Apple praises ‘authentic’ social media app in annual awards

by Jonny Evans · November 29, 2022

This is a social networking app for humans

Maybe it’s significant that one of Apple’s chosen App Store Award winners for 2022 is a social network designed to foster authentic connections between family and friends. But as Elon Musk shares his own unique take on ‘authenticity’, Apple has announced this year’s App Store Awards.

What are the App Store awards?

As we know, Apple builds the operating systems developers can build apps on. It also provides the most secure app distribution store in the world, in which the most successful developers effectively help builders of smaller and free apps reach confident audiences as safely as possible.

(Despite Elon’s in my opinion often depraved, crazed, and frequently ideologically disgusting rantings, very few developers pay 30% in App Store fees, the vast majority pay nothing or 15%).

For more than a decade, Apple has honored the best apps and games at the end of each year. To acknowledge the impact of the winning developer teams, each winner will receive a physical award inspired by the signature blue App Store icon. You can look at last year’s awards here.

The App Store offers 1.8 million apps and visited by more than half a billion people each week across 175 regions. It generated $643 billion in billings and sales during 2020 alone.

What did Apple say?

“This year’s App Store Award winners reimagined our experiences with apps that delivered fresh, thoughtful, and genuine perspectives,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “From self-taught solo creators to international teams spanning the globe, these entrepreneurs are making a meaningful impact, and represent the ways in which apps and games influence our communities and lives.”

So, who has won the annual award this year?

Apple has selected 16 apps and games it felt, “inspired users to engage more deeply with the world, expand their imaginations, and stay connected to friends and loved ones.” The winners were chosen because they provide “exceptional experiences” and “profound cultural impact.”

The winning Apps are:

iPhone App of the Year: BeReal, from BeReal – an authentic social media app.
iPad App of the Year: GoodNotes 5, from Time Base Technology Limited. Takes digital notetaking to the next level with best-in-class Apple Pencil support.
Mac App of the Year: MacFamilyTree 10, from Synium Software GmbH. Sparks the exploration of genealogy through stunning visual family trees.
Apple TV App of the Year: ViX, from TelevisaUnivision Interactive, Inc. This app elevates Spanish-language stories to the forefront of entertainment.
Apple Watch App of the Year: Gentler Streak, from Gentler Stories LLC.

These are this year’s winning games:

iPhone Game of the Year: Apex Legends Mobile, from Electronic Arts. A fast-paced hit battle royale game.
iPad Game of the Year: Moncage, from X.D. Network Inc. A series of puzzles.
Mac Game of the Year: Inscryption, from Devolver – a highly experimental game designed to draw you into its compelling story lines.
Apple TV Game of the Year: El Hijo, from HandyGames. AWild West tale that is also a smartly designed stealth game that looks exceptional on the big screen with Apple TV.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Wylde Flowers, from Studio Drydock Pty Ltd. A charming world of diverse characters and magical spells
China Game of the Year: League of Legends Esports Manager, from Shenzhen Tencent Tianyou Technology Ltd. Perhaps amusing in the context of the recent ‘Apple Buys Man U’ rumor’, this game lets you manage the most influential esports leagues in the world.

Cultural Impact Winners

In addition to recognizing the best apps and games on Apple devices, Apple’s App Store editors selected five Cultural Impact winners that have made a lasting impact on people’s lives and influenced culture. “This year’s winners encourage users to engage more deeply with their emotions, authentically connect with others, and pay homage to their heritage and the generations that came before them while envisioning how to create a better world today,” they said.

How We Feel from the How We Feel Project, Inc.
By prompting users to tap into their emotional well-being with the ease of daily check-ins, How We Feel helps users put difficult emotions into words and presents strategies to address these emotions in the moment.
Dot’s Home from the Rise-Home Stories Project
Dot’s Home spotlights systemic housing injustices and the subsequent impact within communities of color through a compelling and thoughtful time-traveling tale.
Locket Widget from Locket Labs, Inc.
Allowing users to send live photos right to family and friends’ Home Screen, Locket Widget drives intimate connection between loved ones, free from traditional social media pressures.
Waterllama from Vitalii Mogylevets
With its colorful design and gentle guidance, Waterllama makes meeting hydration goals fun, using creative challenges, reminders, and cuddly characters to keep users on track.
Inua – A Story in Ice and Time from ARTE Experience
Inua – A Story in Ice and Time provides an engaging, mystical adventure for users to explore historical events that weave in elements of Inuit traditions, folklore, and breath-taking tales.