Apple Is Reportedly Going To Rename All Of Its Operating Systems

Apple is preparing to make a shift in the way it names its operating systems. According to a report from Bloomberg, the company plans to abandon its traditional version numbering system in favor of a more uniform, calendar-year-based approach. This change will be officially unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on June 9th.

Rather than continuing the incremental version numbers that have defined its software updates for years, Apple is opting for a system that resembles how car models are labeled. Starting with the next round of major updates, Apple will align its operating system names with the following year, even if the updates are released earlier. For instance, instead of calling the next iPhone software iOS 19, Apple will label it iOS 26, reflecting the 2026 model year despite a 2025 release.

This new naming system won’t be limited to iOS. It will span the entire Apple ecosystem, including iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. The overhaul is intended to create consistency in how Apple’s platforms are identified, addressing what Bloomberg describes as a current state of disarray. As it stands, Apple’s version numbers vary widely: iOS is at version 18, watchOS is at 12, and visionOS, which was only recently introduced, sits at version 2.

Apple reportedly aims to standardize these version numbers to reduce confusion among users and developers alike. “The idea is to make Apple’s software version numbers more consistent,” Bloomberg notes in its coverage of the planned changes.

In addition to this naming shift, WWDC is expected to showcase a significant design refresh across Apple’s operating systems. This new visual direction is said to take cues from VisionOS, the interface created for Apple’s Vision Pro headset, suggesting a more cohesive look and feel across all platforms.