Huawei just did something nobody really saw coming. The Chinese tech giant has revealed a new app called Galaxy Connect that lets Apple Watch and AirPods pair directly with Huawei devices running HarmonyOS. Yes, you read that right. Apple Watch, on a Huawei phone.
The app is live on Apple’s App Store right now. Once connected, Huawei device owners get access to message notifications and call reminders through their Apple Watch, pretty much mirroring the experience iPhone users have had for years. It’s a surprisingly practical move, and it fills a real gap for people who switched to Huawei hardware but still own Apple wearables.
So why does this matter? Because the smartwatch market has always been brutally siloed. Apple Watch works best with iPhone. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch works best with Android. Huawei has its own Watch GT lineup. Manufacturers have used this kind of ecosystem lock-in deliberately, because it keeps you buying within one brand. Huawei breaking that pattern, even partially, is genuinely interesting. It tells you the company is thinking about what users actually own rather than just what it wants them to buy.
There’s also a bigger story here around Huawei’s position globally. Cut off from Google services and facing serious restrictions on chip access, Huawei has had to get creative. HarmonyOS is the company’s answer to Android dependency, and Galaxy Connect looks like part of a broader strategy to make that ecosystem feel less isolated. If you can use your existing Apple accessories with a Huawei phone, the switch feels a lot less painful.
The app currently supports a specific range of compatible devices, and the feature set is still fairly basic compared to native iPhone integration. You get notifications and call alerts, but don’t expect full Apple Watch functionality. Still, it’s a start, and Huawei clearly knows what it’s doing here.
- Message and call reminders visible on Apple Watch
- AirPods pairing supported with Huawei devices
- Available now on Apple’s App Store
- Works with select HarmonyOS compatible devices
Whether this evolves into something deeper or stays a limited compatibility patch remains to be seen. But credit where it’s due. This is a smart, user-focused move from a company that has every reason to keep people locked inside its own walled garden instead.