Apple is preparing to launch iOS 26 as part of a sweeping rebrand of its operating systems, marking the company’s biggest shift in software naming strategy to date, Bloomberg has reported.
The tech giant will replace traditional version numbers with year-based names across all platforms — including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS — making names like iOS 26 and macOS 26 the new standard.
The change is designed to simplify branding and reduce confusion for both users and developers. Apple is expected to officially announce the new naming convention at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on 9 June.
Alongside the naming overhaul, Apple will introduce redesigned user interfaces across its platforms. Internally codenamed “Solarium,” the updated design will debut on tvOS, watchOS, and parts of visionOS, according to Bloomberg News.
Apple’s move mirrors naming strategies already adopted by companies like Samsung and Microsoft, which use year-based labels to identify software releases. Although Apple has declined to officially comment, the change signals a more unified and modern direction for the company’s software ecosystem.
Currently, Apple’s version numbers vary widely — for instance, iOS 18, watchOS 12, and visionOS 2. Under the new system, operating system names will align with the year following their release — much like car models. That means the next iOS update will be called iOS 26 instead of iOS 19, with similar naming applied across all major platforms.
In addition to the rebranding, Apple is also expected to unveil a major design overhaul inspired by the Vision Pro’s visionOS. More details will be revealed during the WWDC keynote on 9 June at 1 PM ET.