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Apple named the winners of its 2025 App Store Awards on 4 December, narrowing 45 finalists down to 17 winners across 11 device categories and six Cultural Impact picks. Apple announced the winners the same way it has for the past several years, apps and games the company says “empowered users to unleash their creativity, discover a world of new adventures, and have fun with family and friends.” For the first time, the list includes a dedicated Apple Vision Pro category, reflecting a full year of spatial computing apps since Vision Pro launched in February 2024.
At a Glance
- Best overall app: Tiimo
- Best for creative work: Detail
- Best Vision Pro debut: Explore POV
- Best game: Pokémon TCG Pocket
- Best for accessibility: Be My Eyes
All 17 2025 App Store Award Winners: Full List
| Category | Winner | Developer |
| iPhone App of the Year | Tiimo | tiimo (Copenhagen) |
| iPad App of the Year | Detail | Detail Technologies B.V. |
| Mac App of the Year | Essayist | Essayist Software Inc. |
| Apple Watch App of the Year | Strava | Strava, Inc. |
| Apple TV App of the Year | HBO Max | WarnerMedia Global Digital Services |
| Apple Vision Pro App of the Year | Explore POV | James Hustler (solo developer) |
| iPhone Game of the Year | Pokémon TCG Pocket | The Pokemon Company |
| iPad Game of the Year | DREDGE | Black Salt Games |
| Mac Game of the Year | Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition | CD PROJEKT S.A. |
| Apple Arcade Game of the Year | WHAT THE CLASH? | Triband ApS |
| Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year | Porta Nubi | Michael Temper (solo developer) |
| Cultural Impact | Art of Fauna | Klemens Strasser |
| Cultural Impact | Chants of Sennaar | Playdigious |
| Cultural Impact | despelote | Panic, Inc. |
| Cultural Impact | Be My Eyes | Be My Eyes |
| Cultural Impact | Focus Friend | B-Tech Consulting Group LLC |
| Cultural Impact | StoryGraph | The StoryGraph |
App of the Year 2025 Winners
- iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo, a visual planning app built by a Copenhagen-based team
- iPad App of the Year: Detail
- Mac App of the Year: Essayist
- Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava
- Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max
- Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV, built by solo developer James Hustler, a new category this year
Game of the Year 2025
- iPhone Game of the Year: Pokemon TCG Pocket, from The Pokemon Company
- iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE, from Black Salt Games (a New Zealand studio, not Australian, a common mix-up worth avoiding)
- Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, from CD PROJEKT
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?, from Triband ApS
- Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi, built by Austria-based solo developer Michael Temper, also new this year
Cultural Impact Winners
Apple named six Cultural Impact Winners for 2025, recognised for driving positive change through apps and games: Art of Fauna (Klemens Strasser), Chants of Sennaar (Playdigious), despelote (Panic), Be My Eyes, Focus Friend (Hank Green/B-Tech Consulting), and StoryGraph.
“Every year, we’re inspired by the ways developers turn their best ideas into innovative experiences that enrich people’s lives. This year’s winners represent the creativity and excellence that define the App Store, and they demonstrate the meaningful impact that world-class apps and games have on people everywhere.”
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, announcing the 2025 App Store Award winners
2024 vs 2025 App Store Award Winners Compared
| Category | 2024 Winner | 2025 Winner |
| iPhone App | Kino (Lux Optics) | Tiimo |
| iPad App | Moises (Moises Systems) | Detail |
| Mac App | Adobe Lightroom | Essayist |
| Apple Watch App | Lumy | Strava |
| Apple TV App | F1 TV | HBO Max |
| iPhone Game | AFK Journey (Farlight Games) | Pokémon TCG Pocket |
| iPad Game | Squad Busters (Supercell) | DREDGE |
| Mac Game | Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Panic) | Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition |
| Apple Arcade Game | Balatro+ (Playstack) | WHAT THE CLASH? |
No 2024 winner repeated in 2025, every device category changed hands. Apple’s 2024 announcement named the same 17 winners from 45 finalists split, the identical shortlist-to-winner ratio Apple has now run two years running, one signal the format itself has settled even as the picks change completely.
“The remarkable achievements of this year’s winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps.”
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, announcing the 2024 App Store Award winners
The AI Story Behind the 2025 Awards
- AI winners, 2025: Three of six App/Game of the Year picks (Tiimo, Detail, Essayist) build AI into core functionality, per Apple’s 2025 announcement
- Fastest app to 1 billion downloads: ChatGPT, reached in July 2025 across iOS and Google Play, per Sensor Tower’s State of AI Apps Report 2025
- Last named Trend of the Year: Generative AI in 2023, the only year Apple has used the category, per Apple’s 2023 announcement
2023 was the last year Apple named a formal “Trend of the Year” category, Generative AI, reflecting that year’s hype cycle. 2025 carried no equivalent named category, but AI didn’t disappear from the awards, it moved from being the theme to being table stakes: three of this year’s six App and Game of the Year winners (Tiimo, Detail and Essayist) ship AI features as core functionality rather than a bolt-on, per Apple’s own award copy.
The Australian Connection
No 2025 winner has an Australian founder or headquarters. Look back two years, though, and there’s a genuine local link worth remembering: Unpacking, a 2023 Cultural Impact Winner and one of the most acclaimed indie puzzle games of the past few years, was made by Witch Beam, a studio based in Brisbane. MoM covered the App Store Awards back when the 2020 edition ran too, a reminder of how far the categories, and the Vision Pro lineup in particular, have shifted since.
Apple App Store Awards FAQs
How are Apple App Store Award winners chosen?
Apple’s App Store editorial team selects winners from a shortlist of finalists (45 in 2025) based on design, innovation and cultural impact, not downloads or revenue. Winners are announced each December, distinct from the separately published most-downloaded apps and games chart.
What is the App Store “Trend of the Year”?
It’s an occasional category Apple uses to name the year’s defining theme, most recently Generative AI in 2023. Apple didn’t name a formal Trend of the Year for 2025, though AI features shaped several winning apps and a new Apple Vision Pro category was added.
Did any Australian apps or studios win in 2025?
No 2025 winner is Australian. The last local link was 2023, when Brisbane studio Witch Beam’s Unpacking took a Cultural Impact Award, one of the most acclaimed Australian indie games of the past decade.
When are the App Store Awards announced each year?
Apple has announced the awards in early December for the past several years: 4 December 2025, 11 December 2024, and November 2023. Finalists are typically revealed a few weeks earlier.
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