HarmonyOS version history

• Harmony kernel 1.0 - Technology verified (2017)
• Harmony kernel 2.0 - Used for devices TEE (2018)

HarmonyOS 1.0 [1.0.0 - OpenHarmony 1.0.0] (API version 5)

The first release of HarmonyOS was on August 9, 2019 for the Honor-branded smart TV series, followed by Huawei Vision S-branded smart TV series during (HDC) Huawei Developer Conference of 2019 alongside Wireless Wi-Fi routers and IoT systems in 2020. The system incorporated the HarmonyOS teeOS microkernel and LiteOS kernel. Introduced with in-house development using Ark Compiler with HiLink SDK and the HiLink Studio IDE for third party apps in LiteOS kernel environment with comprehensive programming languages support on screen and screenless devices, this version incorporates the key modules based on the open-source framework with the following features:[7][8]

• Huawei Browser
• Camera support
• Huawei ID, allowing management of over-the-air synchronization of Gmail, People, and Calendar.
• Petal Search, allowing users to search the Internet and phone applications, contacts, calendar, etc.
• Huawei MeeTime video messaging.
• EMUI Huawei smartphone and tablet devices connectivity support
• Mirror Share support
• Huawei Music music streaming service, enabling management, importing, and playback of media files.
• Huawei Video
• Wallpaper support
• Other applications include: Photos and Settings.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
• Distributed architecture
• Huawei ARK compiler
• Deterministic Latency Engine
• Formal verification of TEE microkernel and Multi-device IDE (Beta)

Version 1.2 obtained a Common Criteria certification for security.[9]

HarmonyOS 2.0 [2.0.0 - OpenHarmony 2.2.0] (API version 6)

OpenHarmony information of HarmonyOS via App & Device Info Android app for HMOS phones

HarmonyOS 2.0 was launched at the Huawei Developer Conference on 10 September 2020 as a public beta for smart home applications, smartwatches, and head-on-displays and Vision TVs only.[10] Huawei announced it intended to ship the operating system on its smartphones in 2021.[11] The first developer beta of HarmonyOS 2.0 was released on December 16, 2020 for the Chinese domestic market on older Huawei smartphone models which include developer features to build HAP apps and SDK tools for developers. Huawei also released the DevEco Studio 1.0 IDE, which is based on IntelliJ IDEA, and a cloud emulator for developers in early access on September 9, 2020.[12] An updated DevEco Studio 2.0 IDE Developer Beta version for HarmonyOS app development with HarmonyOS 2.0 beta on smartphones on December 16, 2020[13] with subsequent beta releases of 2.1 beta releases in the early first half of 2021.[14] The system was able to run native HarmonyOS apps built on HarmonyOS Ability Package (HAP) with a new app package .app across the whole ecosystem of devices. [15][16]

Released on June 2, 2021, HarmonyOS 2 includes in-house development for the teeOS kernel and app framework for the general public in the Chinese domestic market of smartphones, tablets, HiCar systems, wearables, IoT systems and Vision TVs with an updated DevEco Studio 2.1 IDE[17] alongside subsequent DevEco Studio 2.2 beta releases afterwards.

This version includes a new Harmony OS 2.0 home screen based on EMUI design, new control panel design layout with Super Device, Service Center, Service Cards, and App Snippets for the atomic services platform exclusive to native HarmonyOS apps. It has shared multitasking known as Task Center for Huawei devices between phone and tablets as well as running more than one app on tablet and phone screens. The new OS is also optimized for Huawei Super Device, connecting Huawei computers, tablets and smartphones with on-screen gestures and multi-screen collaboration.[18]

• Huawei AppGallery, allowing application downloads and updates through the Market application.
• JavaScript (JS), Native C++, C and Java programming language development supported for easy porting from Android apps into native HarmonyOS apps.[19]
• Smartphone and tablet home screen based on EMUI design upgradable from EMUI.
• Support for watches from LiteOS to new HarmonyOS system with new crown UI similar to Apple Watch.
• Support for wearable devices such as fitness bands.
• Support for car systems such as Huawei HiCar
• Android compatibility apps of Android 10 and 11 support with .apk and .aab packages support with Linux on phones, tablets and Vision TVs.
• A new control panel design layout with Super Device.
• Service Center, Service Cards, and App Snippets for the atomic services platform exclusive to native HarmonyOS apps.
• Shared app multitasking known as Task Center across Huawei devices between phone and tablets as well as running more than one app on tablet. The Task Center allows phone screens using the base CPU for apps or the GPU of the host distributed device for games. Including drag and drop of documents from one device to another in an app.[20]
• Optimized for Huawei Super Device, connecting Huawei computers, tablets and smartphones with on-screen gestures and multi-screen collaboration.
• EROFS read only file system support
• (HDFS) HarmonyOS Distributed File System file system
• Comprehensive security kernel stack for hardware authentication and app environment system (teeOS Microkernel).
• HMS Core 5.0 support for backwards AOSP compatibility app framework support with HMS apps.
• HMS Core 6.0 August 2021 for Hongmeng/HarmonyOS compatibility app framework support with HMS apps.

