Apple is planning to make a major change to the naming scheme for its entire line of software updates, starting as early as next month. A new report claims that Apple will rename iOS 19 to iOS 26 as part of its new year-based naming strategy, and the change will be implemented for all software updates. What this means is that the next big update will not be called iOS 19; instead, the company will call it iOS 26, making it less confusing for the public as well as the developers.
Apple will release iOS 26 this year, not iOS 19, as part of its new year-based renaming strategy
Currently, each software update belonging to each Apple product has a different name, except for tvOS, which is in line with the iOS and iPadOS updates. However, the rest of the updates are all different and quite confusing, to be honest, and we can vouch for it, considering how the company releases beta updates every now and then. While it is not official at this stage, Apple's renaming of iOS and other software updates would streamline the naming scheme. This is what the new names will be if Apple goes ahead with the change.
- iOS 19 will be called iOS 26
- iPadOS 19 will be called iPadOS 26
- watchOS 12 will be called watchOS 26
- macOS 16 will be called macOS 26
- tvOS 19 will be called tvOS 26
- visionOS 3 will be called visionOS 26
As you can see, the new names are quite easy to grasp and understand. According to Bloomberg, Apple is opting for the change to take effect to "bring consistency to its branding and move away from an approach that can be confusing to customers and developers." The new naming scheme makes sense at a time when the company is planning to redesign all of its platforms, including watchOS and tvOS, which could feature design cues inspired by visionOS' transparent, glass-like effects.
It can be observed that the company is aiming to unify the design and names of its software updates, giving them a makeover for the future. Apple's software updates typically begin from number 1, and then each year it climbs another point with updates in between. visionOS, for instance, was about to receive its third major update.
While the news might be confusing to some, it makes a lot of sense for the company and the end user, not to mention developers as well. It remains to be seen if the company opts for iOS 25 or iOS 26 naming scheme, as it is currently 2025. Do you think Apple should change the name of the updates?
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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