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Ammonium is one of the prevalent nitrogen sources for growth and development of higher plants. Ammonium acquisition from soil is facilitated by ammonium transporters (AMTs), which are plasma membrane proteins that exclusively transport ammonium/ammonia. However, the functional characteristics and molecular mechanisms of <i>AMTs</i> in apple remain unclear. In this work, 15 putative <i>AMT</i> genes were identified and classified into four clusters (AMT1–AMT4) in apple. According to expression analysis, these <i>AMT</i>s had varying expressions in roots, leaves, stems, flowers and fruits. Some of them were strongly affected by diurnal cycles. <i>AMT</i> genes showed multiple transcript patterns to N regimes and were quite responsive to osmotic stress. In addition, phosphorylation analysis revealed that there were some conserved phosphorylation residues within the C-terminal of AMT proteins. Furthermore, detailed research was conducted on <i>AMT1;2</i> functioning by heterologous expression in yeast. The present study is expected to provide basic bioinformatic information and expression profiles for the apple <i>AMT</i> family and to lay a basis for exploring the functional roles and regulation mechanisms of <i>AMTs</i> in apple.