For Smart Screens:

• HarmonyOS 2 update for smart screens from 1.0 brings new smart functions such as smoother connections, includes super terminal, screen split-screen, and smart reminder functionalities.

Minor firmware updates under HarmonyOS 2.x:

HarmonyOS 2.0.1 & 2.0.1 SP3 update - October 2021 (Mid-range); December 2021 (High end):

• Stability and optimisation update for all Qualcomm Snapdragon based Huawei smartphones. Also minor user experience enhancements cross device Task Sharing with larger MatePad 11 high end tablet line for high end Huawei flagship smartphones.[21]

HarmonyOS 2.1 for watches - August 2022:

• Brings rich API capabilities to provide better third-party apps experiences[22]
• Optimisations on audio control centre, as well as system performance, system stability and voice broadcast experience in some scenarios.
• Star River watch face includes a simpler always-on-display (AoD) variant.[23]

HarmonyOS 2.1.0 version for E-ink tablet device only for MatePad Paper - August 2022:[24]

• E-ink tablet Ink experience
• Special home screen layout for E-ink
• Compatible with Android apps
• Compatible with native HarmonyOS apps
• Huawei Browser support
• AppGallery support
• Huawei Mobile Services support
• Huawei service apps - Petal Maps, Huawei Cloud, Huawei Books etc.

HarmonyOS 3.0 [3.0.0.76 - OpenHarmony 3.0] (API version 8)

HarmonyOS 3 was announced on Huawei Developers Conference 2021 on October 22, 2021[25] and launched on July 27, 2022.[26]

The Harmony OS 3 version was reported to bring more stability and increased performance of the system's kernel for better user experience and low power consumption. The new release also aims to bring more power to the Super Device feature, which allows connectivity between smart devices with a single super device such as a smartphone. It includes Huawei services such as Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) for Harmony Ability Packages (HAP) native HarmonyOS apps, Celia Assistant and Service Center in global markets.

Java language support dropped on HMOS 3.0 for main full support of eTS, JS programming languages in the new version of the operating system with an updated DevEco Studio 3.0 IDE released afterwards in September 17, 2022.[27] Since API Level 8, .hap apps can run on both HarmonyOS and OpenHarmony simultaneously in one unified development environment as one project.

Huawei aims to release the new version of the operating system globally to older models gradually and release new smartphone and tablet models in two months after the release.[28]

• Improved organised folders with Service Cards support and enhanced Service cards customisations resizing.
• A new Super Home Screen which is an extension of the super device features introduced on HMOS 2 that allows users to share the mobile home screen application to their devices powered by HarmonyOS operating system. Similar to shared multitasking of apps on HarmonyOS 2 on HarmonyOS powered devices.[29]
• Improvements with UI/UX experiences.
• Optimised and performance latency improvements bringing more fluid experience to the operating system.
• Super Device enhancements.
• Celia Assistant and Service Center in global markets.
• Android compatibility version upgrade to Android 12 for the compatibility of latest Android apps on smartphones and tablets.
• Status bar customisations on smartphones.
• Improvements to privacy protections
• New Super Device settings interface.
• Java language support dropped for main full support of eTS, JS and future Cangjie programming languages in the new version of the operating system.
• .hap apps can both run on both Huawei's HarmonyOS and open source HarmonyOS, OpenHarmony.
• Supports for more than one headphones, earphones connectivity via Bluetooth connectivity on Super Device.
• New UI embedded on the home screen of Themes customisation with colours, shape of icons etc.
• Service Cards now has additional customisation sizes.
• New organisation folders layout that allows system toggles customisation directly on the home screen without the need to drag down Control Panel center.
• Service Cards can now be organised in folders with customisation sizes.
• Service Cards can now be organised as a collection of cards that allows users to flick different Atomic Service Cards.
• Enables sharing with phone’s cellular network with a tablet to answer calls or receive SMS directly on the large-screen device.
• Auto layout on home screen customisation powered by AI[30]

For Cars:

• Super Home Screen
• Dual-screen collaboration
• Smart Search support
• Master driving privacy mode
• HUD's adaptive adjustment
• Time wallpaper
• Improvements to Celia Assistant.[31]

For Watches - December 31, 2022:

• Professional Sport functions
• Health Management
• Smart Travel
• Automated enter and exit sleep mode
• Mute Collaboration Function
• Super Device support
• Advanced Dial that comes with Mountain Cloud sea effect, Kaleidoscope Dial and New Watch Faces
• Playing Skills
• System improves and optimises Bluetooth connections with new status icon.[32]

For Smart Screens:

• HarmonyOS 3: 720P becomes 4K, with clearer portraits of the subject.
• Sports Health function supports 200ms low latency, multi-person recognition anti-interference.
• Smoother connections, clearer details and a more stable picture.
• Smart life that support for one-touch access to external storage.
• Children’s mode: new support for motion physical games using motion sensors of the camera.[33]

