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No iOS 19: Apple Going Straight to iOS 26
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That's not true at all. Naming after years doesn't mean forced annual updates. For example, the version after 26 can be 28 if they have 2 years between versions, with no version 27.
I approve of this version renumbering plan. There is lots of precedent for naming software versions after the year or date it came out, a large fraction of software already does it. I also feel this should right a historical wrong where the MacOS numbers are lower than the iOS numbers despite MacOS having been around for a much longer amount of time; under the old numbering scheme MacOS should have had the largest numbers, larger than iOS etc.
They needed to wait for the A19 to make this happen across the line in their systems.
Wow, what a leap forward. The tiny little startup that could, Apple, is so on the bleeding edge that they are skipping EIGHT generations. That's how far in advance they are. This changes everything, all over agin! OS 26 is truly the OS for ultra pros!
Been suggesting such a naming scheme here in the comments section of Mac Rumors for years.
I had suggested the year correspond to when it launches but auto industry model year naming probably makes better sense.
I’ve also suggested that all the products get on a year based naming scheme too. Hopefully that will come too.
The unified model year naming for s/w and h/w will make things easier to remember and manage (esp Apple footnotes and documentation).
Unified naming will reduce mistakes and headaches.
I had suggested the year correspond to when it launches but auto industry model year naming probably makes better sense.
I’ve also suggested that all the products get on a year based naming scheme too. Hopefully that will come too.
The unified model year naming for s/w and h/w will make things easier to remember and manage (esp Apple footnotes and documentation).
Unified naming will reduce mistakes and headaches.
We’ll get used to it quickly. But there will still be folks out there crying about Snow Leopard.
Update numbering too? Why not?
With the design overhaul that's coming this year, Apple plans to rename all of its operating systems, reports Bloomberg. Going forward, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS will be identified by year, rather than by version number. We're not going to be getting iOS 19, we're getting iOS 26.
iOS 26 will be accompanied by iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 instead of iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3.
Changing the name of the operating systems will introduce consistency across the lineup, rather than having several disparate numbers that don't match up. Apple is using vehicle-style numbering for operating systems and choosing the number of the upcoming year, so it'll be iOS 26 instead of iOS 25 because the update will be available across both 2025 and 2026.
The names will reflect a new effort by Apple to provide a more unified design across operating systems on different devices. The refreshed visionOS-like design update is coming to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.
Apple plans to announce the new naming scheme at the Worldwide Developers Conference that's set to begin on Monday, June 9.
Article Link: No iOS 19: Apple Going Straight to iOS 26
iOS 26.4.1 update, released April 1, 2026
this is an overdue change. The number is high enough that it doesn’t really mean anything anymore. It might as well be the year.
My guess is the same reason there was no windows 9. The number 9 in china is like our 13 in the states.
