Apple Names 2025 App Store Award Winners

Apple has released its 2025 App Store Award winners, highlighting 17 apps and games that the company says stood out for their technical execution, design quality, and user experience. The announcement follows a month after Apple revealed a shortlist of 45 finalists across categories spanning iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and its Vision Pro platform.

This year’s selections reflect a growing shift toward AI-powered features across consumer apps, even as Apple avoids designating a specific AI category. Several top winners incorporate machine learning tools for productivity, accessibility, and content creation.

Apps and Games of the Year

Tiimo, a visual planning tool, was named iPhone App of the Year. The app generates timeline-based task plans and uses AI to break down to-dos into structured schedules. On the iPad, Detail earned the top app award for its automated video-editing features, including silence detection and smart cuts.

Essayist, a research and reference manager, received Mac App of the Year, while Explore POV—an immersive travel application—was recognized as the leading Apple Vision Pro App. Strava captured Apple Watch App of the Year, reflecting its continued growth and integration of AI-based performance insights. HBO Max won for Apple TV.

Apps of the Year

• iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo
• iPad App of the Year: Detail
• Mac App of the Year: Essayist
• Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV
• Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava
• Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max

Game winners included Pokémon TCG Pocket on iPhone, DREDGE on iPad, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Mac, and Porta Nubi on Vision Pro. The arcade title WHAT THE CLASH? was awarded Apple Arcade Game of the Year.

Games of the Year

• iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket
• iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE
• Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
• Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi
• Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?

Cultural Impact Picks

Apple again highlighted apps that address social themes, accessibility, and storytelling. The 2025 Cultural Impact selections included:

• Art of Fauna, a wildlife-themed puzzle experience with accessibility-focused design
• Chants of Sennaar, which centers on the role of language and communication
• despelote, a narrative depiction of everyday life shaped around soccer
• Be My Eyes, an AI and volunteer-supported tool for blind and low-vision users
• Focus Friend, which helps reduce digital distraction through structured focus sessions
• StoryGraph, a reading tracker that uses machine learning for personalized recommendations

These six titles were chosen for their emphasis on representation, usability, and new forms of interaction.

Rising AI Influence Across App Categories

Although Apple has not created an AI-specific award, many of this year’s honorees rely on generative or machine learning features. Tiimo handles smart scheduling, Detail automates editing, StoryGraph uses algorithms to surface books aligned with a user’s habits, and Be My Eyes continues to expand its AI-powered visual assistance.

The list signals where developers are focusing their efforts as apps adopt more automation, predictive tools, and multimodal experiences. With Apple investing in system-level AI improvements in its platforms, next year’s selections may accelerate this trend even further.