Apple is revamping its operating systems with a design overhaul, reports Bloomberg. Starting next year, all Apple operating systems – including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS – will be identified by their calendar year instead of version numbers.
This change aims to introduce consistency across the lineup, eliminating disparate numbering that previously didn’t match up. The new naming scheme is part of a unified design effort across different devices. Apple will use a vehicle-style numbering system, assigning the update’s release year rather than a sequential number like iOS 25 or iPadOS 19.
The updated operating systems – including visionOS-like design refreshes for iOS and others – are expected to be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference set to begin on June 9. Apple will ditch the version numbers in favor of calendar-year-based names, such as iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/28/apple-ios-26