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On a Huawei without Google services, a VPN is installed in one of two ways: from AppGallery or as an APK file from the developer's official site. The built-in VPN in the phone's settings understands only PPTP, L2TP/IPSec and IPSec Xauth and requires details from the server administrator, so it's an option for a corporate network. If the VPN closes by itself in the background, the system is unloading it to save battery: setting it to manual in "App launch" and disabling battery optimization helps.
A word about our app up front. We recommend BessyConnect to owners of Honor phones with Google Play and all other Android smartphones, as well as iPhone. For Huawei phones without Google services there is currently no official way to install it; more on this below.
The whole installation method depends on the answer. Huawei releases smartphones with its own HMS services and the AppGallery store, while Honor, starting with the HONOR 50, ships with Google services again. Check whether your phone has the Google Play icon: if it does, install a VPN as on any Android.
Huawei's help page on HMS Core says it plainly: HMS Core runs on Android and launches Android apps, but some of them require Google services and may not work on HMS. Current models for Russia ship with EMUI: the specifications of the HUAWEI Pura 80 Pro and nova 14 Pro on Huawei's site list EMUI 15.0 as the operating system. So everything written below about EMUI applies to them as well.
Honor is a different story. On November 17, 2020, Huawei announced the sale of the entire Honor business, and on October 26, 2021, Honor announced the global launch of the HONOR 50 with Google services (GMS). Older Honor phones released while it was still part of Huawei may lack Google Play, so check the store on the phone itself, not the logo.
| Your phone | Google Play | How to install a VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Huawei on EMUI without Google services | no | AppGallery or an APK from the developer's site |
| Huawei with "Pure Mode" enabled (HarmonyOS) | no | AppGallery only, while the mode is on |
| Honor with Google Play (e.g., the global HONOR 50 and newer) | yes | Google Play, as on a regular Android |
| An older Honor without Google Play | no | as on Huawei |
Open AppGallery, type "VPN" or the name of the service into the search and tap "Install" on the app's page. This is the safest of the available routes: Huawei itself recommends getting apps from AppGallery.
But it's easy to pick the wrong one in the results. On October 27, 2026, we checked the AppGallery search for Russia with the query «впн» ("vpn"). Of the first 25 results, 23 were VPN apps, and 19 of them had the word Free or «бесплатный» ("free") in the name. According to the store's counter, the most installs belong to Turbo VPN (50 million installs), VPN Master (25 million) and VPN Proxy Master (16 million). Our BessyConnect isn't in AppGallery; it can't be found with the queries "Bessy" and "BessyConnect".
Before installing, check three things:
If the app won't install, Huawei's help advises deleting the package in AppGallery (Me → Installation packages), clearing the store's cache and checking whether PrivateSpace or a second user is enabled.
If the service you need isn't in AppGallery, you can download the APK file from the developer's official site and allow the browser to install apps from external sources. Huawei warns that downloading apps from other sources is risky, so take the file only from the developer itself, not from aggregator sites.
The steps on EMUI:
This route is given in Huawei's help for EMUI. Depending on the system version the items may be named differently; in that case, search the settings for "external sources".
HarmonyOS has one more obstacle. According to Huawei's description, when "Pure Mode" is enabled on HarmonyOS 2, only apps that have passed AppGallery's review can be installed. While the mode is on, an APK won't install.
If the installation fails, look at the error code. According to Huawei's help, code -2 "Invalid APK" means the file is corrupted or incompatible with the system. Code -103 "Certificate not found" means the app may be incompatible with your OS. Don't install "unlocked features" builds from forums at all: there is no way to check what was changed in them, and a VPN client sees all your traffic.
You can, but for a VPN it's an unnecessary intermediary with access to your Google account. GBox is needed only if the app is available exclusively on Google Play and isn't in AppGallery or on the developer's site.
GBox creates a virtual environment in which Google apps run. Lifehacker wrote on March 29, 2023, that AppGallery itself offers to install GBox when you search for YouTube or Google Photos, and that after you sign in to your Google account, all apps inside GBox see your account. GSpace, according to the same article, works similarly, but apps in it had to be launched through the utility itself every time. The German site Netzwelt noted on April 28, 2023, that GBox's developer, the Singapore studio Virtual Cube, is almost unknown, and the business model of a free app without ads is unclear.