HarmonyOS 3.1 [3.1.1 - OpenHarmony 3.2] (API version 9)

HarmonyOS 3.1 was announced on Huawei Developers Conference 2022 on November 4 2022, and launched on March 30, 2023

The Harmony OS 3.1 version was reported being a more evolution of version 3.0, that brings more stability at API level and increased system animation fluidness improvements as well as visually refined on the user interface side for better user experiences and also API improvements for app developers with a following release of an updated DevEco Studio 3.1 IDE on April 8, 2023.[34][35]

• 3D Always on Display (AOD)
• Faster start-up and running time of apps
• Improved user experiences with dynamic special effects in notification centre, Atomic Service Card size adjustments, window size adjustments and audio control.
• Custom lock screen
• Better optimisation of icons with minor changes
• New stock camera app that includes the new rotating zoom ring
• Second generation satellite communication features support in China
• Better lifecycle security control of hide on-screen applications and background popup app management
• Foldable phone UI support to manage large on-screen display with new home screen layout with window rotation and query capabilities through various interfaces optimised for foldable smartphone hardware.
• New input method cursor direction added
• Improved AI powered smart multi-tasking split screen functions
• Brand new lock screen functionality
• Fluid, smoother and seamless transitions of system animations across the OS.
• ArkUI development framework support for new HarmonyOS Design Language System
• ArkTS language support
• Enhanced Web services and application framework
• Meta capability expansion of stage development models
• Added interface for querying application[36]
• Huawei Pangu AI Natural Language Processing (NLP) model integrated into HarmonyOS 3.1 Celia Assistant improvements via Xiaoyi in China[37]

HarmonyOS NEXT

• Support for HarmonyOS NEXT

HarmonyOS 4.0 [4.0.0 - OpenHarmony 4.0] (API version 10)

HarmonyOS 4.0 was announced and launched at Huawei Developers Conference 2023 on August 4, 2023 as public beta. HarmonyOS 4.0 stable version rolled out to various 34 smartphone and tablet model devices between August 18 and August 29, 2023 on .111, .112 and .113 stable builds in China.[38][39]

The Harmony OS 4.0 version brings more advanced features set at API level and increased system animation fluidness improvements as well as visually refined on the user interface side for better user experiences and also API improvements for app developers.[40]

• New Personalization for Personal theme with New "ART" theme and themed icons(can't cover 3rd party apps) and Interact theme with New Panoramic weather theme.
• New First Boot screen start-up
• New system theme
• 1800 native HarmonyOS designed system emojis
• Interactive Watch Faces
• Smart Notification Center
• Improved Service Widgets with Meta (Formerly called Atomic) Services, card style information
• Refreshed SuperHub improvements with connectivity and integration of all apps between devices that Extract any Information from screen(word and photo) pull to SuperHub.
• AI and LLM Voice Assistant Celia/XiaoYi[China] - Powered by Huawei Pangu AI model, supports Chinese and English with Celia Proactive Suggestions and Developers can add Celia Voice services to their atomic services
• Smart Search
• Multi-screen sharing
• Better Performance
• Application Control Center
• Children's Remote Guardian
• Elderly Care
• Live window, LiveView notifications on smart capsule (Dynamic notifications)
• Comprehensive Map services kit with Petal Maps SDK.
• Chinese Noodles emoji
• Responsive columns - Dichotomous column, tricolumn
• System-level control AI
• Control panel with a new Music playback UI/UX improvements of volume and scrubber playback support on Huawei Music and third party apps
• Control panel UI improvements of better animations UI/UX interactions
• China HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid technology standard
• Ark Engine 2D Grpahics Render for GUI system based on Google's skia graphics engine with MapleEngine MPP. [41]
• ArkUI-X cross platform framework support with full stack of software development, including programming languages, multilingual front-ends, compilers, execution engines, and a series of tool chains.
• HarmonyOS SDK has been upgraded to API 10, integrating device and cloud at the same time
• Dynamic notifications on all devices (Phones lockscreen, Watches with Crescent Moon Window and with LiveView).[42]
• HUAWEI M-Pencil into a whiteboard marker in seconds, and the shared content can be highlighted and marked.
• Battery life improvements up to 20%
• New Screenshot functionalities within app view and windowed apps.
• New photo editor
• Auto support
  • The super transfer station supports more applications, and two-finger long press can easily extract text and pictures and drag them into the transfer station.
  • The super desktop expands more scenarios, not only supporting the transfer of mobile games to the smart cockpit screen, but also supporting the transfer of drone aerial images to the smart cockpit.[43]
• TV support
• Router support
• IoT support
• Wearables support
• Audio accessories and devices support

Phone Features:

• Improved AOD
• Better look screen customization

Watch Features:

• Crescent moon window on Watches
• 3D interactive watch face customisation
• Watch Face API support for rich 3D games for third-party developers.[44]

HarmonyOS NEXT

• Support for HarmonyOS NEXT