HarmonyOS 6

HarmonyOS 6 Public Beta Launch: AI Everywhere, Compatible with Apple Ecosystem

Honghao Wang

— 5 min read
HarmonyOS 6 Public Beta Launch: AI Everywhere, Compatible with Apple Ecosystem

One-Year Anniversary of “Pure-Blood HarmonyOS” — HarmonyOS 6: From “Usable” to Truly Easy to Use

The one-year-old Pure-Blood HarmonyOS 5 can be described as one of the fastest-growing operating systems in history — with over 23 million devices, full coverage of major apps, and even a footprint in the PC ecosystem.

However, compared with iOS and Android, whose ecosystems have matured over more than a decade, native HarmonyOS was still best described as “usable”.

The first major iteration, HarmonyOS 6, signals a leap from simply “usable” to truly easy to use.

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From “Having” → “Having More” → “Having Better”

Application Ecosystem Leap

HarmonyOS 6 focuses heavily on application ecosystem building, more than on core system changes.

  • Within 1 year: Most major apps adapted to HarmonyOS
  • Over 30,000 apps under development/update
  • Apps cover 90% of active usage time
  • Long-tail apps joining steadily
  • Mobile gaming ecosystem expanding fast
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Many apps remain at the “works but not optimised” stage. WeChat and Douyin have core features working, yet lag behind in experience when compared to other platforms.

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Primary Theme: Catching Up

At the HarmonyOS 6 launch:

  • Major brands like Tencent, Alipay, Meituan, JD.com showcased their apps.
  • Monthly updates for HarmonyOS WeChat (new major version each month).
  • Taobao (HarmonyOS) supports WeChat Pay in flash sales.
  • Douyin (HarmonyOS) supports full group-buying workflow.

While these aren’t all “core” features, they significantly boost user satisfaction.

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Going Beyond — Exclusive Features

HarmonyOS 6 is not just catching up — it’s aiming for “corner overtaking”.

Example:

  • JD.com HarmonyOS Edition:
  • First in China to offer high-precision AR “Try It Out”, allowing:
  • 3D roaming of product environments
  • Viewing combinations from multiple angles
  • Zooming for detail inspection

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AI Smart Agent Framework

The competitive edge lies in system-level openness for intelligent agent integration by third-party developers.

Since June:

  • 80+ third-party apps adapted
  • Coverage: entertainment, travel, content creation
  • Example: JD.com’s shopping assistant
  • Recommend/compare/search products
  • Identify discounts
  • Assist with after-sales issues

Future: Any HarmonyOS app could embed an AI agent, enabling unique market experiences.

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Smartphone AI: Shopping, Researching, and More

Visible Upgrades

  • Artistic Lock Screen Signature
  • AI customizes wallpaper framing, font styles, and backgrounds.
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Performance Gains

  • Parallel computing, storage-based computation, cloud–device collaboration.
  • Huawei claims:
  • E-commerce “buy” → payment initiation 20% faster
  • 1 GB PDF opens in 0.6 seconds on HarmonyOS PC.
  • Cross-platform file transfers now include Apple systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS).
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AI Power Expansion

Fast Note-Taking

  • Save article links via sidebar/control center.
  • System auto-generates summary cards.

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AI Ecosystem Openness

HarmonyOS’s AI openness aligns with the evolving creator economy:

  • Platforms like AiToEarn官网
  • Enable AI-driven content publishing & monetization on:
  • Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Rednote, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, X (Twitter).
  • HarmonyOS AI agent framework could integrate similar cross-platform creation features.
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AI Photo Editing with Xiaoyi

  • Native AI editing — conversational commands to Xiaoyi:
  • Add soft light to faces
  • Replace backgrounds
  • Add/remove elements
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Intelligent Agents: From Tasks to Assistance

HarmonyOS 5’s Xiaoyi handled simple OS tasks; HarmonyOS 6:

  • Books flights
  • Completes online shopping workflows
  • Runs tasks in the background without disrupting activities
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Everyday Automation

Examples:

  • Lower phone volume when opening Douyin/Xiaohongshu at the office
  • Launch app to collect coins daily at fixed time

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Professional Assistance

  • Research topics
  • Integrate local document analysis
  • Generate PPTs from gathered insights
  • Medical scenario:
  • Consult Ant Health Butler for department guidance & registration
  • Interpret test results via iFlytek Xiaoyi

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Language Inclusivity

  • Supports 16 dialects
  • Xiaoyi can listen and respond in the same dialect
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HarmonyOS 6’s AI makes intelligent assistant use seamless, low-disruption, and professional, showing clear progression from “usable” → “mature” → “polished”.

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Co-Creation: Developers + Users = Growth

Richard Yu at HDC Conference:

> “When you first get HarmonyOS, you love it. After a short while, you may feel a bit less comfortable. Then after a few more days, you love it even more.”

To reduce discomfort faster:

  • Rich application ecosystem
  • Strong, user-friendly OS core
  • Ongoing Huawei investment
  • Developer involvement
  • User co-creation

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Developer Conference Highlights

  • Open invitation to “Harmony partners”
  • Low entry barriers + high returns
  • Top companies (Tencent, Taobao, ByteDance, JD.com, Meituan) endorsing HarmonyOS

Huawei builds the road; developers pave it; users define its future.

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User Feedback Loop

  • 2 million “wish lists” submitted by users in one year
  • Monthly+ updates with rapid improvements

The HarmonyOS growth is anchored in trust:

  • Developers trust the value potential
  • Users trust the platform enough to help improve it
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Broader Ecosystems & Cross-Platform Co-Creation

AiToEarn官网 is one example in this space:

  • Open-source AI content monetization
  • Supports multi-platform distribution:
  • Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, X (Twitter)
  • Includes analytics & AI model ranking tools

This mirrors HarmonyOS’s collaborative build model.

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The Road Ahead

For HarmonyOS to be truly user-friendly alongside Android & iOS:

  • Continued growth
  • Deeper ecosystem maturity
  • Persistent developer-user collaboration

This journey is a shared growth experience.

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Official Upgrade List

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Summary:

HarmonyOS 6 delivers both ecosystem expansion and AI-driven usability upgrades. In parallel, platforms like AiToEarn represent how open collaboration can accelerate technological ecosystems. The coming years will determine whether HarmonyOS can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global OS giants — but it now has the momentum, trust, and community to make that leap.

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Would you like me to also create an executive summary section at the very top of this for quick reading? That could make this long-form piece far more skimmable.

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