What this means for a VPN:
The built-in VPN is under Settings → More connections → VPN → "Add VPN network". According to Huawei's help, it supports three server types: PPTP with MPPE encryption, L2TP with IPSec PSK or IPSec RSA, and IPSec Xauth with PSK, RSA and Hybrid RSA.
To connect, you need the server name and address, and for L2TP also an IPSec key. Huawei states plainly that this data is provided by the VPN server administrator. This is how you connect to a work network, for example from home to the office.
The built-in VPN isn't suitable for accessing blocked resources. You'd need your own server, and the types in Huawei's help include neither VLESS with Reality nor WireGuard. How the protocols differ and which of them withstand DPI is explained in the article VLESS, OpenVPN and WireGuard.
If the VPN disconnects in the background, it's most likely EMUI itself unloading it to save battery: Huawei's help says that third-party apps in the background may stop working because of the sleep mechanism and power-saving policy. Managing launch manually and disabling battery optimization for the VPN helps.
The steps from Huawei's help article "Unable to keep an app running in the background":
If the VPN crashes immediately on launch rather than after a while, the cause is different. An app built for Google services may not work on HMS, and battery settings won't help here. There is only one way out: find a client that works without Google, in AppGallery or on the developer's site.
General causes of disconnections on all Android devices are collected in the article why a VPN turns off by itself. If the VPN turns on but sites don't open, that's a matter of the protocol and the server, which we cover in the article why a VPN isn't working.
On an Honor with Google Play, a VPN is installed the same way as on any Android: from Google Play, without APKs or GBox. This applies to the HONOR 50 and newer models, which ship with Google services.
Step-by-step installation, the permission to create a VPN connection and always-on VPN are described in the guide how to set up a VPN on Android. If the VPN on your Honor disconnects in the background, go through the same app launch and battery steps described above for Huawei. In MagicOS the menu items may be named differently; search for them in the settings.
BessyConnect runs on the VLESS protocol with Reality camouflage: to the network, its traffic looks like ordinary HTTPS. Huawei's built-in VPN doesn't support this protocol, so you need a separate client.
Where to download:
The app isn't in the Russian App Store; installing it on an iPhone requires an Apple ID from another country.
The honest limit. BessyConnect is distributed only through the App Store and Google Play: it isn't in AppGallery, and there is no APK file on the site either. The download page for Android says exactly that: the app can't be installed on devices without Google services. If you have such a phone, choose a client from AppGallery or from the developer's site following the rules above, and install BessyConnect on your other devices. And no VPN will stop EMUI from closing an app in the background unless you change the battery settings.
If you have an Honor with Google Play, another Android smartphone, an iPhone or a Mac, start with BessyConnect: all versions are gathered on the download page.
Is BessyConnect for Huawei available in AppGallery? No. As of October 27, 2026, BessyConnect can't be found in AppGallery, and there is no APK file on the site: the app is distributed only through the App Store and Google Play. On an Honor with Google Play it installs the usual way.
Is there a free VPN for Huawei? Yes, in AppGallery most apps that come up for the query «впн» call themselves free. Before installing, check the developer, the privacy policy and the permissions: a free service usually makes money from ads, data or a paid version.
Why isn't the VPN working on a Huawei tablet? The causes are the same as on a phone: Huawei's help on background operation applies to both smartphones and tablets. Turn on manual mode in "App launch" and disable battery optimization for the VPN.
Can you turn on a VPN on Huawei without an app? Yes, via Settings → More connections → VPN, but only for PPTP, L2TP/IPSec and IPSec Xauth servers. The address and keys are provided by the server administrator; usually this is a work network.
Why does the VPN on Huawei force-close right after launch? If the app crashes instantly, it probably needs Google services that the phone doesn't have. If it disconnects after a few minutes in the background, power saving is to blame, and the "App launch" and battery settings help.
How to set up a VPN on Android with BessyConnect: install from Google Play, sign in, allow the VPN connection, pick a server country and enable always-on VPN. More
How to set up a VPN on router firmware: why VLESS+Reality won't run on stock routers and why BessyConnect apps are simpler and safer for the whole home. More
VPN keeps disconnecting by itself? Nine times out of ten the phone unloads the tunnel to save battery. Where autostart hides in MIUI, EMUI, ColorOS and iOS. More
