- Apple is planning to introduce ads in Apple Maps sometime in 2026.
- The company will allow businesses to pay and promote their establishment on the app.
- This is said to be the first step in a larger effort to show more ads in Apple apps on iOS.
Apple will start showing ads in the Apple Maps app starting as early as next year, according to a Bloomberg report from industry expert Mark Gurman. This will be the first step towards adding ads in iOS. Yes, ADS in iOS.
How Apple Maps will Show Ads to its Users?
Apple is essentially taking an approach similar to Google Maps to introduce advertising on its app. It will allow restaurants, small businesses, and other brick-and-mortar stores to pay to appear prominently on Apple Maps and show up frequently in search results, according to Gurman’s report.
This is part of a larger effort to introduce ads in iOS, especially in Apple’s own services on its devices. However, the company could use a better interface to show more relevant ads with the help of AI. Apple already lets developers pay to target certain keywords and advertise their apps on the App Store. So this only seems like an extension of the same.
The big concern here is user backlash. Android phone makers already receive criticism for introducing ads in their UI. But their justification lies in the fact that they are selling devices at a fraction of the price of a new iPhone 17. On the other hand, Apple asks for a hefty premium for its phones, so a UI with ads might not sit well with consumers.
Gurman did not mention when we can expect ads to show up on Apple Maps, but he suspects that it could be sometime in the spring of 2026. The company has just increased the price of its Apple TV subscription, and it seems like it is trying to find more ways to add revenue.
