App Store Award winners include AllTrails, Photomator, and "Hello Kitty Island Adventure," plus, Apple says generative AI is 2023's biggest trend amongst innovative apps.
App Store Awards
Apple says this year's winners showcase the scope of creativity, technical innovation, and design possible across the App Store and Apple's ecosystem. The App Store Awards have been an annual tradition for over a decade.
Of the 37 apps selected, 14 won across 10 categories. The apps represent the top choices by the App Store Editorial team for providing users with meaningful experiences and inspiring cultural change.
"It's inspiring to see the ways developers continue to build incredible apps and games that are redefining the world around us," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "This year's winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life, creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality, and purpose-driven missions."
2023 App Store Award winners
The App Store Editorial team chose to recognize the following apps and games that empowered users to unleash their creativity, discover a world of new adventures, and have fun with family and friends.
- iPhone App of the Year winner: AllTrails
- iPhone Game of the Year winner: Honkai: Star Rail
- iPad App of the Year winner: Pret-a-Makeup
- iPad Game of the Year winner: Lost in Play
- Mac App of the Year winner: Photomator
- Mac Game of the Year winner: Lies of P
- Apple Watch App of the Year winner: SmartGym
- Apple TV App of the Year winner: MUBI
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year winner: Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Cultural Impact winners
Five cultural impact winners are recognized for their ability to drive positive change through apps and games. They encouraged users to learn and grow in an inclusive and accessible space, contribute toward a more sustainable future, and explore self-reflection and connection across generations.
- Finding Hannah, for connecting women across generations through gameplay.
- Pok Pok, for helping kids learn, explore, and experiment in a digital playroom.
- Proloquo, for supporting communication without speech.
- Too Good To Go, for helping to reduce food waste at restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets.
- Unpacking, for crafting soul-soothing puzzles.
Trend of the Year 2023
Apple also mentioned its pick for trend of the year, though not necessarily an award. It highlighted generative AI, which was introduced across many apps in a variety of implementations.
From Apple's press release:
Although many features are still in their infancy, they gave users a chance to see, firsthand, the technology in action and come to their own conclusions about the benefits and risks. In addition to this year's App Store Award winners, App Store Editors across the globe have highlighted a collection of generative AI apps that exemplify the Trend of the Year.
The new App Store Editorial piece is available as a story in the App Store. It highlights apps like ChatGPT, Canva, Picsart, Pinterest, Craft, Artifact, and more.