If you’re familiar with previous iOS versions, you likely noticed that Apple skipped from iOS 18 to iOS 26. After years of sequentially numbering software updates for all its devices, Apple rebranded all its operating systems with 26.
That doesn’t mean that this is the 26th generation of Apple’s yearly update cycle; Apple simply renamed its software versions to use the upcoming calendar year, much like car models.
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This was definitely a branding move, as Apple unified its OS versions across all its platforms. You’ll now have iPadOS 25, MacOS 26, WatchOS 26, etc. This alignment goes along with the Liquid Glass finish across all devices, which reflects the unified upgrade.
