Apple is set to revamp its naming convention for its upcoming major operating systems, according to a report by Bloomberg. Rather than simply progressing through version numbers, the company will begin to associate them with the year of release.
Interestingly, the version numbers will correspond to the year following the actual release, akin to various car models. For instance, the next significant update for iOS will be designated as iOS 26 rather than iOS 19. Other anticipated name changes include iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.
Apple intends to formally announce this change during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), scheduled to start on June 9th. This adjustment aims to bring more clarity and consistency to Apple’s software versioning, as the current system is somewhat chaotic, featuring variations such as iOS 18, watchOS 12, and visionOS 2.
In addition to this naming update, WWDC will also showcase a significant design revamp of Apple’s operating systems, taking inspiration from the Vision Pro’s visionOS. The event will kick off with a keynote presentation on June 9th at 1 PM ET.
