Every year Apple chooses what it considers to be the best apps of the year. For its top apps, Apple tends to look for innovation, great design, some level of popularity and use of Apple technologies to stand out from other apps.
“Every year, we’re inspired by the ways developers turn their best ideas into innovative experiences that enrich people’s lives,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “This year’s winners represent the creativity and excellence that define the App Store, and they demonstrate the meaningful impact that world-class apps and games have on people everywhere.”
The top apps of 2025 tend to feature AI, whether for calendaring like Tiimo, or helping others literally see, like Be My Eyes. Apple’s also showcasing apps that explore spatial computing like Explore POV as it continues to push Apple Vision Pro.
Apple announced 2025’s winners today, in three categories: top apps, top games and cultural-impact winners. Here they are:
iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo
Tiimo is a visual planner and task manager that was built originally for neurodivergent uses. It helps people structure daily routines and fight procrastination using a drag-and-drop schedule builder, color-coded timelines, plus an optional AI co-planner to break down complex tasks into manageable steps.
iPad App of the Year: Detail
Detail is a video editor for iPad that makes video editing more accessible to newbies but still fairly powerful. Its AI-powered (sensing a theme here yet?) editing tools help creators quickly cut, move and clean up videos without having to pull out your MacBook.
Mac App of the Year: Essayist
Writing essays is hard. Essayist streamlines formatting academic papers with (you guess it) AI-assisted tools and automation, reducing time spent on citations, styling, and layouts.
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV
Apple still has a VR headset, even if we don’t hear too much about it lately. Explore POV showcases immersive video experiences, transporting Vision Pro users to scenic locations around the world. Think of it as cheap traveling … after you’ve paid for your very expensive Apple Vision Pro.
Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava
Athletes love Strava, and rather than compete with Apple Fitness and Apple Watch, Strava offers activity tracking, real-time run or bike segment updates and community sharing in its Apple Watch app.
Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max
I supposed it would look odd if Apple picked Apple TV, the former Apple TV+, for an Apple TV app of the year. So HBO Max won the honors, thanks to a broad entertainment library and new accessibility features like American Sign Language options.
iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket
Pokémon Go is still a thing, and now there’s Pokémon TCG Pocket, a mobile-optimized version of Pokémon’s trading card games. Collect them all while strategizing and battling on your iPhone.
iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE
This is a more obscure choice, but DREDGE blends chill-out fishing gameplay with storytelling: sort of a modern, fishing-focused Myst.
Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Who doesn’t like cyberpunk? This futuristic open-world game offers visually rich environments, sci-fi storytelling, and fun gameplay. And yeah, it’s cyberpunk.
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi
Porta Nubi is also a fairly obscure choice, but the competition is not nearly as crowded on Apple Vision Pro as it is on iPhone. This is a spatial (of course) puzzle game with an immersive atmosphere.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?
Apple Arcade provides ad and monetization-free gaming experiences, which is great, but sometimes lacks all the games you want. WHAT THE CLASH offers some chaos and humor in a multiplayer format.
Cultural Impact Winner: Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes helps people who are blind or have low vision by connecting them with someone who can see via the internet and their smartphones, helping blind people complete everyday tasks.
Cultural Impact Winner: Focus Friend
Focus Friend is a creative antidote to digital distraction, helping users stay focused
Cultural Impact Winner: StoryGraph
StoryGraph is a reading-community platform for diverse authors and also offers an inclusive social space for book readers.
Cultural Impact Winner: Art of Fauna
Art of Fauna is an illustration puzzle game focusing on wildlife. The goal is relaxation, education and accessibility all at the same time.
Cultural Impact Winner: Chants of Sennaar
Chants of Sennaar is an adventure game exploring a universe inspired by the Tower of Babel.
Cultural Impact Winner: Despelote
Despelote is a narrative-driven game focusing on the game of soccer (or football, depending on where you live).
