HarmonyOS

HarmonyOS
HarmonyOS desktop screenshot
DeveloperHuawei
Written inC, C++, JavaScript (Lite), ArkTS, Cangjie, Rust and others
OS familyOpenHarmony
Working stateCurrent
Source modelClosed, with open source components
Initial releaseAugust 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
Latest release6.0.0 / November 25, 2025 (2025-11-25)
Marketing targetEmbedded systems, smartphones, tablet computers, Laptops, wearable devices, Personal computers, Cars, Audio equipments
Available in14 languages
Update methodOver-the-air
Package manager.app
Supported platforms64-bit ARM
Kernel typeMicrokernel (HongMeng Kernel)
UserlandSystem Service Layer (OpenHarmony-based HarmonyOS system
Default
user interface
Harmony Design (Design System) (multi-touch, GUI)
LicenseCommercial software, Proprietary software except for open-source components
Preceded byLiteOS, EMUI, Android and Microsoft Windows
Official websitedeveloper.huawei.com/consumer/en/harmonyos/develop/
Support status
Supported
Articles in the series
HarmonyOS version history
HarmonyOS
Simplified Chinese鸿蒙操作系统
Traditional Chinese鴻蒙操作系統
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHóngméng Cāozuò Xìtǒng
Bopomofoㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄇㄥ
Tongyong PinyinHóng Méng Cāo Zuò Xì Tǒng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationHùhng Mùhng
JyutpingHung4 Mung4 Cou1 Zok3 Hai6 Tung2

HarmonyOS (HMOS) (Chinese: 鸿蒙操作系统; pinyin: Hóngméng Cāozuò Xìtǒng; trans. "Vast Mist") is a distributed operating system developed by Huawei for smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, smart watches, personal computers and other smart devices. It has a microkernel design with a single framework: the operating system selects suitable kernels from the abstraction layer in the case of devices that use diverse resources. The latest version is HarmonyOS 6; it was released on 22 October 2025.

From 2019 to 2024, versions 1 to 4.3 (4.5 TV) of the operating system were built by integrating the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) with OpenHarmony, allowing it to support both HarmonyOS and Android apps. The current iteration of HarmonyOS became known as HarmonyOS NEXT. HarmonyOS NEXT was announced on August 4, 2023, and officially launched on October 22, 2024. It also replaced the OpenHarmony multi-kernel system with its own HongMeng Kernel at its core and removed all Android code. Since version 5, HarmonyOS only supports apps in its native "App" format.

HarmonyOS 5.x+ both discards the common Unix-like Linux kernel and replaces the previous multiple-kernel, kernel agnostic system from OpenHarmony with its own bespoke HarmonyOS microkernel as a single framework.

HarmonyOS was officially launched by Huawei, and first used in Honor smart TVs, in August 2019. It was later used in Huawei wireless routers, IoT in 2020, followed by smartphones, tablets and smartwatches from June 2021.

In May 2025, the first notebook with the HarmonyOS operating system was launched by Huawei, featuring "HarmonyOS PC", i.e. HarmonyOS 5 for the personal computer form factor.

On November 19, 2025, the first 2-in-1 with HarmonyOS 5.1 was launched by Huawei, with MatePad Edge supporting both tablet mode and full desktop counterpart in line with Huawei MateBook PC line.