100,000 apps in the next 6 to 12 months: Huawei's plans for its HarmonyOS

Huawei is prepping up a Herculean task for Chinese app developers: Huawei needs no less than 100,000 original apps for its Harmony operating system in the next six to twelve months.

These are some serious numbers, but given that Huawei is now successfully pulling itself out of the US-imposed technological sanctions, it's not at all out of the question that the Chinese giant might actually pull this one off. It remains to be seen what portion of these 100,00 HarmonyOS-exclusive apps are going to be truly unique and – most importantly – useful.

Huawei has some pretty bold plans and dreams, as we've told you recently:

• Huawei wants HarmonyOS NEXT to be third worldwide after Android and iOS

Reuters reports that China's (blacklisted by the US) Huawei said on Saturday it is targeting the 100,000 applications for its operating system in "coming months" as it seeks "widespread help to achieve self-reliance".

At a conference, Huawei Chairman Xu Zhijun stated that while Harmony currently supports more than 15,000 applications capable of meeting basic consumer needs, the ecosystem needs a wider variety of personalized and specialized apps to thrive. Xu emphasized that their analysis identified the milestone of 100,000 apps as crucial for the ecosystem to become mature and meet consumer expectations, aiming to achieve this within the next 6 to 12 months.

This ambitious target underscores the urgency for China to advance homegrown technologies amid heightened tensions with the US over trade and technology policies. Huawei initially launched its operating system five years ago after US sanctions severed its access to Google’s Android. Since then, the company has also developed an open-source version of Harmony to broaden its reach.

Xu explained that the US sanctions forced Huawei to expedite the development of its operating system. Despite significant progress, he noted that even the most advanced systems are worthless without a robust user base. He urged developers to enrich Harmony's app offerings and encouraged government agencies, state enterprises, and social organizations to adopt the system for professional use.

Acknowledging the system’s current limitations, Xu appealed to consumers for patience, asserting that greater usage would lead to faster improvements.

Huawei first unveiled Harmony in August 2019, shortly after Washington imposed trade restrictions citing security concerns – allegations Huawei has consistently denied. Xu reiterated Huawei’s commitment to the platform, declaring that there was no turning back and affirming the company’s resolve to invest in and develop the Harmony ecosystem to overcome obstacles.