iOS 26, iPadOS 26, more: Apple to reportedly mark operating systems by year

Apple is reportedly planning to change the naming convention for all its operating systems. According to a report by 9to5Google, citing Bloomberg, the upcoming iOS update will not be called iOS 19 as previously expected. Instead, it will be branded as iOS 26, part of a new year-based naming strategy. The change will apply across Apple’s ecosystem, including iPadOS 26 for iPads, macOS 26 for Macs, watchOS 26 for the Watch series, and more.