Apple announced a new naming scheme and design for iOS during the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote June 9.
Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design, called the roll out of iOS 26, “our broadest software design update ever” in a press release accompanying the announcement.
The company emphasized a new material, liquid glass, as a key part of the new design.
The company said liquid glass is translucent and behaves like glass in the real world but its color display will be informed by the content being displayed on the phone.
“It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context,” Dye said.Apple WWDC 2025: Live updates on keynote, AI and iOS news
iOS to switch numbering system
The company will move from numbering operating system updates sequentially to numbering them by year in a manner similar to the way car models are identified.
The new software systems will be named: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that the change was coming.
The company also announced Tahoe as the identity for its Mac operating system.
The Cupertino, California-based company themes Mac operating systems around important sites in California. The current operating system is named after the Sequoia National Forest and previous versions have been tied to Yosemite National Park and Big Sur..
iOS 26 release date
iOS 26 will be released for testing June 9 through the Apple Developer Program and a public beta version will be released through the Apple Beta Software Program next month, the company said in the press release.
The operating system will be available as an update for iPhone 11 and later “this fall.”
