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Monday's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference immediately confirmed the already reported news that Apple is changing the way the company names its software updates. It's an approach that may seem familiar to anyone who's familiar with Windows 95 or a '57 Chevy. Apple is rebranding its operating systems by using the last two digits of the upcoming year. So the current iOS 18 will be replaced by iOS 26, not iOS 19, when it arrives in the fall of 2025.
That is, the new numbering system reflects the last two digits of 2026, rather than the current year of 2025, similar to how new automobile models are introduced. Samsung and Microsoft have both used year-based naming systems.
The change should make it simpler for users to keep track of what operating system is the most up-to-date.
Watch WWDC for more Apple news
The name announcement is just one of many changes expected to be announced at the WWDC event, which is going on now. Here's how to tune in, and here's what CNET staffers are hoping to see in the next Apple operating system.
Watch this: WWDC 25: Expect Big Changes to iOS, but Not Much on a Smarter Siri
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Read more: Apple's MacOS Reveal at WWDC: What the New Tahoe Name Says About What's Coming
The updates will take the names iPadOS 26, MacOS 26, WatchOS 26, TVOS 26 and VisionOS 26, aimed at bringing consistency to Apple's branding and remove confusion. Before the change, Apple's operating systems including iOS 18, WatchOS 12, MacOS 15 and VisionOS 2, used different numbers since they didn't debut at the same time.
Tahoe time
Apple also confirmed that its next Mac operating system is called Tahoe, as in Lake Tahoe, Tourism reps for the California-Nevada lake told CNET they thought that the name choice, if correct, is "a beautiful boost for our year-round destination."
What about the iPhone?
The current iPhone model is iPhone 16, which came out in September 2024. The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to be announced in September, but there's no word on it being renamed to iPhone 26 rather than iPhone 17.
