Breaking: Apple is going to rebrands all operating systems to Year-Based naming 

The upcoming iOS 18 is expected to be rebranded as iOS 26, alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 for other Apple operating systems.

Illustration: Tech Bird

After years of an incremental approach to its operating system nomenclature, Apple is reportedly poised to drastically shift its OS branding with a new year-based naming convention. This strategic move aims to align the company’s diverse software platforms more intuitively with their release year, making it easier for users to track and identify the latest versions.

We anticipate the first real-world implementation of this new strategy at the upcoming Apple WWDC 2025 event, scheduled for June 9. According to renowned Apple insider Mark Gurman, reporting for Bloomberg today, this exciting update indicates that upcoming operating systems, such as the widely anticipated iOS 18, will likely be rebranded as iOS 26. Should this hold true, we can also expect to see iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. This pivotal change is expected to significantly enhance user experience, freeing us from the mild confusion of deciphering which OS version (e.g., iOS 18, watchOS 12, macOS 15) corresponds to which release year, given their staggered launch times.

Is Apple the pioneer in adopting a year-based naming convention for its flagship products? Not at all. We've seen other tech giants embrace this feature long before. A prime example is Apple's South Korean rival, Samsung, which first adopted this approach back in 2020 by rebranding its Galaxy flagship phone from S10 to S20. Similarly, Microsoft upgraded its launch naming strategy according to the year as early as 1995 with the iconic release of Windows 95.

A significant detail highlighted in the report suggests that Apple might not use the current year for naming its operating systems, but rather the next year—for instance, launching iOS 26 this year instead of iOS 25. While these naming conventions hold some importance, the primary interest for users lies in what innovative features Apple will introduce to surprise and attract them to its operating systems. There are indeed reports of a major design overhaul in the upcoming iOS 18 (now potentially iOS 26), watchOS 12, and macOS 15, which are reportedly inspired by the groundbreaking visionOS.

It's crucial to remember that these are currently rumors, and the final product might differ. Apple, true to its tight-lipped policy, has neither confirmed nor denied Mark Gurman's claims—a silence that often indirectly suggests such developments are indeed on the horizon. As WWDC 2025 approaches, we will certainly keep you informed of any confirmed changes in naming conventions and significant design updates.