What Happened to iOS 19? Why Apple Went Straight to iOS 26

What happened to iOS 19?

You expected iOS 19. Instead of iOS 19, Apple jumped straight to iOS 26.

At WWDC 2025 (Apple’s big worldwide developers conference in June 2025), the company showed the next version of iOS – and yes, it’s called iOS 26.

Many iPhone users asked, "What happened to iOS 19? Why 18 to 26?" Apple says it’s part of a new naming scheme to unify its ecosystem.

Why change the version number?

Before, each Apple operating system had a different version number:

• iOS 18 for iPhones
• iPadOS 18 for iPads
• tvOS 18 for Apple TV
• macOS 15 for Macs

Now Apple is using the same number – 26 – for every OS:

• iOS 26
• iPadOS 26
• tvOS 26
• macOS 26

The goal is to make software updates easier to follow and show everything belongs to one ecosystem.

Why Apple made this jump to iOS 26

Apple wanted to simplify software updates. Instead of tracking different numbers across devices, everything shares one version number.

The number 26 represents when you'll use this software — from September 2025 through September 2026. You'll spend more months in 2026 using iOS 26 than in 2025, so Apple named it after the main year.

This puts Apple in line with Samsung and Microsoft. Both companies already use year-based naming for their software.

Beyond the name: what’s new in this version of iOS

The next version of iOS adds:

• Liquid Glass design → fresh look
• Apple Intelligence features → smarter search and text help
• Better tools for iPadOS and tvOS users
• Tweaks for iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 models

The software naming may feel new, but the focus stays the same: better tools and features across the Apple ecosystem.

Learn more about what’s new at WWDC 2025: see the design updates, tools for devs, and what actually matters – from tvOS 26 and the next iPhone to Apple Intelligence features.

When to get it

The next iPhone will launch in September 2025 with iOS 26.Most iPhone users will update then.The update continues into September 2026.

Apple news sites already call this the biggest naming change since iOS first launched.

What This Means for You

Your iPhone stays the same iPhone. It looks a bit different and works a bit smarter. Whether Apple calls it iOS 19 or iOS 26, the real focus is your experience:

• A unified Apple operating system

• Simpler software updates

• New Apple Intelligence features built in

The version number changed, but your iPhone operating system just got clearer, not harder.

And yes – it’s still called iOS. 🤪