2020 was a year where people around the world were forced to find new ways to connect, and that trend is clearly visible when you look at the most downloaded apps on Apple hardware. Today the company revealed the most popular applications on its platforms during the year, and two names in particular stand out: the Zoom video chat tool and the social game. Among us, which were the best free apps and games on both iPhone and iPad.
No name should come as a big surprise. Despite its launch in 2018, Among us It has become arguably the biggest game of 2020, regularly topping the Twitch charts and even drawing politicians into the world of streaming. The mobile version is particularly popular as it is free to download. Similarly, Zoom has seen massive growth by becoming a de facto social space for individuals and businesses seeking face-to-face connections during the pandemic. The rest of the graphics are somewhat less striking, although the consistently popular social space Roblox makes an appearance. What if, Minecraft it is still the best-selling paid game. (You can see the full charts at the end of this article.)
This connectivity trend can also be seen in Apple’s annual app awards. In fact, the company even introduced a new series of awards based on what it calls “kindness.” Here is the full list of the 15 winners:
- IPhone App of the Year: Wakeout
- IPhone Game of the Year: Genshin Impact
- IPad App of the Year: Zoom
- IPad Game of the Year: Legends of Runeterra
- Mac App of the Year – Fantastic
- Mac Game of the Year: Disco Elysium
- Apple TV App of the Year: Disney Plus
- Apple TV Game of the Year: Dandara: Trials of Fear
- Apple Watch App of the Year: Endel
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Sneaky sasquatch
- App Trend of the Year: Shine for helping users practice self-care
- App Trend of the Year: Explain Everything Whiteboard for Helping Bring Remote Classrooms to Life
- App Trend of the Year: Caribu to Connect Families with Loved Ones
- App trend of the year: Pokemon go for reinventing the way we play
- App Trend of the Year: ShareTheMeal for helping users make a difference
Many of these games and apps were released before 2020, but they saw new life when users turned to their smart devices for distractions and connection. Pokemon goFor example, it had a great year as it was adapted to allow users to play indoors, and it just saw its biggest update yet. The digital only Pokemon go Fest proved especially popular. “It was nice to see the excitement for Go Fest,” says Niantic’s Matt Slemon. The Verge. “There is a challenge when we try to recreate these outdoor experiences knowing that some of our players are unable to go out, especially for those who have attended Go Fests in person before, trying to ensure that we live up to their expectations.”
For Jesse Ringrose, half of the team behind Apple Arcade’s launch title Sneaky sasquatch, found that the game themes became more relevant in 2020. “Most of this game is based on our childhood,” says Ringrose The edge. “We think what might be resonating with a lot of the kids is that they can’t have this normal childhood, like going out fishing and canoeing, so they’re playing our game to get a slice of that.”
Many of these games and services were forced to adapt to the current state of the world by adding new features or capabilities designed around social distancing. But for Caribu, an interactive video chat app originally designed for parents to talk to their children, that has not been the case. The app was ideal for this time – the developer’s main challenge was to scale to meet demand. “I didn’t turn around, I had to expand,” says Maxeme Tuchman, CEO and co-founder of Caribu. The edge. “Before the pandemic, Caribu was used mainly by parents and grandparents who traveled, but now it is the children who are practically babysitting, watching videos on demand or talking to their cousins and friends that they have not seen at school.”
Apple’s 2020 Awards and Most Popular Apps serve as an ideal snapshot of how people spent their time in 2020. Much of that time involved a screen, but also other people. You can check out the full list of the most downloaded below:
Top free apps for iPhone
1. Zoom
2. TikTok
3. Disney Plus
4. YouTube
5. Instagram
6. Facebook
7. Snapchat
8. Messenger
9. Gmail
10. Cash application
Best paid apps for iPhone
1. TouchRetouch
2. Procreate Pocket
3. Dark sky weather
4. Facetune
5. HotSchedules
6. AutoSleep Track Sleep
7. The wonderful weeks
8. SkyView
9. Shadowrocket
10. Sky guide
The best free iPhone games
1. Among us
2. Call of Duty: Mobile
3. Roblox
Four. Subway surfers
5. Ink Inc.
6. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
7. Brain test: tricky puzzles
8. Brain out
9. Coin Master
10. Cube surfer
Highest paid iPhone games
1. Minecraft
2. Plague Inc.
3. Notice
4. Monopoly
5. Bloons TD6
6. Geometry board
7. NBA 2K20
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
9. The game of life
10. True skate
Top free iPad apps
1. Zoom
2. Disney Plus
3. YouTube
4. Netflix
5. Google Chrome
6. TikTok
7. Amazon Prime Video
8. Gmail
9. Hulu
10. Google Classroom
Top paid apps for iPad
1. Procreate
2. Good grades 5
3. Notability
4. Duet screen
5. Teach your monster
6. LumaFusion
7. Affinity Designer
8. Touch Hair Salon 3
9: Toca Life: Hospital
10. Touch Kitchen 2
The best free games for iPad
1. Among us
2. Roblox
3. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
Four. Ink Inc.
5. Call of Duty: Mobile
6. Subway surfers
7. Dancing Road: Color Ball Run
8. Tiles Hop: EDM Rush
9. Mario Kart Tour
10. Save the girl
Highest paid iPad games
1. Minecraft
2. Monopoly
3. Bloons TD 6
Four. Plague Inc.
5. Geometry board
6. The game of life
7. Five nights at Freddy’s
8. Human: Fall Flat
9. Stardew valley
10. Terraria
The best arcade games
1. Sneaky sasquatch
2. Hot lava
3. Skate City
Four. Sonic racing
5. Pac-Man Party Royale
6. Spongebob: Patty Pursuit
7. Oceanhorn 2
8. Crossy Road Castle
9. What golf?
10. Lego Fights
