iOS

iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple that runs on Apple mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Apple’s iPod Touch. iOS was originally called the iPhone Operating System (hence the acronym), but the name was changed as iOS expanded beyond the iPhone.

The iOS operating system is no longer used on iPads—it was replaced by the iPad OS in 2019. This new operating system allowed iPads to take advantage of their size and give users more functionality than what is possible through iOS on a smartphone.

iOS was born with the first generation Apple smartphone in 2007. The iOS App Store was opened in July of 2008, providing users with 500 initial applications. As of March of 2016, the iOS App Store featured over 1 million apps. At the beginning of 2020, the App Store housed 1.85 million unique apps.

Since its early days, the operating system has featured numerous updates. The system experiences major upgrades annually. As of November 2025, the most current major iOS version is iOS 26, which was released on September 15th of 2025.

iOS is recognized by its signature aesthetic. iOS offers users intuitive navigation, a central home screen, a Notification Center, a Control Center, and various Accessibility and Multitasking capabilities.

• iOS (Wikipedia)
• iPad OS
• iOS Version History