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Google Play unveils its list of top apps and games for 2021

Here are the apps and games that topped Google Play's picks as the best of the year.

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Macy Meyer is a N.C. native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021 with a B.A. in English and Journalism. She currently resides in Charlotte, N.C., where she has been working as an Editor I, covering a variety of topics across CNET's Home and Wellness teams, including home security, fitness and nutrition, smart home tech and more. Prior to her time at CNET, Macy was featured in The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, INDY Week, and other state and national publications. In each article, Macy helps readers get the most out of their home and wellness. When Macy isn't writing, she's volunteering, exploring the town or watching sports.
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Google Play best of 2021

Pokemon Unite and Balance took the top spots for 2021.

 Google

Google Play announced its Best of 2021 list on Monday, with a breakdown of the top apps and games for tablets , Wear OS and Google TV. Google Play made its choices based on celebrating "apps and games that made positive contributions to culture this year," with Balance -- a personalized meditation and sleep program -- crowned the best app of 2021. Pokemon Unite took the top spot for the games category. 

Google Play users also made selections for their favorite apps and games of the year, selecting Paramount Plus as the users' choice app and Garena Free Fire Max as the users' choice game. 

According to Google Play, "apps focused on personal growth were in high demand in 2021," as they were in 2020. Laughscape, a comedic relaxation app, and Calm, an app for meditation and sleep, are among the top apps of the year. Empathy, Mentor Space and Speechify stood out in the "best apps for good" category.

You can check out the full list of this year's winners here, including a list of the top-selling books and audiobooks of 2021. 

Read more: Pokemon Unite: How to share save data between Switch and mobile

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