Apple released the list of 2025 App Store Awards winners on Thursday, recognizing 17 apps and games in the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV categories for their design, innovation, user experience and cultural impact. AI planner and to-do app Tiimo emerged as the best iPhone app of 2025, while The Pokemon Company’s Pokemon TCG Pocket won iPhone Game of the Year. Other winners include HBO Max, Strava, “Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition”, StoryGraph and more.
2025 Apple App Store Award Winners
Tiimo was crowned iPhone App of the Year, beating out apps like music creation app BandLab and exercise planner LADDER. Notably, it is also a finalist for the 2024 Apple Design Awards. For the best games on iPhone in 2025, Pokemon TCG Pocket beats text-based roguelike RPG Capybara Go! and the strategy video game Thronefall.
“This year’s winners represent the creativity and excellence of the App Store, and they demonstrate the meaningful impact world-class apps and games have on people around the world,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a Newsroom post announcing the 2025 App Store Awards winners.
On iPad, AI-powered video editing app Detail was named App of the Year. It allows users to record or import videos and use its automatic editing features to create videos and short clips. In terms of games, Black Salt Games’ DREDGE surpassed Infinite Nick and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown to become the best iPad game of the year.
Academic writing app Essayist was named Max’s App of the Year, while CD Projekt Red’s acclaimed first-person action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077: Definitive Edition won in the games category. The game beat out Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Nerva. Triband ApS’s WHAT THE CLASH? has been named the best game on Apple Arcade, the tech giant’s subscription gaming service.
On Apple Vision Pro, Explore POV is the best app of 2025, while Porta Nubi is the game of the year. Strava won the Best App of the Year for Apple Watch, and HBO Max won the Best App for Apple TV.
In addition to apps and games across all devices, Apple recognized five winners in the Cultural Impact category, which recognizes apps and games that spread positive messages.
“These apps and games are recognized for their positive impact, providing users with helpful tools, advancing understanding, and shaping a more inclusive world,” Apple said in a newsroom post.
Cultural impact winners include puzzle app Art of Fauna, adventure video game Chants of Sennaar, first-person adventure video game despelote, accessibility app Be My Eyes and focus timer app Focus Friend.