The 5 Best Apps of the Year, According to Apple

Apple has selected the best apps of the year for each of its five big devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

By Tucker Bowe

Published December 31, 2023

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Just like in years past, Apple has officially announced its 2023 App Store Award winners. These awards are given out by the App Store’s editorial team and they’ve been selected, according to Apple, for “providing users with meaningful experiences and inspiring cultural change.”

It’s a little self congratulatory, admittedly, as these are only apps that are in Apple’s App Store, but it’s also neat to learn about the third-party apps that Apple has chosen to recognize — there’s a good chance you haven’t heard about them all.

Below, you’ll find the award winners for the “Best App” across each of Apple’s five big devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Editor’s note: If you’re into gaming, Apple has announced its best games of the year across its five major devices, too — you can learn more from the company’s press release.

Best iPhone App: AllTrails

AllTrails

$88.00 at Apple

AllTrails is a user-driven hiking, biking and running app for outdoor enthusiasts. It lets you search for various trails in specific areas so that you can plan your trip ahead of time. And you can filter your searches, too, based on trail difficulty, length, elevation or user ratings (and yes, you can read their reviews). The app is free, but if you opt for the “Plus” version ($36/year) you can get extra features such as downloadable maps for offline use, access to more 3D and topographical trail maps, and off-route notifications (so you’ll get a push notification if you stray off the trail).
Apple says: “AllTrails nurtures community through comprehensive trail guides and outdoor exploration for everyone.”

Best iPad App: Prêt-à-Makeup

Prêt-à-Makeup

$9.00 at Apple

Prêt-à-Makeup is a creative iPad app for up-and-coming (as well as professional) makeup artists, allowing them to do the makeup for a digital face. And it feels real. You pick from hundreds of real beauty products that are registered in the app. You can use a finger or Apple Pencil for drawing, shading, brushing, highlighting and coloring. And there are other features, like allowing you to use a ring light and mirror, so it delivers a hyper-realistic experience of what it’s like to do somebody’s makeup.

Apple says: “Prêt-à-Makeup offers a true-to-life makeup sketchpad on iPad for professional artists and casual users, while fostering inclusivity and self-expression.”

Best Mac App: Photomator

Photomator

$99.00 at Apple

Photomator is a powerful photo editor app for Mac (as well as iPhone and iPad). According to DPReview‘s Jeff Carlson, Photomator [is] “aggressively employing machine learning technologies in ways that should help novice and expert photographers get better editing results, and do them faster.” It even has a magical Repair tool that allows you to remove unwanted objects, a la the Magic Eraser on the latest Pixel smartphones.

Apple says: “Photomator’s machine learning-powered tools make advanced editing tasks streamlined and seamless.”

Best AppleTV App: Mubi

Mubi

$0.00 at Apple

Mubi is a streaming app for the Apple TV that’s specifically geared toward movie buffs and cinephiles. Instead of the mainstream Barbies and Mission: Impossibles of the world, Mubi offers indie and international films, lesser-known documentaries, older (aka iconic) movies and cult classics. There are no TV shows, comedy specials or live sports. Also, Mubi has a “Now Showing” section where it curates 30 films at a time that you can choose from; the idea is that you spend less time scrolling and more time enjoying a new film.

Apple says: “MUBI curates exceptional indie films and international documentaries with a human touch.”

Best Apple Watch App: SmartGym

SmartGym

$99.00 at Apple

SmartGym is a robust workout app for gym goers as well as people with home gyms. The unique thing about it is that it uses AI to create a personal workout plan for you based on the equipment you have access to, the time you can allocate to working out and overall fitness goals (whether you’re trying to build muscle volume, get stronger, increase endurance and so on). The app is also beautifully designed with animated instructional videos, as well as detailed graphs and charts showcasing your progress.

Apple says: “SmartGym shines on Apple Watch with its comprehensive library of exercises, routines, and robust fitness reporting.”