In contrast to Apple’s alleged push not to name a dedicated AI app among the best iPhone apps of the year, an AI-assisted visual planner has made its way among the best iPhone apps of 2025.
To cut to the chase, Apple has unveiled its annual App Store Award winners, listing the best apps and games of 2025, and this year’s best iPhone app was Tiimo, an AI visual planner that transforms to-do lists into actionable plans with visual timelines.
Apple also announced the winners on its other platforms, including Mac, Vision Pro, Apple TV, and Apple Arcade. The list of finalists was narrowed from 45 to 17, recognizing applications that focus on understanding and inclusion.
Complete list of the best iPhone, iPad and Mac apps of 2025
- iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo
- iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket
- iPad App of the Year: Detail
- Mac App of the Year: Essayist
- Cultural Impact Winners: Be My Eyes, StoryGraph and others.
While it didn’t directly name a dedicated AI app as the app of the year, the iPhone maker highlighted AI integration in several winners.
Best iPhone game of the year 2025
In 2025, the iPhone Game of the Year award went to Pokémon TCG Pocket, while the iPad App of the Year, Detail, simplifies video editing with an AI-powered “Auto Edit” feature that automates tasks like removing silences and adding subtitles.
Among the Cultural Impact winners, StoryGraph uses machine learning to recommend books based on users’ reading habits, while Be My Eyes includes an AI assistant that provides visual descriptions for blind and low vision users.
Additionally, the Apple Watch app of the year 2025 is Strava, which incorporates an artificial intelligence assistant to analyze training data and provide insights.
