Apple Maps users may soon start seeing advertisements in their navigation results, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The ads, expected to arrive next year, would allow restaurants, retailers, and other local businesses to pay for promoted placements in search results — a model similar to what Google Maps already uses.
The new search ads would appear when users look for specific places or destinations in Apple Maps. Businesses could bid for visibility, ensuring their listings appear more prominently to users searching nearby. The program would initially launch on iOS, though expansion to iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS versions of the app could follow.
The ads are part of Apple’s ongoing push to expand its in-house advertising network, which already includes placements in the App Store, News, and Stocks apps.
Apple reportedly aims to differentiate its ad system through a cleaner interface and AI-driven relevance. The company plans to use artificial intelligence to ensure ads appear contextually relevant to users’ search behavior — for instance, showing nearby restaurants during lunch hours or hotels near travel routes.
While Apple has historically positioned itself as a privacy-first company, this move marks a broader shift toward monetizing first-party apps within the iOS ecosystem.
Gurman noted that Apple’s internal iOS advertising division has been “gaining traction” in recent years. The Maps ad rollout is viewed as a natural extension of the company’s strategy to generate more services revenue.
The company has not yet disclosed which advertisers or partners it plans to include at launch. However, businesses may be able to pay premium rates for enhanced placement within results, similar to sponsored listings in the App Store.
The expansion of ads across iOS has raised questions about whether Apple risks turning its devices into what Gurman described as “billboards for Apple services.” The company will likely face a delicate balance between user experience and monetization, especially after touting ad-blocking features like Distraction Control in Safari, which lets users remove intrusive web ads.
Despite that, Apple continues to experiment with new ad formats across its ecosystem, signaling that advertising may soon become a more visible part of its overall business model.
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