Its music video, directed by Dave Meyers, shows Cabello playing herself as Karla, as well as a telenovela actress and a film protagonist.

[12] It was the best-selling digital single of 2018 according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), with equivalent sales of 19 million units worldwide.

[13][14] "Havana" was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in October 2021 for selling 10,000,000 units,[15] making Cabello the first Hispanic singer to achieve this milestone.

[16] "Havana" is a salsa-inspired[17] mid-tempo pop[18][19] and Latin[20] song with R&B-pop beats, on which Cabello embraces her Cuban heritage.

[21][22] Cabello sings the chorus over Latin-influenced piano riffs and rhythm, with the melody's chord progression constantly switching between Gm–E♭–D7 and Gm–E♭maj7–D7.

"[29] Raise Bruner of Time wrote that "Havana" "hits a freshly sultry note that we hope to see more of in her debut album.

[33] Stephen Kearse of Complex, which ranked the song 28th, wrote: "Warm, bouncy, nostalgic, and sweaty, 'Havana' builds a one-night stand into a pulsating fever dream that blurs reality and fantasy", praising Cabello's "layered vocals" and Young Thug's presence.

[44] In October 2017, the single reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 in its twelfth week, becoming Cabello's second top 10 entry as a solo artist and Young Thug's first.

The song took 23 weeks to reach the top spot, equaling the longest climb for a female artist with Sia's "Cheap Thrills" (2016) and Patti Austin's "Baby, Come to Me" (1982–1983).

Cabello became the third artist in chart history to top both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 for their first time in the same week, after Britney Spears and Beyoncé did so in 1999 and 2003, respectively.

The video featured appearances by Lele Pons as Bella, LeJuan James as Abuelita, Noah Centineo as Cabello's love interest, Marco DelVecchio as the twins Juan and Rodrigo and Mikey Pesante as the dancer.

The film she is watching, called Camila in Havana, takes the form of a music video, starring a version of herself wearing a fringe-covered red dress and performing at a club.

[60] The same week she performed on The Today Show, where she delivered a message to "all the dreamers" in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

[67] Her performance at Billboard Women in Music was the stripped-down version of the song, backed only by a guitar, keyboard and light drumming.

[72] Cabello performed the song with Ricky Martin, J Balvin, Young Thug and Arturo Sandoval as the opening act at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in February 2019.

On November 11, 2017, a remix made by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee was published on Cabello's official YouTube channel.