Apple Reveals 2025 App Store Award Winners: AI and Immersive Experiences Take Centre Stage
Apple has announced the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, honouring 17 apps and games that represent the pinnacle of technical ingenuity, user experience, and design across the company’s ecosystem.
Selected by App Store editors from a pool of 45 finalists, this year’s winners highlight a significant shift toward integrated Artificial Intelligence and spatial computing, alongside standout achievements in mobile gaming.
The Year of AI and Spatial Computing
Artificial Intelligence was a dominant thread among the top utility apps. Tiimo, which took home the iPhone App of the Year award, was recognised for its visual planning interface that utilises AI to turn user aspirations into actionable steps.
Similarly, the iPad App of the Year, Detail, was praised for democratising video production through AI editing tools. At the same time, Essayist won Mac App of the Year for assisting with academic paper formatting.
Apple’s newest platform, the Apple Vision Pro, saw its ecosystem mature with Explore POV winning App of the Year for the platform, offering users immersive travel experiences through high-definition video.
Gaming Highlights
In the gaming sector, major franchises and indie developers alike saw success. Pokémon TCG Pocket secured the iPhone Game of the Year award for successfully translating the physical card game to a mobile interface.
On the Mac front, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition won Game of the Year, signalling continued growth in high-fidelity gaming on Apple Silicon. The iPad Game of the Year went to DREDGE, a title that blends cosy fishing mechanics with Lovecraftian horror.
Cultural Impact Winners
Beyond the device-specific categories, Apple recognised six “Cultural Impact” winners designed to drive positive change and promote inclusivity.
Notable winners in this category include Be My Eyes, which connects blind and low-vision users with volunteers and AI assistance, and Focus Friend, a productivity tool developed by Hank Green that gamifies focus sessions to combat digital distraction.
Complete List of 2025 Winners
Apps
- iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo (tiimo)
- iPad App of the Year: Detail (Detail Technologies B.V.)
- Mac App of the Year: Essayist (Essayist Software Inc.)
- Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV (James Hustler)
- Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava (Strava, Inc.)
- Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max (WarnerMedia Global Digital Services, LLC)
Games
- iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket (The Pokémon Company)
- iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE (Black Salt Games)
- Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (CD PROJEKT S.A.)
- Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi (Michael Temper)
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH? (Triband ApS)
Cultural Impact Winners
- Art of Fauna (Klemens Strasser)
- Chants of Sennaar (Playdigious)
- despelote (Panic, Inc.)
- Be My Eyes (Be My Eyes)
- Focus Friend (by Hank Green)
- StoryGraph (The StoryGraph)
