The Best Apps of 2024, According to Apple (2024)

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Apple has announced its finalists for the best apps for Apple platforms in 2024.

Michelle Ehrhardt

The Best Apps of 2024, According to Apple (1)

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  • Assassin’s Creed Mirage: The latest fully fledged Assassin’s Creed release, originally made for consoles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

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

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The Best Apps of 2024, According to Apple (2)

Michelle Ehrhardt

Associate Tech Editor

Michelle Ehrhardt is Lifehacker's Associate Tech Editor. She has been writing about tech and pop culture since 2014 and has edited for outlets including Gizmodo and Tom's Hardware.

Read Michelle's full bio

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