Huawei P20 Pro is getting its biggest Android update ever – best new features revealed

More than three months after Android 10 debuted on Google Pixel handsets, Huawei is finally rolling out the new operating system to the P20 Pro… in China. Yes, P20 Pro owners in Europe will have to hold their breath for the time being – with no release date for Android 10 confirmed. That said, the fact that Huawei P20 Pro owners in China running EMUI 9.1 have reported the arrival of the new operating system version suggests a global rollout may not be far away.

Just like many other Android smartphone vendors, Huawei doesn’t pre-install its devices with Google’s version of Android. Instead Huawei handsets come pre-installed with the firm’s in-house EMUI software based on the Google operating system. EMUI 10 is the latest software from Huawei that’s based on Android 10.

When EMUI 10 is available for your P20 Pro, you should receive a notification alerting you about the update. However, it’s always worth checking for software updates manually – this can be done by heading to Settings > System > Software Update.

EMUI 10 is by far the P20 Pro’s biggest update yet. In fact, we’d go so far as to say the software skin is easily the best Huawei has ever put together.

Huawei gave EMUI 10 the tagline “beyond the beauty”, and while it’s easy to see that as just another piece of marketing jargon – Huawei has definitely done some work to clean-up its design. The new software comes with a magazine-style layout that’s not shy to adopt white space (or black if you have dark mode enabled) to give native apps more room to breathe.

The Chinese tech giant has clearly taken inspiration from Samsung’s One UI with EMUI 10. That’s because all of Huawei’s native apps have been overhauled with a new aesthetic that places the majority of content in the lower-third of a phone display to make one-handed navigation easier.

EMUI 10 also boasts functionality that’s very similar to Apple’s Haptic Touch technology. If you hold down on any home screen apps you’ll be treated to a range of options that’ll let you quickly activate certain app features. For instance, holding down on the Settings app will present you with quick toggles to turn on or off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data, and more.

Huawei has also souped-up its always-on display (AOD) with EMUI 10. Now users have access to a variety of new clock faces and pictures that can be added to the AOD. Plus, the Chinese tech giant has created an AOD market that’ll let you kit out your handset with designs from third-party developers.

Dark mode is also upgraded in EMUI 10 and now works with more native and third-party apps like Instagram when it’s enabled. The gloomy theme should not only provide easier viewing on your eyes, but also save some precious battery life, too.

One of our favourite additions in EMUI 10 is subtle, but it’s something we really appreciate. Huawei has finally added a traditional Android app drawer to the operating system, meaning you no longer need to take up precious home screen space with a dedicated app drawer button.

Now, opening your list of apps is as simple as swiping up from the bottom of the display, just like on most other Android phones…

Of course, EMUI 10 also comes loaded with a swathe of Google-specific features, too. That means owners can now take advantage of new gestures that eliminate Android’s traditional back button in favour of an inward swipe from the left or right.

Notifications have also been refined in Android 10. Now alerts will display buttons that’ll provide quick access to other apps depending on context. That means if someone has just sent you an address, you’ll see a prompt within the notification letting you take a look at it in Google Maps.

You can read our in-depth overview of EMUI 10 here.

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