Each year, Apple’s editors pick out the most impressive apps and games across the entire ecosystem. After narrowing 45 finalists down to a select few, the company has now revealed its 17 App Store Award winners for 2025.
Tiimo – an AI-powered planning partner that’s particularly popular with users who struggle with focus – took the top spot as iPhone App of the Year. We gave Tiimo a positive review four years ago, and it’s lovely to see how the devs have continued to expand and improve the app since then.
For games, Pokémon TCG Pocket won out on iPhone, finally delivering the digital trading-card experience fans have been waiting for.
On iPad, Apple highlighted Detail for its clever AI video-editing tools, while the hauntingly atmospheric fishing adventure DREDGE was crowned iPad Game of the Year. Over on the Mac, Essayist impressed with smart formatting help for academic writing, and Cyberpunk 2077 stood out as this year’s blockbuster Mac game.
visionOS also gets its moment in the spotlight. Explore POV won Vision Pro App of the Year for its immersive travel experiences shot in Apple Immersive Video, while the puzzle-driven Porta Nubi took the Vision Pro gaming award. HBO Max claimed the Apple TV prize thanks to a renewed push for accessibility, and Strava continued its Apple Watch dominance with a real-time segment-tracking overhaul.
WHAT THE CLASH? won Apple Arcade game of the year, following on from other highly creative off-the-wall WHAT THE games that we’ve enjoyed over the years.
But as ever, the Cultural Impact category is where things get particularly interesting. This year’s six winners range from Be My Eyes – a long-standing accessibility powerhouse now supercharged with AI – to the wonderfully intimate football tale despelote, plus the language-driven adventure Chants of Sennaar and accessible wildlife puzzler Art of Fauna. Focus Friend, from creator Hank Green, turns productivity into a game, while StoryGraph continues its rise as a smarter, more inclusive alternative to Goodreads – something we’ve championed for years.
“We’re inspired every year by how developers turn their best ideas into experiences that enrich people’s lives,” said Tim Cook, calling this year’s cohort a testament to the creativity that defines the App Store.
Apple’s end-of-year list is always a good way to discover some amazing apps and games you might otherwise have missed, but it does lean toward established names and can miss some gems in the rough. So as always, keep an eye out for our own TapSmart app awards later this year – we alway try to spotlight a few picks Apple overlooked.