Interestingly, the years indicated will correspond to the year following their actual release, much like the system used in the automotive industry. Consequently, the next significant iOS release will be labeled iOS 26 instead of iOS 19. Bloomberg notes that similar naming updates will occur for iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

Apple aims to unveil this change at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), beginning on June 9th. The purpose is to achieve greater uniformity in Apple’s software versioning. Presently, there is a lack of consistency, with current designations like iOS 18, watchOS 12, and visionOS 2.

At WWDC, Apple is also expected to show off a design overhaul its operating systems that’s inspired by the Vision Pro’s visionOS. The event begins with a keynote on June 9th at 1PM ET.