New Huawei Mediapad T3 Tablet - Problem Setting Up - Urgent Help Please!

[moggie 939]

Just bought this and have managed to set up everything except my Outlook email. Loaded Google play store and found a few apps I needed from previous Samsung tablet but it says in manual I need to get Huawei's own 'play store' and I cannot find how to do that at all! I am in Google and all my photos and contacts etc showed automatically but it says all apps I need including Outlook email will be in Huawei App Gallery.

How do I find this? Tried to set up Huawei account separately but will not let me register! All other apps I need such as file mgr, translate, photos are loaded ok from Google play store

Please help me I am confused!

Thanks

Moggie

[barry1010]

You should already have it on your tablet - the AppGallery.

If it isn't, follow these instructions to download it

https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/support/content/en-gb00696141/

[moggie 939]

Hello Barry

I tried this and it downloaded but did not appear as app on my tablet! In settings there is scrolling down after display etc it says Huawei ID and I tried to sign in to that but it took me round in circles and then said cannot connect - my tablet is on wifi and downloads etc no problems.

Perhaps I should go to factory settings and start again and maybe the APP will be there?

I say this because when I received this refurb tablet from Amazon yesterday and switch on it already showed the home page with some apps on it but not that one

Thanks

Moggie

[barry1010]

That's a good idea, you've got nothing to lose taking it back to factory settings

[moggie 939]

Barry

Have done that and started from scratch but there were notmany apps on there and they were all Google Play ones and Google Play Icon was on there also - nothing about Huawei Apps. Tried downloading as per your link and it showed as downloaded but I cannot find where the download is! Never had this problem on my old Lenovo tablet. Anyway - I have all the apps I need on my home page now but....I cannot use emails (I am on outlook) as it will not accept it. Outlook icon is there same as my phone and laptop but when I enter email address and password it just comes up with a screen saying cannot connect - my wifi is on and everything else like search engine works.

Never mind - I have my phone and only use tablet for my hols and when I am away from home using hotel's wifi but I am puzzled

Thanks for your help as always

Moggie

[barry1010]

Sorry it hasn't worked out.  Consider sending it back for a refund if it's not doing what you want

[Buenchico]

Donald Trump's administration banned all US companies from trading with Huawei on the grounds of perceived security risks.  That forced Google to cease making the latest versions of the Android operating system, together with its Google Play Store, available for Huawei to include on their devices.
https://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-google-android-ban-988382/

So, in theory at least, you can't access Google Play Store on a Huawei device.  That's why the instructions that came with your tablet tell you to use Huawei's own app store instead.

However there's a middle man' method, called GBox, which is designed to get around the problem.  (I know absolutely nothing about it, so I can't recommend it.  However the instructions do appear on Huawei's own website, so it should be safe enough, I feel):
https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/community/details/GBox-Get-Google-Services-and-Apps-on-HUAWEI-Smartphones/topicId_64689/

[barry1010]

Buen, in her OP moggie said she had downloaded Google PlayStore

[Buenchico]

^^^ I saw that, Barry, but I'm not completely confident that Google Play Store will actually work on a Huawei device.  (Google is obliged, under US law, to try to make sure that it doesn't).

[barry1010]

As far as I know that tablet is about 7 years old, it was discontinued 4 years ago.  It will not be getting security updates nor will it keep going in a useful way for very long.  I would recommend it be returned for a refund.

What do you think, Buen?

[Buenchico]

^^^ Thanks, Barry.

Yes, I've just checked it out:
https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mediapad_t3_10-8636.php

As it dates back to 2017, that might explain why Google Play Store seems to available for it.  (i.e. it pre-dates the US ban).  However I'm somewhat alarmed to see that it apparenly only runs Android 7, which hasn't been supported since October 2019.  

A lot of apps won't run under Android 7.  e.g. the Barclays banking app will require Android 8, or later, from this coming Thursday and many apps currently on Google Play Store require Android 10 or above.  (The latest version is Android 14).

I've got new, fairly hi-spec Android tablet due for delivery tomorrow. It cost me all of £50 in total, including shipping and import VAT, direct from China.  Even such a cheapo tablet though runs on Android 11.  I wouldn't have even considered it if only had Android 7 on it.

[barry1010]

And yet Amazon are still selling refurbished models for £78.  They are simply not fit for purpose, however well they appear to work. 

[barry1010]

Oops, it is being sold on Amazon, not by Amazon.

[moggie 939]

Hello Barry

Did return it to Amazon as it was one of theirs at £80. Got a refund ok,

It did have Google Play app already loaded and I was able to download most apps

Thanks everyone

Moggie

[barry1010]

I'm glad you've got a refund.