Apple may identify iOS releases by year, so expect iOS 26 instead of iOS 19 this fall
Apple is changing the naming scheme for iOS releases from versions numbers to year, so expect iOS 26 instead of iOS 19 this fall.
The change in the naming scheme for major updates to Apple’s operating system sounds like fake news, but it isn’t. Mark Gurman wrote on Bloomberg today that instead of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12 and visionOS 3 this fall, we’ll get iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26 and visionOS 26.
Gurman says the iPhone maker will announce this change at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference taking place June 7-13.
Expect iOS 26 this fall, not iOS 19
It could be all too easy to chalk this up to Apple’s trouble with Apple Intelligence and delaying an AI-infused version of Siri, which was supposed to release alongside iOS 18.4 in March but will instead roll out “in the coming year.” After all, Gurman recently reported that Apple’s leadership is considering distancing the Siri brand from Apple Intelligence in its marketing.f
But skipping iOS 19 and going straight for iOS 26 won’t make people suddenly forget about Apple’s AI woes, and this move has nothing to do with Siri or Apple Intelligence. When you think about it, it actually makes sense.
Apple’s operating systems are not on the same version numbers because their development didn’t begin at the same time. We have iOS 18 now because Apple’s been making the iPhone for nearly twenty years now, but visionOS is on its second major version so we have visionOS 2 currently instead of visionOS 18.
Actually, a solid move by Apple
Referring to iOS releases by year, vehicle-style numbering, instead of the regular version number will clean up these inconsistencies and ensure all of Apple’s operating systems use a consistent naming scheme.
It will also remove any ambiguity as to what year a specific iOS release is attributed to. I’m glad Apple will count the new version numbers ahead to reflect the upcoming year, similar to how car makers advertise their annual updates. For example, iOS 26 will launch this fall, but the update will be available across both 2025 and 2026.
“”Apple is making the change to bring consistency to its branding and move away from an approach that can be confusing to customers and developers,” Giurman wrote. “Today’s operating systems — including iOS 18, watchOS 12, macOS 15 and visionOS 2 — use different numbers because their initial versions didn’t debut at the same time.”
Consistency seems to be on Apple’s mind more than usual lately. For instance, the company is also rumored to be redesigning the user interfaces across the iPhone, iPad, Mac to make working across those devices more consistent. The planned design overhaul, dubbed Solarium internally, will apparently extend to the Apple Watch and Apple TV with the upcoming watchOS 12 and tvOS 19 updates… Excuse me, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 updates.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/05/28/apple-operating-systems-version-number-scheme-changing-rumor-ios-26-this-fall/
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