Apple today shared its 2021 App Store Award winners, featuring the 15 best apps and games selected by Apple’s global App Store editorial team. Alongside naming its editorial picks for the top applications and games of 2021, Apple today shared charts for the most downloaded free and paid apps and games in the United States across 2021.
The number one most downloaded free iPhone app was TikTok, followed by YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. The top paid iPhone apps included Procreate Pocket, HotSchedules, The Wonder Weeks, and TouchRetouch.
Popular free iPad apps included Netflix, Disney+, and Zoom, while GoodNotes 5, Notability, Duet Display, and Procreate were famous paid iPad apps.
Top games on iPhone and iPad included Among Us!, Roblox, Project Makeover, Minecraft, and Heads Up. Apple this year likewise featured the top Apple Arcade games, which incorporated The Oregon Trail, NBA 2K21, and Sneaky Sasquatch. Apple’s top 10 lists for every category are listed below.
The top apps were picked for their quality, innovative technology, inventive design, and positive cultural effect. Apple today released its expected annual list of the best applications and games of the year across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. This year, children’s app creator Toca Boca won iPhone App of the Year for “Toca Life World,” and Riot Games’ “League of Legends: Wild Rift” was the iPhone Game of the Year.
Other winners incorporated the iPad App of the Year “LumaFusion” from LumaTouch; iPad Game of the Year “MARVEL Future Revolution” from Netmarble; Mac App of the Year “Craft,” from Luki Labs Limited; Mac Game of the Year “Myst,” from Cyan; Apple TV App of the Year “DAZN,” from DAZN Group; Apple TV Game of the Year “Space Marshals 3,” from Pixelbite; Apple Watch App of the Year “Carrot Weather,” from Grailr; and the Apple Arcade Game of the Year: “Fantasian,” from Mistwalker.
Typically, the award winners represent relative rookies to the App Store, the individuals who enjoy taken benefit of Apple technologies in interesting ways, or those that acquired special consideration during the year. For example, last year’s award winners reflected how the pandemic worked out in the world of apps when the home workout app “Wakeout!” won the iPhone App of the Year and “Zoom” won for iPad.
But the current year’s iPhone App of the Year, “Toca Life World,” is an interesting pick for another reason. Its producer, Toca Boca, March celebrated its tenth anniversary. In the time since the launch of its first app, the organization has proceeded to release more than 40 other children’s apps — or as Toca Boca likes to call them, digital toys. “Toca Life World” is the perfection of a lot of this work, as it associated the earlier “Toca Life” apps into one connected experience.
Apple praised the award winner for “still masterfully iterating on the art of play and self-expression for kids,” ten years later.
The pick additionally serves as a subtle reminder amid a year that is seen a lot of App Store backlash and upheaval, that developers are constructing long term businesses on the App Store and Apple has helped play a role in supporting that achievement, including through awards like these.
Apple likewise praised other winners, commenting how streaming service “DAZN” directed local sports culture into the global spotlight. In the interim, Apple is discreetly working out a SportsKit system for Apple TV and iOS apps, which DAZN could one day use, perhaps.
Apple likewise promoted “Carrot Weather’s” best-in-class meteorological forecasts, which rival Apple’s default Weather app and use information from Apple-owned Dark Sky. Apple elevated LumaFusion’s ability to make video editing faster and less scary and document editor Craft’s “efficiency and artistry.” But it’s difficult to disregard that those apps additionally rival Apple products — iMovie and iWork’s Pages, respectively. Regardless, a large part of the list is a reminder of how intently the fates of third-party apps are attached to Apple’s software developments.
The past year has been a transitional one for the App Store, which has confronted expanded regulatory scrutiny, new legislation in global markets, and different claims over the App Store’s commission-based business model — including the ongoing one with Epic Games, presently under appeal. Accordingly, Apple has changed and explained its policies and surprisingly diminished its commissions sometimes, as directed by the market demands and settlement agreements.
Despite the changes, the achievement and quality of numerous apps, award winners included, remains high.
In declaring its year-end winners, Apple additionally named “Connection” as the top Trend of the Year and praised various apps and games that lastingly affected individuals’ lives considering this theme. This list incorporated the agreeable and competitive game “Among Us!” from InnerSloth; dating and networking app Bumble (whose top adversary, Match, happens to be a noted App Store critic); design resource Canva; local eatery guide focused on Black-owned businesses, EatOkra; and social network for women Peanut, which launched its audio chatrooms this year.
“The developers who won App Store Awards in 2021 harnessed their drive and vision to deliver the best apps and games of the year — sparking the creativity and passion of millions of users around the world,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a statement. “From self-taught indie coders to inspiring leaders building global businesses, these standout developers innovated with Apple technology, with many helping to foster the profound sense of togetherness we needed this year,” he said.
The award winners will again get physical App Store awards, which are inspired by the signature blue App Store icon, which is set into the 100% recycled aluminum used to make Apple products, with the name of the winner engraved on the other side.
Toca Life World, from Toca Boca, was named Apple’s iPhone App of the Year. Intended for children, the app permits players to make their worlds and carry their stories to life.
Apple’s iPad App of the Year is LumaFusion, a well-known mobile video editing app. It is perceived as one of the best ways for editing video on an iPhone or an iPad, with a wide range of editing tools and effects.
Multiplayer online fight field game League of Legends: Wild Rift won the title of iPhone Game of the Year for its online play, and MARVEL Future Revolution was Apple’s pick for iPad Game of the Year.
Apple picked a Mac app and game of the year, and Apple TV app of the year, and an Apple Arcade round of the year, with details below.
Apple likewise featured “Connection” as the trend of the year, perceiving a selection of apps and games that united individuals in significant ways. Apps recognized in this category incorporate Among Us!, Bumble, Canva, EatOkra, and Peanut.
Each App or Game of the Year winner will get a physical App Store award that is designed according to the plan of the App Store logo. Each award is made from 100% recycled aluminum and it has the name of the winner engraved on the side.
Apple additionally released its lists of the most downloaded apps of the year, as usual. In the U.S., the most downloaded applications are as follows:
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