Tencent Hunyuan Hy4: when to use WorkBuddy or CodeBuddy
Tencent Hunyuan released Hy4 on November 4, 2026. Start with WorkBuddy if you need an action list drawn from meetings and email. Start with CodeBuddy if you need working code, a web page or a playable game. Hy4 is the model both products can use, not another office app to install. Tencent Hunyuan’s launch announcement
Beyond the preview: reading a screen and acting on it
The release adds visual understanding and computer use to Hy4 for the first time. Consider two requests about the same screenshot. “Which button is obscured?” takes visual reasoning. “Fix the overlap, reload the page and check again” also requires tools that can edit code and operate a browser. Uploading the screenshot does not grant those permissions.
Tencent demonstrated a Three.js model of Penguin Island and an interactive 3D lesson built from a biology textbook illustration. In Tencent’s own evaluations, Hy4 improved on the preview by 19.1% on GameDev and 9.8% on GameLogic. Those are relative gains on two tests, not a prediction of whether a particular game will ship.
WorkBuddy: find the follow-ups that still matter
With WorkBuddy’s WeCom integration, Hy4 can draw on chats, email, documents and calendars you have authorized it to access. Rather than asking “What should I do?”, narrow the request to one project and the past week:
Compare the meeting notes with the follow-up emails. List what needs to be done before the next review. For each item, cite the original source, name the owner and give the most recently confirmed date. If two sources disagree, show the discrepancy rather than choosing one.
Pick a task you know was postponed. Did the answer cite the original plan or the revised date in a later email? Check the list before creating reminders or notifying colleagues. See our WorkBuddy setup guide.
CodeBuddy: turn a screenshot into a testable fix
Give CodeBuddy the design, the relevant component in the repository and steps to reproduce the problem. For a shopping cart, ask it to find the element covering the checkout button on a narrow screen and change only the affected component. Then test an empty cart, long product names and changes in quantity. A screenshot can confirm the layout; a test tells you whether changing a quantity still produces the correct total.
Use the same approach for a game prototype. Specify one playable sequence: “The door opens only after the character collects the key; restarting clears the key.” Ask for a working build, then test each state transition. Tencent’s demos show what Hy4 can do with particular tools, not that it can finish any project in one click. Explore CodeBuddy
API prices, app allowances and downloadable weights
Tencent says the release is available through Tencent Cloud and OpenRouter, as well as WorkBuddy, CodeBuddy, Yuanbao and ima. Its launch-day API rates matched the preview: per million tokens, CNY 6 for uncached input, CNY 0.3 for cached input and CNY 18 for output. These are Tencent’s published rates, not a WorkBuddy subscription fee or a Guishu Intelligence quote. For a cost estimate, price cached and uncached inputs separately, then add the output cost.
Can I download the release weights? On November 4, Tencent announced plans to release the weights and to introduce Hy4 flash later. If you intend to self-host, check the version: the already available Hy4 preview weights are not the weights for this release.
Images and launch figures: Tencent Hunyuan’s Hy4 announcement.