Contrary to Apple’s supposed push to name a dedicated AI app among the best iPhone apps of the year, an AI-assisted visual planner has made its way into the best iPhone apps of 2025.
Apple has rolled out its annual App Store Award winners with a list of the best apps and games of 2025, and the best iPhone app of the year was Tiimo, a visual AI planner that turns to-do lists into action plans with visual timelines.
Apple also announced winners across its other platforms, including Mac, Vision Pro, Apple TV and Apple Arcade. The list of finalists was shortened from 45 to 17 to recognize apps that focus on understanding and inclusivity.
Full list of best iPhone, iPad, Mac apps from 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 app of the year, the iPhone maker highlighted the integration of AI across multiple winners.
The best iPhone games 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 silence and adding captions.
Among the Cultural Impact winners, StoryGraph uses machine learning to recommend books based on users’ reading habits, while Be My Eyes is packed with an AI assistant that provides visual descriptions for blind and visually impaired users.
Also, the Apple Watch app of the year for 2025 is Strava, which features an AI assistant to analyze training data and provide insights.
