Install Dixl on Huawei

Huawei and Honor phones released after mid-2019 ship without the Google Play Store, so you install Dixl Messenger by downloading it directly from our website as an .apk file. This is the official Dixl app, just delivered directly. The whole process takes about two minutes and you only have to approve it once.

Before you start

• This guide is for Huawei and Honor phones running EMUI or Android-based HarmonyOS without Google Play.
• HarmonyOS NEXT (HarmonyOS 5) is different: Huawei’s newest OS (2025+) no longer runs Android apps, so .apk files — including Dixl — can’t be installed on it. This guide doesn’t apply to those devices.
• You will download one file and approve the install once. After that, Dixl updates itself from inside the app — you won’t need to repeat this.
• Because these phones have no Google Play Services, notifications work a little differently. See Missing Google Play Services for the background, and be sure to finish Step 6 below so calls and messages always arrive.

Step 1 — Download the APK

1. On your phone, open dixl.com/android/HTC_Messenger.apk — or type dixl.com/android/HTC_Messenger.apk into your browser’s address bar.
2. The download starts automatically. If your browser asks, tap Download / OK.
3. If you see a warning that “this type of file can harm your device”, tap Download anyway — the file is safe; Android shows this message for every .apk.

The file is named HTC_Messenger.apk — that is the correct Dixl installer.

Step 2 — Open the downloaded file

1. When the download finishes, tap it in the notification shade, or open the Files app.
2. Go to Internal storage › Download and tap HTC_Messenger.apk.

Step 3 — Allow installing this app

The first time you install an app from outside AppGallery, Huawei asks for permission.

1. A dialog appears: “For your security, your phone currently isn’t allowed to install unknown apps from this source.” Tap Settings.
2. Turn on Allow apps from this source (older phones: Allow installation of apps) for the app you downloaded with — usually Browser or Files.
3. Tap the back arrow to return. The installer screen comes back.

Step 4 — Get past “Pure mode” and the security scan

Many Huawei phones have Pure mode (sometimes shown as Optimization or External source verification), which only allows apps from AppGallery.

1. If you see “Pure mode is on” or “Unknown app blocked”, tap More details › Install anyway, or Settings › Disable. Confirm if asked.
2. On some models, disabling Pure mode asks you to sign in with a Huawei ID — tap Disable and follow the prompt.
3. Huawei may run a quick safety scan and report “No threats found” or “Install with caution”. Tap Install anyway / Continue.

Step 5 — Install and open

1. Tap Install and wait a few seconds.
2. When it shows App installed, tap Open.
3. From now on you’ll find Dixl in your app list (home screen or app drawer).
4. Register with your phone number and enter the code we send you by SMS.

Step 6 — Keep calls and messages arriving (important on Huawei)

Because Huawei has no Google Play Services, Dixl keeps a quiet background connection so it can receive your calls and messages. EMUI and HarmonyOS close background apps aggressively, so set this once:

1. Open Phone Manager (Optimizer) › Battery › App launch › Dixl. Turn off Manage automatically, then enable all three: Auto-launch, Secondary launch, and Run in background.
2. Check Settings › Apps › Dixl › Battery › App launch shows the same.
3. Open Recent apps, find the Dixl card, and tap the lock icon so HarmonyOS keeps it in memory.

Full per-vendor steps are in Battery optimization. If calls still don’t ring after this, see Calls don’t ring on Android.

Updating later

You don’t need to download the APK again for updates. Dixl checks for a new version automatically in the background and shows a notification when one is ready — just tap it to install.

To check manually at any time:

1. Tap your avatar (top‑left of the chat list) to open Settings.
2. Open Help.
3. Tap Check for updates.

If a newer version is available, Dixl downloads it and walks you through the same install prompts as above.

Contact us if a step doesn’t match what you see — Huawei’s menus differ between models and EMUI versions, and we’re happy to help.