OPERATING SYSTEMS 2026 THE YEAR OF UNIFIED DEVICES

Goodbye, iOS 19! In a major shakeup to its naming conventions, Apple has thrown out every operating system's expected designation to give them all a unified number: 26.

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No longer will users have to scramble to remember what number update this is since the iPhone's release or count backward to try to figure out what watchOS we're on. Now, you'll just have to remember the year.

Apple's major goal in this year's operating system updates seems to be unifying user experience between devices. This was evident in more than just giving every operating system the same number. They're also giving the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems a major redesign and further narrowing the gap between iPad and Mac functionalities.

Let's take a look at what the 2026 operating systems are bringing to our devices.

APPLE FOCUSES ON A REALISTIC ROLLOUT

One of the major frustrations last year was the slow and incomplete rollout of iOS 18 features. One year later, we still don't have the complete Siri redesign we were promised, and when we can expect it remains unclear. Instead of doubling down on these promises or updating the timeline for when the rest of iOS 18's features might come our way, Apple is offering new and practical upgrades, which we'll cover below.

IOS 26'S MAKEOVER MONTAGE

In iOS 7, Apple completely redesigned the iPhone operating system to give it a fresh, modern look. Today, the tech giant is doing it again with iOS 26, which will change not just how your iPhone looks, but also how it functions. Apple has introduced a new design called "Liquid Glass." This glassy appearance originated with visionOS and will be used across all Apple operating systems. The translucent effect helps you see through design elements like the Dock or your widgets. This means things like the address bar in Safari will become less obtrusive, leaving more room for you to see websites, photos, and other content.