Apple rumored to release iOS 26 at WWDC, instead of iOS 19

Apple could make a big change to the way it numbers its operating systems, with a year-based system renaming iOS 19 as iOS 26, and macOS in the same way.

Apple's numbering system is fairly straightforward, with the version number going up each year like clockwork. However, that may not be the case this fall, as Apple allegedly plans to overhaul its naming system.

According to sources of Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple will be switching to a year-based naming system for its operating systems. Instead of iOS 19, it will be iOS 26, referencing the approaching year of 2026 that will arrive months after the usual fall OS updates.

The name change will apparently apply to all of Apple's mainline operating systems, including iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

Apple is anticipated to announce the numbering update during the WWDC keynote on June 9.

Demystified versions

The change is said to be intended to bring consistency to the branding and numbering. The current version-based numbering system varies between platforms, simply because they were released at different times.

That has put us into a situation where the current main version numbers for Apple's operating systems are iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS 15, and visionOS 2.

By going for the year ahead, Apple's following the precedent of other companies by leaning on the year as the identifier. For example, Samsung's Galaxy S range or the FIFA soccer game franchise.

By using the year and the same number across all operating systems, Apple may simplify discussions about operating systems, without forcing users to remember which version was released in which year.

This is not the first time Apple has considered a simplification of version numbers. OS X went from version 10.0 Cheetah to macOS 10.15 Catalina between 2001 and 2019, before eventually reaching macOS 11 Big Sur in 2020 and switching to bigger annual jumps.

It remains unknown whether Apple will continue to use the extra name convention for macOS, or eliminate that and the obligatory WWDC running joke as part of the update.

While the sudden jump in number may seem unsettling at this time, it's still nowhere near as confusing as Microsoft's Windows naming strategy.

After versions 1, 2, and 3, Microsoft briefly jumped to a year-based system for 95, 98, 2000, and Me, before XP and Vista. After that came Windows 7 and 8, and then 9 was skipped in favor of Windows 10 and 11.