HarmonyOS NEXT to bring new multi-device collaboration features: Tipster

HarmonyOS NEXT will unlock new multi-device collaboration features, says a tipster. The company is seemingly working on some significant aspects that can ease multitasking on various handsets with the upcoming self-developed software system.

Multi-device collaboration isn’t a new term in the HarmonyOS world. Huawei introduced this feature long ago to enhance the connection between two devices while performing multiple tasks. Now it may get a new avatar with HarmonyOS NEXT.

Weibo blogger @AdakFenglangxu reveals that HarmonyOS NEXT divides multi-device collaboration into two new segments. These would be cross-end transfer and multi-end collaboration. The two work as serial and parallel interactions.

Serial Interaction automatically transfers a target task to device B after the user has finished using device A. This won’t require the user to perform any operation on the first device and he/she can continue with the secondary device.

For example, as soon as a user completes a task on device A, the tool will transfer it to device B, when in multi-device collaboration. The user won’t be required to operate anything. Here, a dual framework refers to the Super Home Screen or the Multi-Device Task Center.

Parallel Interaction, on the other hand, allows users to use A and B devices together to complete a task. The dual framework here includes wireless screen projection and more.

App Continuation:

For these two multi-device collaboration categories, HarmonyOS NEXT will introduce two new features: app continuation and native app interconnection for the single framework. The OEM already gave a slight hint about them at HDC 2024.

App continuation will enable users to continue surfing an app on another device if the primary one gets closed or interrupted. For instance, if device A turns off while exploring a web page, the browser will directly open it on the other “linked” device for the user. He can continue from the point where he was last browsing.

The tipster further reveals that the WPS native HarmonyOS app may use the single-app framework capabilities to support image insertion from a Huawei phone or tablet directly on the primary device. How? Let’s find it out in detail.

When a user tries to insert an image on WPS, the local gallery will also open on another phone/tablet. The only condition is that the device B should be unlocked. Selecting the image on device B will appear on WPS at device A automatically.

Hence, HarmonyOS NEXT will likely bring several improvements to existing features and add new changes to Huawei devices. Alongside the multi-device collaboration, we may find more interesting additions in the time ahead.