Apple has officially revealed the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, showcasing 17 apps and games that set new benchmarks in creativity, design quality, accessibility, and cultural influence. The annual awards, announced on Thursday, focus on the developers who shape the digital experience across the company’s ecosystem, which includes iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.
The winners were chosen from 45 finalists, highlighting the diverse and changing ways developers use Apple’s technologies to tackle challenges, inspire creativity, and offer new entertainment options.
This year’s selection presents a vibrant view of the app landscape: it features more AI-driven tools, immersive visual experiences, and a greater focus on accessibility and mental health.
Tim Cook: “This Year’s Winners Represent Creativity and Excellence”
During the announcement, Apple’s CEO praised the ingenuity shown this year. He noted that the chosen apps demonstrate what can happen when strong design meets a meaningful purpose.
He stated that the developers behind these apps “show the significant impact that world-class apps and games have on people everywhere,” adding that the App Store remains a platform where great ideas turn into tools that make life easier, more productive, and more enjoyable.
This sentiment reflects Apple’s wider goal: empowering creators to build experiences that enhance daily life, whether by simplifying tasks, increasing productivity, aiding mental health, or inspiring creativity.
The Best Apps of 2025 Across Apple Devices
Each year, Apple picks one standout app for each device category, and the 2025 winners blend innovation, simplicity, and broad appeal.
Here’s a look at the top apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and the newly launched Apple Vision Pro.
iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo
Tiimo earned the top iPhone honor for its refreshing take on planning and productivity. The app turns daily goal-setting into intuitive routines, and AI-driven suggestions help users break big goals into small, manageable steps.
Users who find traditional planners difficult connected with Tiimo’s approach. By using visuals instead of text-heavy lists, it makes managing routines accessible to more people, including those with ADHD, learning differences, or fast-paced lifestyles.
Tiimo stands out with its clean design, thoughtful colors, and tools for reinforcing daily habits, making it one of the most user-friendly productivity apps of the year.
iPad App of the Year: Detail
Detail brought professional-quality video editing to many users with its simple interface and AI-enhanced features. For content creators, students, and influencers, Detail turns the iPad into a fully equipped mobile production studio.
Its drag-and-drop style, real-time enhancements, and smart camera controls let even beginners make polished videos. At the same time, experienced editors value the app’s modular design and compatibility with various file formats.
Detail’s success reflects a trend toward creation tools that allow anyone to turn ideas into high-quality content without needing expensive gear or specialized skills.
Mac App of the Year: Essayist
Essayist simplifies academic writing by removing the stress and confusion of formatting. The app handles much of the tedious work related to essays, research papers, and citations, allowing scholars, students, and researchers to focus on ideas rather than layout.
Its AI-based formatting tool supports multiple academic styles, checks organization, manages citations, and ensures polished, professional outcomes. What made Essayist excel this year was its seamless integration with Apple’s desktop environment, making it feel like a natural part of the writing process.
This award highlights the growing demand for apps that streamline complex academic tasks while maintaining accuracy and quality.
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV
Explore POV takes users to stunning locations through immersive 3D video experiences, providing a sense of presence unique to spatial computing.
The app has become a favorite for travel enthusiasts and lifelong learners, enabling anyone to explore new cities, natural wonders, or cultural events from home. With high-resolution visuals and easy navigation, Explore POV shows the potential of Apple Vision Pro as a platform for storytelling and experiences.
Its win underscores the rise of “immersive travel,” a new genre made possible by spatial computing.
Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava
This year’s award for Strava recognizes its clean design and commitment to helping people stay active. The Apple Watch version of Strava remains a reliable companion for runners, cyclists, swimmers, and everyday fitness enthusiasts.
With real-time tracking, motivational prompts, and detailed performance insights, Strava seamlessly integrates health data with user goals. This award acknowledges not only the app’s functionality but also its community impact, connecting millions through shared challenges and personal achievements.
Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max
HBO Max stood out in 2025 for improving accessibility and expanding its diverse content offerings. Its addition of American Sign Language support received widespread praise, making entertainment more inclusive for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
The platform’s polished layout, curated selections, and extensive library of films and series secured its top position on Apple TV. Its recognition reflects the growing importance of accessibility in streaming and Apple’s effort to spotlight developers who prioritize inclusion.
Top Games of 2025 Across Apple Platforms
From relaxing story-driven missions to expansive open-world adventures, this year’s game winners highlight the impressive range of gaming available across Apple devices. They also show how advanced processors and software are pushing mobile and desktop gaming to new heights.
iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket
Pokémon TCG Pocket became a hit by offering fast-paced card battles designed for mobile gameplay. With vibrant illustrations and simple mechanics, the game attracts both seasoned collectors and newcomers.
The game’s pacing and updated Pokémon card art helped it build a huge following soon after its release. It captures the nostalgia of classic trading card games while embracing the simplicity modern mobile users want.
iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE
DREDGE offers a unique mix of cozy fishing simulators and darker storytelling on iPad screens. The game’s atmospheric settings, mysterious layers, and slow-building story made it one of the most discussed titles of the year.
DREDGE stands out for its blend of comforting gameplay with unsettling themes — a combination that few mobile games achieve.
Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077 — Ultimate Edition
Cyberpunk 2077 won the top gaming prize on Mac after successfully adapting its futuristic, open-world adventure to Apple’s hardware. Optimized for Apple silicon, the game runs more smoothly and faster than earlier versions, showcasing high-end desktop gaming on macOS.
From neon-lit cities to action-packed missions, the experience showcases the strength of modern Mac graphics. Its win indicates Apple’s growing presence in mainstream gaming, a space once dominated by PC and console.
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi
Porta Nubi became a standout title on Apple Vision Pro thanks to its immersive puzzles and atmospheric settings. Players navigate dreamlike environments that feel incredibly real through spatial mapping and 3D interactivity.
The game uses spatial computing to blur the line between virtual and real worlds, providing a fully engaging gaming experience. Porta Nubi’s recognition suggests that puzzle-adventure games could become a defining genre for Vision Pro.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?
Known for its humor, chaotic gameplay, and family-friendly nature, WHAT THE CLASH? claimed the title of the most entertaining Apple Arcade release of the year. Its array of mini-games keeps players laughing, strategizing, and competing in unpredictable circumstances.
Its success highlights Apple Arcade’s role in delivering high-quality, ad-free games to users of all ages.
Six Apps and Games Recognized for Global Cultural Impact
Beyond technical excellence, Apple also celebrates developers who contribute positively to society. This year, six apps and games were chosen for promoting mental health, empathy, creativity, accessibility, or cross-cultural understanding.
The Cultural Impact winners include:
Art of Fauna
A calming puzzle game that combines soft music, animal illustrations, and accessible gameplay.
Chants of Sennaar
A narrative about language, communication, and cultural connections, encouraging players to understand others through patience and decoding.
Despelote
A heartfelt look at life in a country undergoing social change, told through the lens of community and football.
Be My Eyes
An app that links volunteers and AI tools with people who are blind or have low vision to help with everyday tasks.
Focus Friend
A productivity tool that turns focus sessions into fun challenges, created by author and educator Hank Green.
StoryGraph
A platform that encourages diverse reading, promotes reflective habits, and builds a global community of book lovers.
These winners show Apple’s dedication to highlighting apps that improve life — not just make it easier.
A Year That Highlights Innovation, Inclusion, and Immersive Tech
Apple highlighted that the 2025 App Store Award winners demonstrate how developers continue to push limits, incorporating AI, inclusive design, and immersive storytelling into their work.
From apps that help people manage their lives to games that transport players to imaginative worlds, the 2025 lineup showcases the changing role of digital tools in our daily lives. As platforms like Apple Vision Pro grow in popularity, opportunities for new experiences will keep developing.
This year’s awards recognize not only outstanding app creators but also offer a glimpse into the future of digital innovation.
