Apple is reportedly set to change its approach to software naming and effectively skip iOS 19, and it could very well work out for the best.
The trouble with Apple’s various software offerings is that they make little intuitive sense. We currently have iOS 18, watchOS 11, and macOS 15, which offers no indication as to which is the oldest platform (it’s macOS, for the record).
A new Bloomberg report claims that Apple is planning to change all that, starting with the platform we’ve been referring to as iOS 19 .
Goodbye iOS 19, hello iOS 26
According to the ever-reliable Mark Gurman, Apple is planning on making sweeping changes to its software nomenclature that will affect each and every device on its roster.
From the next version of iOS onwards, each new Apple platform will be known by its year. In this way, we’ll have iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.
This makes a great deal of sense to us, as it means that you’ll be able to tell instinctually when a particular platform was released. Moving forward, it will be simple to differentiate various legacy platforms.
Apple is expected to make this announcement at WWDC 2025 on June 9, and it’ll seemingly be accompanied by a new and more unified UI across all of Apple’s distinct devices.
Apple
Apple’s rivals have set the precedent
Apple isn’t the first tech company to reach this realisation, of course. Back in 2020, Samsung switched the naming of its flagship Galaxy S smartphone series to reflect the year of their release – hence this year’s Samsung Galaxy S25 .
An even more famous example – and one that’s more directly applicable to Apple’s situation – is Microsoft with its Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000 operating systems.
Of course, Microsoft would proceed to roll that intuitive naming scheme back with ensuing versions, which is why we had Windows 11 released in 2021.
One potential point of confusion is that Apple will be using the following year for its naming scheme, not the actual year in which the platform is released. So close, Apple. So close.
Samsung Galaxy S25
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.
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