WeChat Adds AI Songwriting to HarmonyOS App

WeChat, the super-app used by over 1.3 billion people worldwide, has rolled out a significant update for its HarmonyOS version, introducing AI-powered music creation features alongside a suite of productivity and social enhancements. Version 8.0.17.36, released on May 6, 2025, marks another milestone in Huawei's effort to build a fully independent software ecosystem that rivals Android and iOS.

The update arrives as WeChat's HarmonyOS app surpasses 53.69 million installations — a figure that underscores the rapid adoption of Huawei's homegrown operating system in China and signals growing momentum for a platform many Western observers initially dismissed.

Key Takeaways at a Glance

• AI songwriting and AI cover features debut on WeChat's HarmonyOS version before Android and iOS
• Installation count reaches 53.69 million, reflecting strong HarmonyOS adoption
• Cross-platform QR code scanning enables photo and file transfers between HarmonyOS, iOS, and Android devices
• Video Channel gains auto-rotation, double-tap likes, and livestream customization
• New 'Music Space' hub integrates with QQ Music for seamless playback
• Official changelog simply states 'fixed some known issues' — community users uncovered the full feature list

AI Music Tools Land on HarmonyOS First

The most notable addition in this release is the introduction of 'Song Production' and 'Music Space' features within WeChat's 'Listen' section. These tools reportedly include AI songwriting and AI cover generation capabilities, allowing users to create original music or produce AI-rendered covers of existing songs using artificial intelligence.

What makes this particularly interesting is the rollout strategy. According to user reports, these AI music features appear to be in a gray-scale release phase — meaning they are being tested with a limited subset of users. More importantly, these capabilities have not yet appeared on WeChat's Android or iOS versions, making the HarmonyOS edition the first platform to receive them.

This 'HarmonyOS-first' approach represents a strategic shift. Historically, WeChat's HarmonyOS version lagged behind its Android and iOS counterparts in feature parity. Now, Tencent appears to be using the HarmonyOS platform as a testing ground for experimental AI features, giving Huawei's ecosystem a competitive edge that could attract early adopters and tech enthusiasts.

The AI music tools align with a broader global trend. Companies like Suno, Udio, and Google's MusicFX have popularized AI-generated music in Western markets. WeChat's integration of similar capabilities directly into a messaging super-app — rather than as a standalone product — could dramatically lower the barrier to entry for casual music creation among hundreds of millions of users.

Video Channel Gets a Major Upgrade

WeChat's Video Channel (视频号), the platform's short-video and livestreaming competitor to Douyin (TikTok's Chinese counterpart), receives several meaningful improvements in this update.

Key Video Channel enhancements include:

• Profile editing directly within the Video Channel interface for existing account holders
• New account registration streamlined through the Discover tab
• Auto-rotation and manual rotation for video playback, improving the viewing experience for landscape content
• Double-tap to like functionality, mirroring the interaction pattern popularized by Instagram and TikTok
• Enhanced livestream controls, including location tagging, stream type selection, and granular settings for viewer gifts and reactions

These changes signal Tencent's continued investment in Video Channel as a core growth driver. In the company's recent earnings reports, Video Channel advertising revenue has been one of the fastest-growing segments, and these UX refinements suggest Tencent is focused on both creator tools and viewer engagement.

The addition of double-tap liking is a small but telling detail. It acknowledges that user behavior patterns established by Western platforms like Instagram have become universal expectations, even within China's distinct social media ecosystem.

Cross-Platform File Sharing Bridges the OS Divide

One of the most practical features in this update is cross-platform QR code scanning for face-to-face photo and file transfers. HarmonyOS users can now scan QR codes generated by iOS or Android devices to send and receive photos and files directly.

This capability addresses one of the biggest friction points in a multi-OS world. As Huawei's HarmonyOS gains market share in China — where it now ranks as the second-largest mobile operating system — seamless interoperability with Apple and Google devices becomes essential for user retention.

Unlike Apple's AirDrop or Google's Nearby Share, which are locked within their respective ecosystems, WeChat's approach leverages its position as a universal communication layer. By enabling cross-platform transfers through the app itself, Tencent ensures that HarmonyOS users don't feel isolated from friends and colleagues using competing platforms.

This strategy mirrors what WhatsApp and Telegram accomplish in Western markets as platform-agnostic communication tools, but WeChat extends this further into file management territory.

QQ Music Integration and Social Features Expand

The update also deepens integration between WeChat and QQ Music, Tencent's flagship music streaming service that competes with Spotify and Apple Music in the Chinese market. Users can now open songs directly in QQ Music from WeChat's 'Listen' section, and a new sharing option allows setting a currently playing song as a WeChat status.

Additional social and utility features include:

• Membership cards added to WeChat's Card Wallet (rolling out gradually)
• QR code quick access via long-pressing the app icon on the home screen
• Improved image browsing when quoting image messages — users can now swipe left and right to view surrounding images in a conversation
• Refreshed 'My QR Code' interface with updated visual design

These refinements collectively improve WeChat's position as an all-in-one digital wallet, social network, and communication hub. The membership card feature, in particular, signals Tencent's ongoing push into offline-to-online (O2O) commerce, where physical retail loyalty programs are digitized within WeChat's ecosystem.

Why This Matters for the Global Tech Landscape

While WeChat's HarmonyOS update may seem like a regional story, it carries significant implications for the global technology industry.

First, it demonstrates that HarmonyOS is maturing rapidly. The 53.69 million installation milestone for a single app suggests that Huawei's ecosystem has crossed a critical adoption threshold. For context, HarmonyOS reportedly surpassed iOS in Chinese market share in Q1 2025, making it a legitimate third mobile operating system alongside Android and iOS globally.

Second, the AI-first rollout strategy on HarmonyOS challenges the conventional wisdom that new features always debut on Android or iOS. If Tencent — one of the world's largest technology companies by market capitalization — is willing to prioritize HarmonyOS for experimental AI features, other major developers may follow suit.

Third, the integration of generative AI music tools into a messaging platform with over a billion users could accelerate mainstream adoption of AI-generated content in ways that standalone apps cannot. When AI creativity tools are embedded in the same app people use to chat, pay bills, and hail taxis, the friction to experimentation drops to nearly zero.

Looking Ahead: What to Expect Next

Tencent's official changelog for this update characteristically understated the scope of changes, listing only 'fixed some known issues.' The actual feature list was assembled by the user community, suggesting that many capabilities may still be in testing or rolling out gradually.

Several developments are worth watching in the coming months. The AI songwriting and cover features will likely expand to more users on HarmonyOS before potentially migrating to Android and iOS. The Video Channel enhancements position WeChat for increased competition with Douyin and Kuaishou during a period of intensifying short-video rivalry in China.

For Western technology companies, this update serves as a reminder that China's tech ecosystem continues to innovate independently. The combination of AI-powered creativity tools, super-app functionality, and a new operating system platform creates a development model that has no direct equivalent in Western markets — but one that companies like Meta, Apple, and Google are increasingly studying as they build their own integrated AI experiences.

As HarmonyOS continues to gain traction, expect WeChat's feature development to increasingly serve as a bellwether for where consumer-facing AI applications are headed — not just in China, but globally.