Apple may switch its OS numbering system to match the release year, turning iOS 19 into iOS 26

It seems that Apple is giving its operating systems a significant overhaul this year, and not just on the visual and usability fronts. It was expected that the next major versions of iOS and iPadOS would be followed by the number 19, Macs would move onto macOS 15 and so on. That would continue the numbering system Apple has used for many years.  

That could be about to change, according to Bloomberg. The next versions of the operating systems may be earmarked by the year, according to the publication's sources. That means we could soon see the debut of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26. 

The numbers would align with the year after each major OS release, since Apple typically rolls out the first public versions of those each fall. So the versions of iOS, iPadOS and so on that arrive this September or October may be named after 2026.

We'll know for sure whether this shift is happening on June 9, when the keynote of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference takes place. It's widely expected that Apple will be giving its operating systems a major user interface overhaul to deliver a more unified experience across various devices.

It seems like a wise move to align the branding of all of the various operating systems. The software powering Apple Watch devices is currently up to watchOS 11. Apple Vision Pro is running visionOS 2. It's a little messy as is. Applying the same numbering to all of the operating systems and aligning it with the release year should make things easier for everyone to keep up with. 

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