Report: Apple’s WWDC OS design overhaul will bring new branding, too

WWDC is less than two weeks away, and it’s shaping up to be a big show. Along with interface updates to all of its operating systems, Apple is also expected to formalize the version numbering across all of its OSes for the first time.

According to a report by Mark Gurman, Apple will identify its operating systems by year instead of version number, bringing them all to 26. Even though the releases will begin 2025, Apple will name it after the following year, “not unlike how car companies market their vehicles,” Gurman says. That means several operating systems will jump to new numbers:

• iOS 18 > iOS 26
• iPadOS 18 > iPadOS 26
• macOS 15 > macOS 26
• watchOS 10 > watchOS 26
• tvOS 18 > tvOS 26
• visionOS 2 > visionOS 26

Apple’s operating systems are currently named based on their version numbers, which is why some aren’t aligned. However, iPadOS and tvOS are on version 18 despite not having 18 versions, while macOS arbitrarily began at version 11 in 2020. This shift will make it much easier for users to know which version they’re using.

As Gurman notes, Apple previously experimented with yearly numbering for its app suites, with iLife ‘04 and iWork ‘05. However, that nomenclature eventually sizzled out as Apple started updating apps individually. It’s not clear whether Apple will use an apostrophe to indicate that it’s a year and not a version number.

Apple will unveil its full slate of OS updates at its WWDC keynote on June 9. Stay tuned to Macworld for updates before, during, and after the event.