Apple starts work on iOS 19, codenames it Luck: report
Apple has reportedly begun developing the operating systems that will power its devices for the coming year. The report comes just a month after the Cupertino-based tech giant unveiled iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and visionOS 2 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024. iOS 18, which is set to roll out publicly this fall, will bring home screen personalization, Control Center improvements, RCS support, and more. While not much is known about what iOS 19 will bring, the company is said to have codenamed it Luck.
Apple reportedly begins development on iOS 19, macOS 16, and more
The information comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletterstating that the company has formally begun development of major operating systems for 2025. These include iOS 19 for the iPhone, macOS 16 for Mac devices, watchOS 12 for the Apple Watch, and visionOS 3 for the Apple Vision Pro.
Citing anonymous sources, Gurman claims that Apple has also assigned special codenames to each of the operating systems mentioned above. While iOS 19 is called Luck, macOS 16 has been given the codename Cheer. watchOS 12 is internally called Nepali, while visionOS 3 is internally called Discovery. Interestingly, these codenames do not reveal anything about the new features the operating system might include.
The report highlighted that the company’s work on next year’s operating systems is beginning at a time when it is also fine-tuning the current year’s operating system that will be rolled out in the fall. However, this is not unusual for the tech giant, which typically begins the software building process around this time of year. Gurman also claimed that the company has also started developing next year’s hardware products and needs the software to test the devices.
Since it’s still very early in the software development cycle, no new features or changes are known at this time. However, leaks are expected in the coming days. Additionally, Apple is also gearing up to publicly launch iOS 18 later this year. The company recently released the iOS 18 Developer Beta 2, which adds iPhone Mirroring, a new toggle for RCS Messaging (currently not enabled), and a new dark theme icon for the App Store.
