BEST OF 2020

App of the Year: Zoom

Where life happened in 2020.

Zoom Workplace

AI-powered collaboration

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Zoom Workplace

AI-powered collaboration

This time last year, you might not have even heard of Zoom. Typically used by businesses, it was a way to conduct video meetings with a few remote colleagues about, say, KPIs or synergistic strategies.

But in 2020, Zoom became the way to communicate with the world. We used it to connect with family, laugh with friends, and stay productive with colleagues. Then when Zoom made itself free for K–12 institutions, it became the de facto virtual classroom for students of all ages.

Before long, thanks to the ingenuity of everyone using it, Zoom went from being a simple utility to where we held book clubs, therapy sessions, and office parties, took piano and pilates lessons, attended living room concerts and Halloween parades. It’s where we graduated, celebrated bar mitzvahs, and got married. It’s where life just happened.

Look familiar? We spent 2020 hanging out on Zoom—and the iPad version was the most satisfying way to use it.

When we all needed a reliable way to connect, Zoom came through. With a few taps, you could start a free video call with a group of one or 100, no matter what device anyone was using. Meeting participants didn’t even need to set up an account to join.

Today millions of people “Zoom” each day. The app has elevated its performance to meet that demand, shored up its privacy, and upgraded with a flurry of features: virtual backgrounds that make us look like we’re chatting from outer space; improved encryption that keeps our conversations and screen shares even more secure; Touch Up My Appearance, which spiffs up our homebound looks.

In 2020, Zoom was exactly what we needed, and we were grateful to have it.