Apple Starts Rolling Out Ads in Apple Maps

Apple has begun rolling out ads in Apple Maps on iPhone and iPad across the United States and Canada, bringing sponsored listings to the navigation app for the first time.



Apple announced the feature in March as part of Apple Business, with availability targeted for summer 2026. An ads disclosure screen discovered in iOS 26.5 beta later hinted the launch was close. Apple confirmed the rollout began in the last few days and will continue expanding over the coming weeks.


Sponsored listings appear in two places: in the Suggested Places section when users first tap the search bar, and at the top of search results when a business has purchased an ad for a relevant keyword. Each set of search results displays a single sponsored listing, clearly identified with a small blue "Ad" badge.

Apple's Advertising Services policy imposes stricter rules than some competing platforms. Home services, bail bonds, and cryptocurrency ATMs cannot be advertised, while promotions for medical services may be allowed following case-by-case review.

There is currently no option to disable Maps ads. Apple says a user's location and the ads they see and interact with in Maps are not associated with their Apple Account. Personal data remains on the user's device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with third parties.

Businesses can purchase Maps ads through Apple Business or Apple's existing Apple Ads platform, with Apple currently offering a 15 percent credit toward future ad spend.