Apple’s Next OSes to Adopt Year-Based Naming Scheme

The sequential numerical naming scheme on Apple’s different operating systems may be overhauled this year in favor of a yearly approach. This means that when the Cupertino giant releases iOS 19 later this year, it won’t be called iOS 19 but instead iOS 26.

Bloomberg suggests that Apple will align its new operating system releases with the upcoming year, similar to the naming conventions used in cars. As we said earlier, iOS 19 would become iOS 26 when it is announced at the upcoming Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is set to start on June 9.

With this new naming convention, all operating systems made by Apple including iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, macOS, and visionOS will adopt the same approach, eliminating confusion for users and developers.

In line with the new approach, Apple is also reported to have planned a new visual overhaul, something that’s been long overdue. Reports suggest that the new visual identity is internally known as “Solarium” and will arrive on all the OSes mentioned above.

According to our sources, the upcoming changes in visual design are among the biggest since iOS 7. It is rumored that the mobile OS will include external display support and a revamped camera app. Also, in the upcoming iPadOS 26, the tablet interface will include a menu bar similar to its macOS counterpart.