Out of the millions of apps on the app store, these fourteen took the crown. Here’s what they are and why you may want to download them.
Apple was the first to popularize the concept of mobile apps, launching the first App Store of its kind with less than 500 apps in 2008. Since then, millions of apps and developers have entered the scene, making the competition for the best apps more challenging than ever.
On Wednesday, Apple released its 2023 App Store Awards Winners, which were picked by the App Store’s editorial team based on the criteria of whether the apps provide users with meaningful experiences and inspire cultural change.
Last year’s list: Apple names the 16 best apps and games of 2022, with BeReal taking top honors
„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,“ said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The winning apps are all unique, tackling important topics such as meditating, reducing e-waste, helping non-verbal people communicate, connecting people with the outdoors, and more.
I had the opportunity to go hands-on with all of the winning apps at an Apple media event for the media in NYC, and whether it was the apps‘ graphics, storylines, mission, or uniqueness, each app brought something different to the table that left me impressed — and will likely impress you, too.
Since there are so many apps on the market tasked with accomplishing very different purposes, Apple broke down the winners into different categories, organized by the device the app is meant for and making a distinction between regular apps and games. There is also a bonus category for apps that drive positive societal change and leave a cultural impact.
For the full rundown of the winners and the chance of discovering your next favorite app, read on.
If you have ever wanted to start an outdoor activity but didn’t know what trail to go on or where to even start, this free app is for you.
The AllTrails app helps connect people of all different athletic backgrounds and interests with outdoor trails that they can use to participate in activities such as running, hiking, biking, or walking.
When searching for a trail, the app considers all your needs, including whether it has to be kid, stroller, dog, or wheelchair friendly. It also provides other specifics about trails, including user-generated trail reviews, different map views, trail previews, weather conditions, and GPS directions to help you pick the perfect trail.
Then, once you select a route, it helps you stay on course with your planned course. The app also has fitness tracking and community-building elements to encourage meeting your fitness goals.
Prêt-à-Makeup is a free app that provides users with digital face charts, like the ones that makeup artists use to plan their makeup looks. Using those face charts, users can use that template to create their own realistic makeup looks right from their devices.
The app includes over 700 beauty products, 40 face templates in different styles, and different cosmetic textures and finishes that users can choose from to provide a realistic sketching experience.
Once you apply the brush to the one-dimensional, blank face chart, the three-dimensional face automatically appears, making it easy for users of all artistic abilities to create a realistic face sketch.
Another standout feature is that the sketch’s lighting responds to the screen’s movement, mimicking the effect of a moving face in front of a ring light.
Photomator is an all-encompassing photo editing app for Mac that includes every tool you would need a photo editing app to have, including color adjusting, batch editing features, clone and repair tools, support for over 650 RAW image formats, presets, transforming images into HDR with one click, and more.
The app also features generative AI editing features, which can help the user automate tasks such as removing camera noise, adjusting white balance, increasing color depth, cropping photos, and more.
