs into delivery infrastructure.

For Andok’s, the integration works as a fast track to digital scale. A legacy quick-service chain skips years of independent app development and reaches customers already using foodpanda’s existing logistics network, on a platform they already check daily.

Andok’s built its following on charcoal spit-roasted chicken, a slow-cooked technique that’s stayed largely unchanged since the brand’s early days, alongside seasoned grilled pork belly.

More recently, the Dokito line extended that following into crispy fried chicken and chicken burgers, broadening the brand’s appeal beyond its original rotisserie format and giving foodpanda a menu with both heritage pull and everyday fast-food convenience.

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