Apple will possibly bring advertising to Apple Maps sometime in 2026, says Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman says the move will be part of a larger effort designed to squeeze additional advertising dollars out of its iOS apps.
Gurman’s comments came in the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter. He says Apple’s internal iOS advertising effort is likely to expand to Apple Maps sometime in 2026. The new program will allow businesses to pay more for prominent ranking in search results on Apple Maps.
Gurman says the system will resemble how search result advertising works in the App Store, where developers can pay to be features in app search results. However, while the App Store has advertising on its front page, Apple Maps will not do so, at least not initially. Apple will take advantage of AI to ensure relevant search results.
Gurman says Apple could face backlash from users:
The big risk Apple faces here is a potential consumer backlash. Some customers are already unhappy that the iPhone has been turned into a digital billboard for services like AppleCare+, Apple Music, Apple TV and Fitness+. The company also pushes web-like ad slots within Apple News. When you consider that an iPhone can cost up to $2,000, some see this as an unseemly money grab.
Gurman did not specify when we could expect to see Apple Maps search ads begin appearing, other than sometime next year.
