At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple revealed significant updates across its operating systems, including the launch of iOS 26, marking a change in the company’s long-standing version naming convention.
Originally, this year’s version following iOS 18 was expected to be named iOS 19. However, Apple announced a new system where software versions will correspond to the upcoming calendar year, similar to how automobile companies name new models. Therefore, the new version will be known as iOS 26.
“Our releases for the fall that will power us through the coming year 2026 will be version 26,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President.
Following this new naming pattern, all Apple software platforms will bear the ’26’ suffix, including iOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26, visionOS 26, iPadOS 26, and tvOS 26.
In addition to the renaming, Apple introduced its new “Liquid Glass” design language, which offers a translucent, glass-like aesthetic to app components such as buttons, sliders, media controls, tab bars, sidebars, and navigation systems.
The company has released updated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), enabling developers to start adjusting their applications for this fresh design in advance of its full rollout later this year.
Apple also announced expanded features of Apple Intelligence, which includes Live Translation to translate content in real-time and a new Visual Intelligence tool. This feature will allow users to gather information about images displayed on their iPhones by searching platforms like Google, Etsy, and other supported apps.
Moreover, Apple’s Image Playground will receive enhancements through integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, enabling more creative and interactive user experiences.
The operating system will also detect on-screen events and suggest actions, such as adding events directly to the user’s calendar.
Furthermore, Apple plans to bring generative AI capabilities to its Xcode coding tools, assisting developers in writing, testing, and debugging code more efficiently.
These updates reflect Apple’s continued focus on blending cutting-edge AI functionality with user-friendly design and development tools.