Every year, Apple posts its favorite iPhone and iPad apps to its website in the form of a competition to find the best app of 2024. Really, any app that makes the final list is usually pretty reliable, and picking a winner is largely a formality. As much as the competition is a commercial for Apple’s platforms, the real value is in finding new games, services, or tools you might not have previously been aware of. I can personally attest that picks like Dropout, lowkey the best streaming service around, and Sonic Dream Team, a fully-fledged 3D platformer that almost feels like a throwback to the Sonic Adventure days, are worthy of their spots. Read on for a full list of Apple’s best apps of 2024, across all 12 categories, now complete with winners.
iPhone App of the Year finalists
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Kino: Easily create cinematic style video.
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Runna: Create a structured running routine.
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Tripsy: Plan and log your travel plans and expenses.
Winner: Kino
iPhone Game of the Year finalists
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AFK Journey: An idle game with RPG adventure in bite-sized chunks
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The WereCleaner: A comedy stealth game where you play as a werewolf janitor
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Zenless Zone Zero: A stylish urban fantasy action game from the creators of Genshin Impact
Winner: AFK Journey
iPad App of the Year finalists
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Bluey: Let’s Play: An interactive toy box where kids can create scenes starring their favorite Bluey characters
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Moises: Uses AI to remove vocals from songs and help musicians practice the basics
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Procreate Dreams: A touch-centric 2D animation app
Winner: Moises
iPad Game of the Year finalists
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Assassin’s Creed Mirage: The latest fully fledged Assassin’s Creed release, originally made for consoles
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Disney Speedstorm: An arcade-y kart racing game starring Disney and Pixar characters
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Squad Busters: A MOBA-esque game from the creators of Clash of Clans
Winner: Squad Busters
Apple Arcade Game of the Year finalists
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Balatro+: A mobile version of the acclaimed digital card game Balatro
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Outlanders 2: A city-building game about surviving on the frontier
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Sonic Dream Team: A 3D platformer with six playable characters and gameplay reminiscent of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Generations
Winner: Balatro+
Mac App of the Year finalists
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Adobe Lightroom: Adjust lighting and other factors to make photos look more professional
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OmniFocus 4: A task-management app that syncs across all your Apple devices
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Shapr3D: A CAD tool for collaborating on 3D renders across Mac, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro
Winner: Adobe Lightroom
Mac Game of the Year finalists
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Frostpunk 2: A city-builder about managing resources in the wake of a climate disaster
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Stray: A cyberpunk story about a stray cat making its way in a city full of robots
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Thank Goodness You’re Here!: A comedy adventure game with cartoony hand-drawn art
Winner: Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Apple Watch App of the Year finalists
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LookUp: Quickly translate words across languages.
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Lumy: Keep track of the sun and moon, whether for camping, astronomy, or taking photos.
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Watch to 5K: A marathon training app with a nine-week routine
Winner: Lumy
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year finalists
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JigSpace: View and adjust detailed to-scale 3D models in AR.
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NBA: View NBA games as if you’ve got courtside seats.
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What If…? An Immersive Story: A Marvel game that draws elements from Disney+’s What If…? animated series
Winner: What If…? An Immersive Story
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year finalists
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Loóna: A puzzle game about assembling 3D dioramas in AR and VR
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Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey: An abstract arcade-y music game from the creators of Thumper
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Vacation Simulator: A comedic follow-up to the VR hit Job Simulator
Winner: Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey
Apple TV App of the Year finalists
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Dropout: An inexpensive streaming service from the creatives behind Collegehumor, featuring exclusive game shows, comedy specials, and improv series
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F1 TV: The official app for viewing and following Formula 1
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Zoom: Take Zoom calls on your Apple TV.
Winner: F1 TV
Cultural impact finalists
The Cultural Impact award is a bit different, in that it has multiple winners.
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Arco: A Western-themed tactics game with a unique pixelated aesthetic and an anticolonial message
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The Bear: A meditative interactive storybook to fall asleep to
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BetterSleep: ASMR, ambient noise, and short meditations to help you fall asleep
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Brawl Stars: A MOBA and Battle Royale hybrid from the creators of Clash of Clans
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DailyArt: An art history app with daily introductions to historically important works
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Do You Really Want to Know 2: A text-adventure game destigmatizing HIV and AIDS
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EF Hello: An AI-powered English tutor that aids with pronunciation, conversation, and grammar
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NYT Games: Access the New York Times’ suite of puzzle games, including Connections and Wordle
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Oko: An AI-powered, pedestrian-first directions app with real-time walk signal identification
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Partiful: Set up in-person or virtual gatherings without relying on Facebook or other social media apps
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Pinterest: The classic mood-board app
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The Wreck: A 3D visual novel where a failed screenwriter confronts her estranged mother after the latter suffers an aneurysm
Winners: