MacOS 16 Name

[Tar Sniffer]

We are only two months from WWDC so I thought we should start guessing the next MacOS name.

Unused copyrighted names
Condor
Diablo
Farallon
Grizzly
Mammoth
Miramar
Pacific
Redwood
Redtail
Rincon
Shasta
Skyline
Tiburon

Used MacOS names
Sequoia
Sonoma
Ventura
Monterey
Big Sur
Catalina
Mojave
High Sierra
Sierra
El Capitan
Yosemite
Mavericks

Since the last two major redesigns used the most beautiful and iconic places in California (Yosemite & Big Sur) I'm going to guess MacOS Tahoe. Second guess is MacOS Mammoth just to emphasise the rumoured visual update.

Start guessing.

 

[SilverSpooned]

Mammoth would be a great name.

 

[Nermal]

Mammoth would be a great name.

Call 16 Mammoth, then make 17 a "Snow" release where it's been slimmed down?

 

[SilverSpooned]

Call 16 Mammoth, then make 17 a "Snow" release where it's been slimmed down?

Slimmed down how?

 

[Nermal]

I'm not familiar enough with the workings to comment on that. I was just making a joke about the longstanding requests for another "Snow" release.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

macOS 16 Tariffs

 

[bogdanw]

2030 and be released in that year

 

[galad]

macOS 16 Surprised Pikachu

 

[bogdanw]

Apple partially heard me
macOS 26 https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/28/apple-ios-26/

 

[WebHead]

Apple partially heard me
macOS 26 https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/28/apple-ios-26/

Wonder if this will be the death of the codenames?

 

[DCBassman]

macOS TACO...

 

[Tar Sniffer]

With a uniform numbering system this might be the end of the MacOS names. It wouldn’t make sense to have Mac as the outlier with a Californian name.

 

[winxmac]

macOS Redwood or macOS Skyline

 

[SaxPlayer]

With a uniform numbering system this might be the end of the MacOS names. It wouldn’t make sense to have Mac as the outlier with a Californian name.

I agree. They want uniformity by the looks of it so there’s no reason for the name going forward.

For those of us outside the US we often had never heard of the location prior to WWDC and had no idea where these places were or even how to pronounce them half the time. I won’t miss the naming if they do drop it.

 

[bogdanw]

With a uniform numbering system this might be the end of the MacOS names

It will be the end of macOS in a few years. Wellcome AppleOS for desktop, portable, iPad, iPhone and all the rest

 

[DCBassman]

or those of us outside the US we often had never heard of the location prior to WWDC and had no idea where these places were or even how to pronounce them half the time. I won’t miss the naming if they do drop it.

Perzakkly.

 

[M4th]

It will be the end of macOS in a few years. Wellcome AppleOS for desktop, portable, iPad, iPhone and all the rest

Either that, or just OS

Hoping they do keep version names, though. Even if only for development purposes and not marketing.

 

[iHorseHead]

According to the unconfirmed rumours we will go back to cat names

 

[WebHead]

With a uniform numbering system this might be the end of the MacOS names. It wouldn’t make sense to have Mac as the outlier with a Californian name.

The Mac has always been the outlier in that sense. FWIW MacRumors reckons the Californian codenames will continue (though probably not based on any actual evidence)...

macOS 26: Everything We Know | MacRumors

macOS 26 is the latest version of macOS that Apple will unveil at WWDC 2025 on June 9.

www.macrumors.com

 

[chabig]

If Apple changes to a year-based system, is there even any reason for a name?

 

[WebHead]

If Apple changes to a year-based system, is there even any reason for a name?

Probably not, though I wouldn't object.

 

[iHorseHead]

It will be the end of macOS in a few years. Wellcome AppleOS for desktop, portable, iPad, iPhone and all the rest

Microsoft tried that. Also, not a bad idea tbh.
And Microsoft had consistent names like Windows Phone 7 when Windows 7 was released and Windows Phone 8 when Windows 8 was released.
I'm not really excited about the year thing. I'd rather prefer AppleOS for everything.

 

[M4th]

Just saw this... supposedly name for macOS 26 (instead of 16) will be Tahoe.

 

[WebHead]

I'm not really excited about the year thing. I'd rather prefer AppleOS for everything.

Back to the days of iLife and iWork '05 etc.

 

[iHorseHead]

Back to the days of iLife and iWork '05 etc.

It'll never happen again. I don't understand why Apple couldn't keep developing iLife.