Gurman Reports That Apple Is Preparing to Sell Ads in Maps Starting in 2026

Mark Gurman, in his weekly paywalled Power On column for Bloomberg:

I reported a few years ago that Apple was working to bring more advertising to iOS. Well, now that effort is gaining traction — with a plan to start the ads as early as next year. The company is focusing on Apple Maps, which will allow restaurants and other businesses to pay to have their details featured more prominently within the app’s searches.

The concept is quite similar to Search Ads inside of the App Store, where developers can pay for their software to appear in a promoted slot based on user queries. I’m told the Maps version will have a better interface than what Google and other companies offer inside of mapping services. The Apple approach also will leverage AI to ensure that results are relevant and useful.

The big risk Apple faces here is a potential consumer backlash.

I don’t love the ads in the App Store, but I don’t hate them. They’re restrained, and clearly labeled. I do, however, despise the ads in Apple News. They’re low-quality, distracting, highly repetitive, and appear far too frequently within articles.

★ Monday, 27 October 2025