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Apple reportedly naming macOS 26 after California’s Lake Tahoe to signify redesign

Avatar for Michael Burkhardt  | Jun 1 2025 - 5:12 am PT
26 Comments
macOS 26

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the name for the next version of macOS is set to be ‘Tahoe’, named after Lake Tahoe in California. This name will accompany Apple’s first macOS redesign since Big Sur in 2020.

Some of my favorite gear
AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

Despite a new version reportedly being around a corner, I still personally believe AirPods Pro 2 are a great deal. They're already equipped with USB-C, and continually gain new software features. With them consistently going on sale, it's a great purchase to make. Features like Adaptive Audio are incredible.

Gurman describes macOS 26 as the third significant macOS redesign since Apple adopted California names, and Apple wanted to find a special name to accompany it:

I’m told that the company has homed in on Lake Tahoe as its next moniker, making it macOS Tahoe. It’s a famous resort area and a vacation destination (and second-home site) for many Apple employees. 

Apple is set to redesign all of its operating systems next week at WWDC. As part of this redesign, Apple is also rebranding all of its operating systems to be based on the year. It’s similar to automakers, and since iOS ’26’ isn’t launching until near the end of 2025, its branded as ’26’.

That means that instead of seeing iOS 19, iPadOS 19, tvOS 19, macOS 15, watchOS 12, and visionOS 2 – they’ll all be the number 26.

Gurman also adds that Lake Tahoe is ‘known to show the reflection of the sky and surrounding mountains’, and says that’s similar to the ‘striking visuals’ of Apple’s redesigned interfaces for this years software releases.

Some of my favorite gear

Anker 25K Compact Battery Bank

Featuring two built in cables, a built in display, multiple ports, a 25,000mAh capacity, and up to 100W of output - this is one of the best battery banks for recharging your entire Apple ecosystem on the go.

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Avatar for Michael Burkhardt Michael Burkhardt

Michael is 9to5Mac’s Weekend Editor, keeping up with all of the latest Apple news on Saturday and Sunday. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer in his free time, and has published numerous apps over the years.

Michael Burkhardt's favorite gear

Anker 25K Compact Battery Bank

Featuring two built in cables, a built in display, multiple ports, a 25,000mAh capacity, and up to 100W of output - this is one of the best battery banks for recharging your entire Apple ecosystem on the go.

AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

Despite a new version reportedly being around a corner, I still personally believe AirPods Pro 2 are a great deal. They're already equipped with USB-C, and continually gain new software features. With them consistently going on sale, it's a great purchase to make. Features like Adaptive Audio are incredible.