Apple announced the App Store Award winners for 2025 on Thursday, recognizing top applications and games that prominently feature AI integration within their selections.
The iPhone app of the year was Tiimo, a visual planner, and iPhone game of the year was Pokémon TCG Pocket. Although Apple did not designate a specific AI app as a top winner, AI functionalities were present across various categories.
Tiimo, the iPhone app of the year, utilizes AI to create visual timelines for to-dos. It analyzes tasks to estimate step durations, aiding in realistic schedule creation. The iPad app of the year, Detail, incorporates an “Auto Edit” AI feature for video editing, managing silence removal, zoom cuts, and title/caption additions.
Among the Cultural Impact winners, StoryGraph uses machine learning AI for book recommendations based on user reading data. Another Cultural Impact recipient, Be My Eyes, provides an AI assistant offering visual descriptions of real-world images for blind and low-vision users. Strava, the Apple Watch app of the year, includes an AI assistant that converts workout data into insights.
Additional winners were named for iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, Apple TV, and Apple Arcade. The company also presented Cultural Impact awards to apps fostering helpful tools, promoting understanding, or contributing to a more inclusive world.
Apple initially identified 45 finalists in November, narrowing the list to 17 apps and games. The complete list of winners includes:
iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo
iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket
iPad App of the Year: Detail
iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE
Mac App of the Year: Essayist
Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi
Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava
Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max
Cultural Impact Winners: Chants of Sennaar; Be My Eyes; Focus Friend; Art of Fauna; despelote; and StoryGraph
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