The Best Apps of 2024, According to Apple

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 both worthy of their spots. Read on for a full list of Apple’s best apps of 2024, across all 12 categories.

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.

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

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

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• Assassin’s Creed Mirage: The latest fully fledged Assassin’s Creed release, originally made for consoles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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year finalists

• Loóna: A puzzle game about assembling 3D dioramas in AR and VR

• Thrasher: An abstract arcade-y music game from the creators of Thumper

• Vacation Simulator: A comedic follow-up to the VR hit Job Simulator

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.

Cultural impact finalists

• 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