QQ on HarmonyOS Gets a Big Update — Themes, Message Bubbles, and Gift Giving

Tencent is pushing a new beta of QQ on HarmonyOS, bringing the messaging app’s feature set a step closer to parity with its Android counterpart.

Version 9.2.39 (build 3212), available as an invite-only beta on Huawei’s AppGallery through July 24, adds nine new features including customizable themes, message bubbles, and custom avatars — personalization options that Android and iOS users have had for years.

The beta also introduces QQ Gifts, with support for sending and receiving virtual gifts plus a gift wall display. Other additions include QQ Weather, space background customization, channel profile settings, and profile card covers. Users can also discover nearby friends and share space posts, images, and videos directly to Xiaohongshu, China’s lifestyle and social commerce platform.

The stable channel got an update too — version 9.2.36 adds mini-program search and cross-account login authorization, smaller quality-of-life improvements for daily users.

QQ on HarmonyOS has now been installed 42.82 million times. It holds a 2.5 rating from 41,000 reviews — modest scores that reflect a work-in-progress — but the app already supports one-on-one and group chat, multi-person voice and video calls, red packets, friend feeds, short videos, channels, QR code scanning, and dual-device login for phone and tablet.

The steady stream of updates signals that Tencent is treating HarmonyOS as a serious long-term platform. As Huawei continues to build out its own mobile ecosystem independent of Android, having apps like QQ feature-complete matters — especially with 42 million users already on board.