Forget iOS 19 — Apple may change the name of its upcoming iPhone software update

When Apple opens up its WWDC 2025 developers conference in a couple of weeks, we expect to see an interface overhaul of all the software that controls its phones, computers, tablets and wearables. And it may not just be the look of the software that's changing.

Along with aesthetic changes, Apple will reportedly rebrand its many operating systems, in an effort to have consistent names across its lineup.

That comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who is reporting that Apple wants to switch to year-based names. That means the iPhone software update we were expecting to be called iOS 19 would instead go by iOS 26 — as in 2026. The rest of Apple's software — iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 and visionOS 26 — would follow the same pattern.

The name changes would accompany a more unified approach to the interfaces of Apple's software. Codenamed Solarium, the refresh is expected to introduce more translucent panels and rounded icons, taking its cues from visionOS on Apple's Vision Pro headset.

The idea behind the common look is to deliver a more unified experience across different Apple devices. And that same thinking apparently applies to what the software should be called, too.

Currently, the various OSes all have different version numbers — iOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 12, to name a few. Under the new system, you wouldn't have to remember what version number a particular OS was on — you'd just have to refer to the year.

The potential rebrand is reminiscent of a similar move rival Samsung made in 2020 when it change the Galaxy S line to a launch year naming convention with the Galaxy S20 series. The previous year's devices were the Galaxy S10, the 10th generation of Galaxy S phones.

The difference here though is that Apple is using the upcoming year, rather than the launch year. Despite its new operating systems likely launching in September around the release of the iPhone 17, they'll be named for 2026, similar to how car companies label the latest iterations of their vehicles which also tend to launch in the fall.

Gurman has a good track record of reporting on Apple developments, so we're inclined to believe that this will be the case in a couple of weeks. That said, Apple has declined to comment on the name change, and allegedly the plan is still in the works.

We'll know more about Solarium and the rebranded OSes starting June 9 when Apple has set WWDC 2025 to take place. It should be one of the most important WWDCs in over a decade.

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