> Trend of the year: Connection

Each year, Apple’s global App Store editors also name a Trend of the Year. The goal is to identify a movement that had lasting impact on people’s lives, and to recognize the standout apps and games that met that moment. Against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic and the resulting restrictions on ordinary life globally, the top trend of 2021 is “Connection.” This year’s trend winners brought people together in meaningful ways — while meeting social, personal, and professional needs for users around the world.

> AMONG US! FROM INNERSLOTH With a mix of cooperation and competition, Among Us! cultivated community through bite–size matches that urged users to talk

and listen — to each other via banter, bluffing, and teamwork.

> BUMBLE, FROM BUMBLE INC. Bumble met the moment with features designed to bridge the gap for users hoping to date, forge platonic friendships, and broaden their professional networks.

> CANVA, FROM CANVA

Offering elegantly simple design tools and gorgeous templates, Canva made design simple for professionals, students, job seekers, and teams of every kind. > EATOKRA, FROM ANTHONY EDWARDS JR. AND JANIQUE EDWARDS

EatOkra built a robust, user– driven guide to more than 11,000 Black–owned eateries that helps people find tasty ways to invest in their community.

> PEANUT, FROM PEANUT APP LIMITED

By launching social audio Pods led by experts on everything from pregnancy to menopause, Peanut is creating honest conversations on every aspect of womanhood.