Huawei Initiates Public Beta for HarmonyOS 6 in China
Huawei has begun the public beta of HarmonyOS 6, its next-generation operating system designed and engineered solely with an AI vision. This is the commercial version of what was formerly known as HarmonyOS NEXT, which marks an important milestone since it is developed entirely upon Huawei's own kernel with no Android (AOSP) code. The beta is only available for users in China.
Key Features of HarmonyOS 6
The latest update has a multitude of changes around design, AI integration, and security.
Aesthetic Upgrade: The user interface has been modified, with new animations, enhanced lock screen customization, and overall smoothness.
XiaoYi AI Assistant: New personal assistant XiaoYi is installed at the OS core. It's a kind of "smart partner" that understands the context, performs complex multi-step tasks on its own, organizes research, and also provides a "Sees the World" feature to assist visually impaired users.
AI-Powered Security: The system equips anti-fraud detection, which is proactive against scam calls (even face-swapping ones aided by AI). An "anti-peep" feature can also obscure sensitive information whenever another person is peeping at your screen.
Cross-Platform File Transfer: File transfers between Huawei devices and Apple-branded products are now possible, such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs, thanks to HarmonyOS 6.
Rollout Schedule of HarmonyOS 6 Beta Devices (China)
The beta is being rolled out in waves to different classes of devices.
Public Beta Devices (October 2025)
This first wave is for current flagship models, which can be registered for now.
- Smartphones: Mate 70, Mate 60, Pura 80, Pura 70, Nova 14, Nova 13, Nova 12
- Foldables: Mate X6, Mate X5 series, Pura X series, Pocket 2 Series, Nova Flip, Nova Flip S
- Tablets: MatePad Pro 13.2 (2025 and 2023), MatePad Pro 12.2 (2024), MatePad 11 Pro (2024)
Closed Beta Devices (October 2025)
A separate closed beta is also being conducted for the following hardware.
- Phones and Laptops: Mate XT, Mate XT Ultimate Design, MateBook Pro
- Tablets: MatePad Pro 12.2 (2025)
- Wearables and Audio: Watch 5, Watch GT 5 Series, FreeBuds 6, FreeBuds 7i, FreeArc
Later Beta Rollout (November-December 2025)
This will be the third wave planned for updates by the end of the year.
- Phones: Nova 14 Lite (Vitality Edition), Enjoy 70X
- Tablets: MatePad Mini, MatePad Air (2024 & 2025), MatePad 11.5S (2024 & 2025)
- Wearables and Audio: Watch Fit 4 Series, FreeBuds Pro 4, FreeClip 2, FreeClip
How to Sign Up for the Beta
For users in China with an eligible device, signing up for the beta requires manual registration.
- Open the My Huawei App on your device.
- Go to the beta registration section.
- Pick your device model and finish the sign-up.
Note that this beta program is specific to China. There is no timeline yet for HarmonyOS 6 to launch worldwide.
