Apple to integrate ads into Apple Maps by 2026
Apple is preparing to introduce advertisements in Apple Maps as early as next year, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
The goal? To allow restaurants, shops, and other local businesses to pay for prime positioning in search results, similar to Google Maps.
Apple Maps: Sponsored placements in searches
Specifically, when users search for a café or restaurant in Apple Maps, some locations may appear as sponsored results. These ads will function like Search Ads in the App Store, where developers can pay to improve their visibility.
Apple also plans to utilize artificial intelligence to make these recommendations more contextual and relevant, while promising a “cleaner” interface compared to Google.
Although this model is not new—Google has been doing it for years—it represents a shift for Apple, which has historically positioned itself as a privacy-focused and premium experience brand.
As Gurman notes, this decision may frustrate users who are already weary of persistent prompts for Apple TV+, AppleCare+, or iCloud+ on their devices. Incorporating third-party ads into such a vital application as Apple Maps could be seen as a threat to the “purity” of the Apple ecosystem. “Even if the interface is better, an ad is still an ad,” Gurman quips.
A financial strategy at heart
This shift aligns with Apple’s ambition to increase revenue from its Services segment, which has become crucial as iPhone sales stagnate.
However, this strategy raises a question: how far are users willing to tolerate their premium devices turning into advertising platforms?
