The development teams behind WeChat and Hongmeng have shared insights into the journey of crafting the WeChat Hongmeng version over the past two years. During this period, the app has undergone 41 significant updates and 344 minor enhancements, translating to an average of one new version submitted for review every two days. Since the dawn of 2024, the WeChat Hongmeng version has swiftly evolved from its inception to the 8.0 series, outpacing the development speed of the WeChat iOS version by a considerable margin.
This iteration is far from a mere replication of the original WeChat; rather, it was conceived from the project's outset to undergo a complete overhaul, with a primary emphasis on establishing a robust and stable underlying architecture. The initial iteration was characterized by the team as a 'work in progress'. As the app's functionalities were enhanced, the WeChat Hongmeng version adopted a phased approach: releasing a preview version first, followed by a public beta, and culminating in an official launch.
When dealing with a novel system, discrepancies between development progress and user expectations are inevitable. To bridge this gap, WeChat and Huawei forged a close collaborative development mechanism, facilitating the swift identification and resolution of technical issues together. They also assembled dedicated support teams to handle high-concurrency scenarios, such as those encountered during the Spring Festival, ensuring the seamless operation of core functionalities. Furthermore, the inaugural version of the WeChat Hongmeng version incorporated a user feedback channel, with the team diligently collecting and categorizing user input on a daily basis.