HarmonyOS PCs Get App Sideloading by 2026 End
Huawei targets installing apps outside AppGallery on its PCs by end-2026, a feature still in announced, not shipped, status.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Computers
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Huawei plans to introduce app sideloading on its HarmonyOS PCs by the end of 2026, allowing compatible applications to be installed from outside the official AppGallery marketplace. The timeline was announced by Zhu Dongdong, president of Huawei's Tablet and PC Product Line, at the 2026 HarmonyOS Office Industry Summit on November 5. The feature is announced, not shipped.
Why it matters
Sideloading would let developers distribute software outside a single official store, a shift for an ecosystem Huawei says already includes more than 21,000 independent applications. Huawei frames the change as more flexible distribution that remains secure and controlled, though it has not yet described how.
Huawei's announced figure is more than 21,000 independent applications in its HarmonyOS PC ecosystem, but the company has not published sideloading specifications. Its existing compatibility path, Zhuoyitong, requires HarmonyOS 6.0.0.115 or later, and no sideloading performance or security benchmarks have been released.
The players
Huawei
Chinese technology company building the HarmonyOS operating system and its AppGallery store across phones, tablets and PCs.
Zhu Dongdong
President of Huawei's Tablet and PC Product Line, who announced the sideloading timeline.
The details
Sideloading means installing compatible applications from outside an operating system's official marketplace. Today Huawei directs users to AppGallery for native installs, and runs Windows applications through third-party virtual machine tools such as Kaima and Oseasy. The planned feature would add a path beyond that store, though Huawei has not detailed how packages would be verified or approved.
Timeline
2025: Huawei first discussed sideloading for HarmonyOS PCs.
November 5, 2026: Zhu Dongdong announced the sideloading timeline at the 2026 HarmonyOS Office Industry Summit.
End of 2026: Huawei targets availability of sideloading on HarmonyOS PCs.
The Tech Race
Huawei's plan positions HarmonyOS PCs against platforms that already allow broader software installation, while its current reliance on AppGallery and third-party virtual machines marks the baseline it is moving away from. The move is a departure from the store-centric model Huawei has used to build its independent application count of more than 21,000.
Developers could eventually distribute software directly, and users may reach compatible applications that AppGallery does not carry. Availability, supported devices and technical prerequisites have not been announced, so users cannot yet count on the feature.
The takeaway
The development to track is whether Huawei publishes sideloading specifications and ships the feature before the end of 2026. Watch for the package format, verification and permission rules, which will show how much control Huawei keeps over what runs on HarmonyOS PCs.
What happens next
Huawei's stated target is availability of sideloading on HarmonyOS PCs by the end of 2026, the date to watch for whether the feature ships and what package and verification rules it adopts.
Further reading
For background on how these machines are evolving, see our Computers coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Techgenyz.
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