WeChat (微信) HarmonyOS (鸿蒙) app begins invite‑only testing of 8.0.16.40, adds OpenClaw plugin support

It has been reported by Chinese tech site IT Home (IT之家) that Tencent’s (腾讯) WeChat (微信) HarmonyOS (鸿蒙) client has opened an invite‑only test for version 8.0.16.40. The update reportedly adds an official ClawBot plugin that enables a connection between OpenClaw hardware and WeChat, letting users invoke and operate the device from the chat interface once paired.

What's new

The ClawBot plugin first appeared on WeChat’s iOS and Android builds and now, reportedly, lands on the HarmonyOS client too. Users can allegedly find installation instructions under “Me → Settings → Plugins” (我-设置-插件) and, after a successful link, call the OpenClaw directly from chat for control and interaction. IT Home’s brief report did not publish a full feature list; these user‑facing capabilities remain subject to confirmation.

Why it matters

Why should Western readers care? HarmonyOS is Huawei’s (华为) domestic operating system developed in the wake of U.S. trade restrictions that constrained the company’s access to Google services and some supply chains. Tencent extending WeChat plugin support to HarmonyOS signals continued integration between China’s leading app ecosystem and Huawei’s platform — an important dynamic in a market where hardware, software and regulatory factors push companies to build parallel domestic stacks. Reportedly, this kind of integration can accelerate smart‑device adoption inside China even as geopolitical decoupling alters global tech relationships.

It has been reported that the 8.0.16.40 build is currently invite‑only; whether and when the ClawBot/OpenClaw features will roll out to all HarmonyOS users or to other regional builds remains unclear.