Apple Maps could soon take another page from Google Maps and start showing advertisements to users.
The news comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reported that Apple wants to put ads in Maps to boost services revenue. According to Gurman, Apple Maps’ ads could allow businesses to pay for the highest spot in search results in the app.
Moreover, Apple Maps ads could operate very similarly to Google Maps, according to Gurman. Businesses will be able to bid for ad slots against search queries. In other words, a pizza restaurant, for example, could bid to show up higher in searches for ‘pizza.’
Apple could announce Maps ads this month ahead of a release in the summer. Update March 24, 2026, at 11:53 a.m. ET: Shortly after this article was published, Apple officially announced ads in Maps alongside other new business features. Apple Maps ads will come to Canada in the summer.
The move is expected to boost revenue in Apple’s services division, which covers the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, and iCloud, along with advertising revenue. However, the move could also make Apple Maps less helpful for users, who may have to dig deeper into search results to find what they’re looking for.
It’s also worth noting that in-app ads aren’t exactly new for Apple. The company already sells ad slots for App Store search results (and it recently told developers it would bring more ad slots to the App Store in March). The News and Stocks apps also show ads.
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