AsianFin -- Apple Inc. is preparing its most significant overhaul yet to the naming of its operating systems, aiming to simplify and unify its software branding across devices.

According to people familiar with the matter, future Apple operating systems will adopt a year-based naming convention rather than using sequential version numbers. For example, the upcoming iOS 18 will reportedly be rebranded as “iOS 26.” The same approach will apply to Apple’s other platforms, which are expected to become iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

The change is intended to create consistency across Apple’s ecosystem and reduce confusion for users and developers. Currently, each system’s version number reflects its own development timeline — leading to a mismatch such as iOS 18, watchOS 12, macOS 15, and visionOS 2 — since these platforms did not launch simultaneously.