When Empires Collide: The Strain Of Building HarmonyOS

Forbes

3 days ago

SUQIAN, CHINA - OCTOBER 23, 2024 - Illustration Huawei's native Harmony OS operating system, China's ... More first homegrown mobile operating system, is officially released.
Since Huawei launched HarmonyOS, one question has come up repeatedly: why hasn't the HarmonyOS version of WeChat matched its Android and iOS counterparts in functionality?
As one of China's most widely used applications, WeChat plays a central role in daily communication, payments, and services. Its slower-than-expected development on HarmonyOS reflects broader challenges facing this new operating system—not just for Tencent, but for developers across the ecosystem.
Rebuilding, Not Porting
According to a Chinese podcast Yi E Chuan E on July 3, WeChat's development team began building the HarmonyOS-native version in 2024. The task involved far more than simply porting the existing Android version. HarmonyOS NEXT had removed Android compatibility entirely, requiring a full architectural rebuild using Huawei's tools and system APIs.
Core functions like messaging and payments were given priority, but more complex features—such as Moments, Mini Programs, voice and video calls, and third-party plugins—needed to be re-engineered from the ground up. Much of this functionality was developed over a decade ago and lacks clean documentation, adding to the difficulty of the migration.
Frequent changes to HarmonyOS itself presented an additional layer of complexity. Unlike Android, which follows a predictable annual API cycle, HarmonyOS underwent multiple API iterations in short periods. Developers noted that at one point, they had to adapt to two API versions in a single month, which increased development costs and timelines.
A Platform Still Under Construction
HarmonyOS remains a work in progress. Key system features such as file access, webview rendering, multi-tasking, and accessibility services are still evolving. For apps like WeChat, which depend on tight integration with system functions, any instability at the OS level can delay development or affect performance.
The PC version of HarmonyOS reveals additional challenges. Though PC WeChat has a smaller user base, it is vital for office communication and livestreaming. Developers cited limitations such as partial multi-window support, a dual-runtime architecture using ArkTS and Qt, and mobile-oriented system behavior that doesn't fully align with desktop expectations.
In the podcast, a Harmony developer explained they've taken a gradual rollout approach, prioritizing stability and reliability. Even features that have been internally developed are being released slowly to avoid undermining user trust.
Small Developers Face Steeper Challenges
Recently, a blogger called Zhuge Wang released a statistical chart. Based on the information, Zhuge Wang's chart analyzes how many apps from major Chinese internet companies are compatible with Huawei's Harmony OS. Here's a summary:
A Xiaohongshu blogger analyzed the ranking of Chinese tech companies adapting the HarmonyOS
If Tencent, Alibaba, Bytedance and NetEast— China's most technically advanced companies—has required over a year to rebuild their supper Apps for HarmonyOS, the road ahead for smaller developers is clearly more difficult.
Developing a native HarmonyOS app often requires teams to learn new SDKs, rewrite significant portions of code, and test across unfamiliar hardware. For a product development team, in the past, they usually reserve at least two groups of R&D teams for Apple iOS and Android systems, and now with the addition of the Harmony system, it is necessary to add at least one new team not smaller than the size of either of the above groups, which means increasing 30%-50% cost, in terms of time, staffing, and resources.
Maintaining three separate platforms—iOS, Android, and HarmonyOS—can be unsustainable for smaller teams. Many are taking a wait-and-see approach, delaying full adoption until the platform becomes more mature, the toolchain stabilizes, and user adoption justifies the investment.
Cross-platform solutions like Flutter or Webview can provide temporary support, but they come with performance trade-offs. Native development offers better integration but demands more time and technical effort.
Balancing Speed and Sustainability
Huawei's push for HarmonyOS is part of a larger strategy to increase China's technological independence. But for developers, platform decisions are driven more by practical considerations. Without a large and active user base, it becomes harder to justify major engineering investments—especially for startups and smaller firms.
This creates a feedback loop: users hesitate to switch without full app support, and app developers hesitate to invest without guaranteed user demand. Building a healthy app ecosystem requires careful alignment between user expectations, developer capacity, and platform readiness.
While larger companies may eventually build for HarmonyOS, smaller developers often depend on efficiency, stability, and ease of development—areas where HarmonyOS is still evolving.
Developer Responses and Public Expectations
Online, some developers have faced pressure from users eager to see faster HarmonyOS adoption. However, most product teams have chosen to quietly focus on refining their apps rather than rushing unfinished versions to market.
Insiders note that releasing features before they are fully tested could risk not just user dissatisfaction but also long-term reputational damage—both for the apps involved and for HarmonyOS itself.
It's worth noting that certain groups—in the PC and Mobile WeChat there is still a group of users (such as elderly users and users with accessibility needs) is not easy to be seen by the public, although the number of users is not large, but the adaptation of the priority is equally high. Building robust accessibility tools under a new system architecture requires time and care, particularly for features as central as voice control, large text modes, and screen readers.
Looking Ahead: Building a More Inclusive Ecosystem
HarmonyOS is still at an early stage in its evolution. While its long-term goals are ambitious, the short-term reality is that it remains a complex platform to develop for—especially for small- and medium-sized teams.
Whether HarmonyOS can sustain a vibrant, diverse app ecosystem will depend on how quickly Huawei can improve developer tools, stabilize its API environment, and provide meaningful support. Lowering the technical and financial barriers to entry will be crucial if HarmonyOS is to attract the full range of developers—beyond the handful of large tech firms that currently dominate the rollout.
Conclusion
The slower rollout of HarmonyOS-native apps, including WeChat, should not be seen as resistance or lack of commitment. It reflects the very real engineering and ecosystem challenges that come with building a new operating system from the ground up.
As HarmonyOS continues to develop, the success of the platform will hinge on its ability to serve not just national objectives, but the practical needs of the developer community. For now, patience, transparency, and sustained investment in developer experience may be the most effective paths forward.