HarmonyOS NEXT 5.0.0.123 beta brings Snake Year themes, camera features

Huawei has started rolling out a new HarmonyOS NEXT 5.0.0.123 public beta update for its eligible models with various new features. This time, the company has focused on the Snake Year and introduced some amazing themes and wallpapers.

2025 is considered the Snake Year in the Chinese tradition. It unlocks goodness of wealth and health, as well as symbolizes luck. Following these traits, the company has brought new themes, walls, and camera watermarks based on the Snake Year.

Looking into the changelog, HarmonyOS NEXT 5.0.0.123 public beta update has a set of new features for Huawei devices. The list counts interesting Spring Festive style walls and themes. One can customize their phone’s home screen accordingly.

You can choose from many wallpapers like the auspicious and wishes category. Huawei has added new Snake Year watermarks in the camera app. One can further send or receive New Year-based envelopes and greetings on the Huawei Pay app.

The tech giant has added new changes to the Recorder and Gallery app. You can check all new features, improvements, and the full changelog in the below section.

HarmonyOS NEXT 5.0.0.123 beta brings Snake Year themes, camera features (Image Credits: Huawei)

HarmonyOS NEXT 5.0.0.123 Update

Themes

• The time travel theme adds a new Spring Festival style. You can customize dozens of exclusive New Year outfits for your photos, with auspicious lanterns, persimmons, fireworks, and other backgrounds, so that your photos can be filled with festive atmosphere from the lock screen to the desktop, and the new year will be full of “red” luck.

Wallpaper

• Added a new Golden Snake New Year’s Festival wallpaper, the classic four-in-one Ruyi pattern combined with the zodiac snake element, represents “auspicious”, “satisfied”, and “wishes come true”, bringing beautiful New Year blessings.

Camera

• Added exclusive watermarks for the Year of the Snake and Chinese New Year, making every moment of the Chinese New Year full of joy (Camera > Settings > Automatically add watermarks, slide the page to select a watermark)

Huawei Pay

• Touch your phone with HarmonyOS NEXT to send and receive red envelopes, and send blessings and good luck to others.

System

• Added support for multi-device mobile communication network sharing, which allows you to share calls, text messages, networks, etc. with nearby tablets logged in to the same Huawei account (available only for tablets running on HarmonyOS 4)
• App Lock supports custom privacy passwords. Different passwords provide a stronger sense of security (Settings > Privacy and Security > App Lock > Privacy Password) and Enhanced App Lock authentication capabilities. The locked app will be locked immediately after exiting, and identity authentication is required to open it again (App Lock > Lock the app immediately after exiting)

Gallery

• Go to Edit > Watermark to add shooting time and device name watermarks to the pictures (only for non-dynamic pictures taken with the rear camera)
• Added the function of adding text box annotation in picture editing (Edit > Pen icon in the upper right corner > Four-dot icon in the lower right corner > Add text box)
• When traveling abroad, turn on the switch to record geographic location information, and photos can be aggregated into wonderful moments based on cities and countries.

Recorder

• Added a new recording-to-text feature, which converts recordings into text through voice recognition, and supports up to 5 hours of recording files.

Smart Assistant Today

• New flight and sports status reminders, as well as quick access points such as scanning, payment codes, and mini-games, provide thoughtful and considerate life services from travel, and sports to shopping and leisure.

Calendar

• Added a new feature of creating a smart schedule with one sentence. It auto-analyzes the natural language you input and allows you to easily create a schedule. (Create a new schedule > Select the “Create a schedule with one sentence input box > Input by voice input on the keyboard).
• Categorized Holidays more carefully. Added a new feature to view only domestic holidays. Click the four-dot icon in the upper right corner of the calendar interface > Settings > Country (Region) Holidays > China.

Browser

• New web video assistant function, one-click full screen, arbitrary speed, and immersive viewing, help you enjoy watching dramas and videos in the new year.

Display

• Optimizes some interface display effects.

(Source)