Huawei Watch GT 5 users are in for a treat as the much-anticipated HarmonyOS 5.1 major upgrade officially rolls out. This significant firmware update brings a wealth of exciting new features and capabilities, alongside crucial optimizations to existing functions, promising a more stable and enriched user experience for this flagship wearable.
Rollout Commences: Wearables Lead the Way
While Huawei announced the HarmonyOS 5.1 rollout would begin in July during the Pura 80 series event, it appears the company has prioritized its wearables, with the Watch GT 5 series among the first to receive this substantial update. Users can identify the new version by the software number 5.1.0.16. It’s advisable to ensure ample storage space before initiating the download, as this is a significant upgrade and may require more memory than typical software patches.
Enhanced Home Screen and Personalization Options
HarmonyOS 5.1 introduces a suite of innovative features designed to enhance the home screen experience on the Watch GT 5. Users can now enjoy the new star ring home screen, allowing seamless switching between app names and large icons with a simple slide. The update also provides the flexibility to choose from three distinct home screen styles: star ring, chessboard, and list, offering greater personalization.
Beyond the home screen, the update brings a diverse collection of new preset watch faces. Among these, the “Landscape Ink Realm” stands out with its elegant Chinese-style design, vividly displayed on the watch face. The “universal module” is another notable addition, enabling users to select functional components based on different scenarios, making the small dial incredibly versatile. Furthermore, watch faces like “Fashion Outline,” “Chronograph,” and “Galaxy Numbers” seamlessly blend style and practicality, ensuring your watch face is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. You can access these new watch faces via the Huawei Health app by navigating to Device > My Watch Face.
Introducing New Health and Productivity Tools
HarmonyOS 5.1 significantly expands the Watch GT 5’s capabilities with new tools for health monitoring and productivity. A new voice memo feature allows for quick voice recording, making it easy to capture ideas and inspirations on the go.
For health-conscious users, the new Health Insights app is a game-changer. This application provides a comprehensive overview of health trends, including sleep patterns, heart health, stress levels, and exercise data. It offers in-depth analysis and personalized suggestions, empowering users to manage their well-being proactively.
The update also introduces sleep average HRV indicator monitoring, which helps users assess physical fatigue and stress levels by simply raising their wrist. Alongside this, it continuously monitors heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen during sleep, creating a baseline of sleep physiological indicators and offering timely health tips.
Optimizations for a Smoother User Experience
Beyond the exciting new features, HarmonyOS 5.1 delivers crucial optimizations to existing functionalities, enhancing the overall user experience. The number of frequently used contacts that can be synchronized has been expanded to 30, accommodating a broader range of usage needs. The alarm creation process has been optimized, allowing users to modify alarm names freely during setup.
Furthermore, the update has expanded the data display for dozens of sports. For instance, stair climbing now includes step count and ascending height data, while orienteering benefits from added step count, altitude, and cumulative ascending and descending data. Sports like Frisbee, football, and roller skating now display distance and speed data. These enhancements provide a more detailed understanding of individual exercise performance, contributing to more systematic and scientific training.
Finally, the user experience of message and live window notifications has been optimized, with an increased variety of message icons, making the source of information instantly clear at a glance.
You May Also Like To Check: The New and latest Smartwatches 2025




Finally voice recorder in GT5