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Focus Friend<\/a>, the screen time assistant from YouTuber and entrepreneur Hank Green, is Google Play\u2019s app of the year. <\/p>\n Launched in August<\/a>, the productivity tool lets you block yourself from distracting phone apps while encouraging you with the aid of a virtual friend \u2014 a little cartoon bean that likes to knit socks and scarves, which can later be exchanged for d\u00e9cor for the little bean\u2019s room.<\/p>\n The premise behind the app is that users might be encouraged to manage their screen time better if they know their actions would impact others, even if it\u2019s just a little bean who would be sad if you interrupted their knitting project. <\/p>\n The app was a hit at launch, reaching No. 1 on Apple\u2019s App Store after rapidly climbing the charts<\/a>. On Android, Focus Friend has north of 1 million installs, according to its Play Store listing<\/a>. <\/p>\n Google calls Focus Friend a helpful and cute app and an effective tool for helping users disconnect.<\/p>\n In a year that again saw AI assistants and tools climb the app store charts over and over again, it\u2019s interesting to see a timer that helps you disconnect from your tech winning Google\u2019s highest app award. On Google Play, for instance, the top apps currently include both of OpenAI\u2019s consumer-facing tools: ChatGPT (at No. 1), and video app Sora. Other top apps focus on social media, entertainment or shopping, like TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, Temu and GoWish.<\/p>\n Clearly, consumers are rewarding apps that engage and addict, not those that encourage you to log off. <\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> Google also announced several other app winners across categories like games, watches, XR headsets and more. Trading card game, Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket<\/a> won the best game award, the best multi-device app was photo editor Luminar<\/a>, and the best multi-device game was racing game Disney Speedstorm<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other winners for 2025 include:<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n