At WWDC 2025, Apple announced a major change that will affect how it names its operating systems. Beginning in 2026, Apple will move away from version numbers like iOS 18 or macOS 15. Instead, it will switch to a year-based naming system across all its platforms.
So, starting in 2026, you will see operating systems named iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. This change will continue in the coming years. macOS will still keep its California-themed names alongside the new format. For example, the next macOS version will be called macOS 26 (Tahoe), following the current macOS Sequoia.
This shift makes sense. With six different operating systems and different version numbers for each, it was becoming harder for users to remember what version they were on. The introduction of Vision Pro and its new OS added even more confusion.
However, Apple is not changing how it names iPhones. iPhones will still continue with their usual numbering system. So, we are not expecting an iPhone 26 just because the OS is called iOS 26. Apple is taking a different path compared to Samsung, which switched to year-based phone naming back in 2020.
