Apple might be about to make a major change to how it names its operating systems

A new report from Bloomberg says Apple will change how it numbers its operating systems
The change will be to match the year, so not iOS 19 but iOS 26
It’s said the change will be for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS as well

With just 12 days until Apple’s WWDC 2025 kicks off on June 9, 2025, with an opening keynote, rumors and reports are coming in hot about what the tech giant might announce. Given that it’s the Worldwide Developers Conference, we’re expecting CEO Tim Cook and a slew of executives to walk us through the next generation of platforms.

Up until a new report, we fully expected iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, the next generation of macOS with a unique spot in California, giving it a name, and new versions of watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, all going up by one number.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, though, Apple might be throwing a curveball and ditching the concept of naming the software by the next generational number. The report states that instead of unveiling iOS 19, the successor to iOS 18, Apple will introduce iOS 26.

Apple iOS 18 on a screen at WWDC 2024 — (Image credit: Future)

“The next Apple operating systems will be identified by year, rather than with a version number,” the report reads. Alongside iOS jumping to 26, it appears that Apple might roll out iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and maybe most shockingly, visionOS 26. The latter would be the most significant jump, as we currently only have visionOS 2, and the Vision Pro as a whole is not an aging device.

It appears that Apple’s change, at least as described in this report, is aimed at clearing up some confusion and establishing uniformity in its branding. The new naming convention is rumored to arrive along with a far-reaching design refresh dubbed “solarium” that is expected to affect every one of Apple’s platforms – iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS included.

I’m personally excited about the more transparent design refresh for the iPhone’s software and the rest of the platforms; it’ll reinvigorate and make the whole experience feel a bit cleaner, at least I think so. However, this new naming convention is a bit more confusing to me – Apple seems to be taking an approach similar to car manufacturers, naming its software for the year ahead.

That feels a little confusing on paper, but I’m curious to see how Apple explains this on stage. It could also signal that the now delayed AI-powered Siri – the landmark feature of Apple Intelligence – may not land until 2026 – though that’s really anyone’s guess for an arrival.

(Image credit: Apple/Future)

Apple wouldn’t be the first company to take a leap of faith with its naming conventions. Samsung jumped from the Galaxy S10 family to the Galaxy S20, and Microsoft has tried this for a few years, then reverted to generational numbers.

The new naming strategy for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS, won’t be the only news or changes, though. We’re expecting that redesign across platforms, plus the potential for a dedicated gaming app for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, a redesigned translation app, and some enhancements to the Apple Intelligence feature set.

Of course, this should all be taken with a grain of salt for now, but we’ll be reporting live from Cupertino come June 9, 2025, to break down everything that Apple announces at WWDC 2025 – so stick with TechRadar.