Apple's 2025 App of the Year: AI-Powered Tiimo Wins Top Spot

Apple has crowned Tiimo as its iPhone App of the Year for 2025, marking a significant win for AI-powered productivity tools designed for neurodivergent users. The AI-powered visual planner combines traditional planning features with an intelligent chatbot assistant to help users with ADHD, autism, and those who prefer visual organization manage their daily tasks and routines.

Tiimo’s rise has been meteoric following Apple’s recognition. The app jumped from 33rd to 4th place among productivity apps in the App Store within 24 hours of winning the award. The Copenhagen-based company beat out fellow finalists BandLab and Ladder, which Apple described as tools to refine daily workflows.

Founded in 2015 by Melissa Würtz Azari and Helene Lassen Nørlem, Tiimo began as a research project focused on neurodivergent teens before evolving into a comprehensive planning application. The company demonstrated strong investor confidence by raising $4.7 million in an August 2024 funding round, according to PitchBook data. The app had previously been a finalist for Apple’s Design Award in 2024.

The app offers both free and premium tiers, with the premium version priced at $10 per month. Its core features include to-do lists, daily task management, reminders, and an AI chatbot assistant that helps users plan and organize their schedules through conversational prompts.

A hands-on review revealed that Tiimo’s AI assistant performs impressively, understanding natural language requests and automatically generating themed emojis to match tasks. The app organizes daily activities into morning, day, evening, and flexible time slots, with a focus timer and background music options to help users stay on track. The chatbot successfully handled various prompts, from planning entire weeks to setting up specific daily routines like dog walking and medication reminders.

The minimal, straightforward design resembles a digital version of a physical planner, making it accessible for users who may find complex productivity apps overwhelming. The AI assistant appears as a floating icon, ready to help users dump their thoughts and tasks into organized, actionable items with visual cues and timely reminders.

Key Quotes

Apple described as tools to refine workflows in daily life

Apple’s characterization of the finalist apps, including Tiimo, emphasizes the tech giant’s focus on practical, workflow-enhancing applications that use AI to improve daily productivity and organization for users.

It was nice to dump things into an AI chat and have a virtual assistant send me reminders, incentivizing me to mark things off my daily list

The reviewer’s assessment highlights how Tiimo’s AI chatbot successfully reduces the cognitive load of planning by allowing users to naturally express their needs and receive organized, actionable task lists with automated reminders.

Our Take

Tiimo’s victory represents a pivotal moment where AI accessibility tools gain mainstream recognition from one of tech’s most influential companies. What’s particularly noteworthy is how the app demonstrates AI’s practical value beyond flashy features—it solves real executive function challenges through conversational interfaces and intelligent automation. The rapid jump from 33rd to 4th in App Store rankings shows pent-up demand for AI-powered neurodivergent support tools. This success will likely inspire a wave of similar applications targeting specific cognitive needs, expanding AI’s role in digital accessibility and assistive technology. The $10/month premium pricing also suggests a viable business model for specialized AI applications, potentially encouraging more investment in this underserved market segment. As AI becomes more sophisticated, we’ll likely see increasingly personalized planning tools that adapt to individual cognitive patterns and preferences.

Why This Matters

Tiimo’s recognition by Apple signals a growing mainstream acceptance of AI-powered tools designed specifically for neurodivergent users, a market segment that represents millions of potential users worldwide. This award validates the intersection of AI technology and accessibility, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to create inclusive solutions that address real cognitive and organizational challenges.

The app’s success reflects broader trends in the AI productivity space, where conversational interfaces and intelligent assistants are becoming standard features rather than novelties. By winning Apple’s prestigious award, Tiimo has positioned AI-powered planning tools as essential rather than experimental, potentially encouraging more developers to focus on AI applications for neurodiversity.

For the AI industry, this represents an important use case that goes beyond enterprise productivity or consumer entertainment. It demonstrates how AI can serve as an assistive technology, helping individuals manage executive function challenges through intelligent automation, contextual reminders, and visual organization. The $4.7 million funding round also indicates investor confidence in AI-powered accessibility solutions, suggesting this market segment will continue to grow and attract development resources.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/i-tried-tiimo-apple-iphone-app-of-the-year-2025-12