Huawei prepares to take HarmonyOS beyond China

Huawei is preparing to bring its HarmonyOS operating system to international markets, Android Headlines reports.

Huawei rotating chairman Xu Zhijun confirmed at the HarmonyOS Ecosystem Conference 2026 that the company is preparing to test the platform outside China. If the initial trials prove successful, Huawei plans a broader global rollout, positioning HarmonyOS as a third major mobile operating system alongside Android and iOS.

Outside China, Huawei currently ships its mobile devices with EMUI, which is based on the open-source version of Android. A move to HarmonyOS would extend beyond smartphones and tablets to cars and other smart devices. Industry observers expect Huawei to take a gradual approach, initially using transitional versions of the software to maintain compatibility with key apps before eventually moving its international devices away from the Android codebase.