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
Kino: Easily create cinematic style video.
Runna: Create a structured running routine.
Tripsy: Plan and log your travel plans and expenses.
Winner: Kino
iPhone Game of the Year finalists
AFK Journey: An idle game with RPG adventure in bite-sized chunks
The WereCleaner: A comedy stealth game where you play as a werewolf janitor
Zenless Zone Zero: A stylish urban fantasy action game from the creators of Genshin Impact
Winner: AFK Journey
iPad App of the Year finalists
Bluey: Let’s Play: An interactive toy box where kids can create scenes starring their favorite Bluey characters
Moises: Uses AI to remove vocals from songs and help musicians practice the basics
Procreate Dreams: A touch-centric 2D animation app
Winner: Moises
iPad Game of the Year finalists
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: The latest fully fledged Assassin’s Creed release, originally made for consoles
Disney Speedstorm: An arcade-y kart racing game starring Disney and Pixar characters
Squad Busters: A MOBA-esque game from the creators of Clash of Clans
Winner: Squad Busters
Apple Arcade Game of the Year finalists
Balatro+: A mobile version of the acclaimed digital card game Balatro
Outlanders 2: A city-building game about surviving on the frontier
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
Adobe Lightroom: Adjust lighting and other factors to make photos look more professional
OmniFocus 4: A task-management app that syncs across all your Apple devices
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
Frostpunk 2: A city-builder about managing resources in the wake of a climate disaster
Stray: A cyberpunk story about a stray cat making its way in a city full of robots
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
LookUp: Quickly translate words across languages.
Lumy: Keep track of the sun and moon, whether for camping, astronomy, or taking photos.
Watch to 5K: A marathon training app with a nine-week routine
Winner: Lumy
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year finalists
JigSpace: View and adjust detailed to-scale 3D models in AR.
NBA: View NBA games as if you’ve got courtside seats.
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
Loóna: A puzzle game about assembling 3D dioramas in AR and VR
Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey: An abstract arcade-y music game from the creators of Thumper
Vacation Simulator: A comedic follow-up to the VR hit Job Simulator
Winner: Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey
Apple TV App of the Year finalists
Dropout: An inexpensive streaming service from the creatives behind Collegehumor, featuring exclusive game shows, comedy specials, and improv series
F1 TV: The official app for viewing and following Formula 1
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.
Arco: A Western-themed tactics game with a unique pixelated aesthetic and an anticolonial message
The Bear: A meditative interactive storybook to fall asleep to
BetterSleep: ASMR, ambient noise, and short meditations to help you fall asleep
Brawl Stars: A MOBA and Battle Royale hybrid from the creators of Clash of Clans
DailyArt: An art history app with daily introductions to historically important works
Do You Really Want to Know 2: A text-adventure game destigmatizing HIV and AIDS
EF Hello: An AI-powered English tutor that aids with pronunciation, conversation, and grammar
NYT Games: Access the New York Times’ suite of puzzle games, including Connections and Wordle
Oko: An AI-powered, pedestrian-first directions app with real-time walk signal identification
Partiful: Set up in-person or virtual gatherings without relying on Facebook or other social media apps
Pinterest: The classic mood-board app
The Wreck: A 3D visual novel where a failed screenwriter confronts her estranged mother after the latter suffers an aneurysm
Winners:
Oko
EF Hello
DailyArt
NYT Games
The Wreck
Do You Really Want to Know 2
