iOS 26 or iOS 19? Apple may rename all major operating systems at WWDC 2025

Apple is reportedly shifting to a year-based naming convention for its operating systems, starting with iOS 26 this fall. This change will extend across all Apple platforms.

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Apple is reportedly ditching its traditional version-numbering scheme for its operating systems and moving to a more year-based system — with a twist. Starting this year, Apple could start naming its OS releases after the next year, according to a Bloomberg story. This implies that iOS 26, not iOS 19, will be the name of the upcoming major iOS version, which is scheduled for this autumn.

According to the report, the shift won't end with iPhones. Throughout its whole software ecosystem, the firm intends to use the new naming scheme: iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. On June 9, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the update will be formally revealed.

If this sounds like how auto makers announce new models a year in advance, that's precisely the point. Apple aims to establish a more consistent and user-friendly versioning system. Right now, it's a bit of a numerical mess—with iOS at 18, watchOS at 12, and visionOS just getting started at 2.

Along with the new naming system, Apple is likely to present a revised visual design for its platforms, drawing inspiration from the clean, spatial interfaces of visionOS on the Vision Pro headset. The modifications might be the most major UI upgrade in years, providing a consistent design language across all Apple products.

Apple Apps like Messages and Camera are also rumoured to be redesigned by the company, with cleaner layouts and more space for content. Apple’s broader goal is to create a unified visual language across its ecosystem, ensuring a consistent user experience from iPhone to Mac. In short, iOS 26 is shaping up to be Apple’s most visually ambitious update in years – and design is only the beginning.

WWDC 2024 kicks off June 9 at 1 PM ET with a keynote, where Apple will lay out its software roadmap — and now, its naming roadmap — for the year ahead.