Following the announcement of the 2025 App Store Awards finalists back in November, Apple today revealed the 17 apps and games that have been selected as the winners of this year’s awards. The company says the winning apps and games were hand-selected by the App Store editors from a list of 45 finalists.
“Every year, we’re inspired by the ways developers turn their best ideas into innovative experiences that enrich people’s lives,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “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.”
This year’s winners include the all-new and wildly popular card game Pokémon TCG Pocket, AI editing tool Detail, and HBO Max, which recently changed its name back from Max. These are the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, and what you need to know about these apps and games.
The best of 2025 selected by the App Store editors
These are the apps that won the 2025 App Store Awards:
- Best iPhone App: Tiimo, from tiimo, which presents to-dos in a way that feels more calming
- Best iPad App: Detail, from Detail Technologies, which redefines the content creation workflow
- Best Mac App: Essayist, from Essayist Software, which takes the stress out of sourcing and formatting academic papers
- Best Apple Vision Pro App: Explore POV, from James Hustler, which transport users through its library of Immersive videos
- Best Apple Watch App: Strava, from Strava
- Best Apple TV App: HBO Max, from WarnerMedia Global Digital Services
These are the best games that won the 2025 App Store Awards:
- Best iPhone Game: Pokémon TCG Pocket, from The Pokemon Company for making collecting Pokémon cards even better
- Best iPad Game: DREDGE, from Black Salt Games for delivering a haunting mystery and smooth gameplay to users
- Best Mac Game: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, from CD PROJEKT S.A. for its stunning futuristics visuals
- Best Apple Vision Pro Game: Porta Nubi, from Michael Temper for building atmospheric puzzles
- Best Apple Arcade Game: WHAT THE CLASH?, from Triband ApS for its memorable mini games
The company also revealed its cultural impact winners:
Many of these apps are free to download, so if you haven’t had a chance to test them out yet, you can do so without spending a dime. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for even more apps for your library, check out our list of free iPhone apps to install first.
