Apple to Rename Next OS Update as iOS 26, Skipping iOS 19

Prime Highlights :

Apple is moving to a year-based version naming scheme for iOS, beginning with iOS 26, bypassing iOS 19 completely.

The move is intended to bring consistency to all of Apple’s operating systems and can officially be announced at WWDC 2025.

Key Facts :

iOS 26 will supplant iOS 18, disrupting Apple’s conventional version-number scheme.

The move will put iOS onto the same naming strategy as macOS and visionOS.

Key Background :

Apple is said to be abandoning sequential numbering of its operating system version numbers, and instead opting for year-based naming. Rather than coming out with iOS 19, for example, following iOS 18, Apple will, according to reports, come out with “iOS 26” and thereby sync the version number with the calendar year of release. This is a significant shift in the language used in describing software development and follows naming conventions in other domains, for example, automobiles.

The new naming scheme won’t be iOS-exclusive. Apple will also apply the new naming convention to its other operating systems, such as iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. Right now, each system has a separate numbering track — macOS is already on 14.x, for example, and watchOS is on the 10.+ track. Apple wants to eliminate user confusion and provide cross-platform consistency by having them all share one naming system based on the year.

This brand refresh also coincides with a visual and functional redesign of Apple software. Drawing from visionOS inspiration, the Apple Vision Pro interface, upcoming versions of iOS and iPadOS will bring more transparent elements, new icons, and an even more immersive, contemporary UI. These improvements will be to provide a more unified experience for all devices, from iPhones and iPads to future AR/VR devices.

The extent of all these changes needs to be revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2025. In expanding its ecosystem and creating new devices, this strategic rewriting of its software brand is part of a larger drive toward coherence, simplicity, and future-readiness in user experience design.