Ads Aren't in the Apple Maps App Yet, But They're Coming Soon
Source: MacRumors
New Suggested Places Feature
Apple released iOS 26.5 yesterday, introducing a Suggested Places feature in the Apple Maps app. This feature is a precursor to the ads that Apple plans to start showing later this year. As of now, the Apple Maps app still doesn’t have ads.
Ad Timeline
Apple began laying the groundwork for ads in iOS 26.5 and tested a splash screen, but no ads appeared during the beta testing period or after launch. The company said it will bring ads to the Maps app in March and that ads will be implemented in the United States and Canada “this summer.”
- Astronomical summer (Northern Hemisphere): June 21 – September 22
- Meteorological summer: June 1 – August 31
Depending on Apple’s definition of “summer,” ads are expected to appear in Maps sometime between June 1 and September 22.
How Ads Will Appear
- Ads will be displayed in Apple Maps search results and in the new Suggested Places section added in iOS 26.5.
- Suggested Places shows recommendations based on what’s trending nearby and a user’s recent searches.
- Ads will be shown on iPhone and iPad and will be clearly marked with an “Ad” label, similar to ads in App Store search results.
- Businesses will bid for ad placement; the highest bidder for a keyword or search term will have its ad shown in search results.
This article, “Ads Aren’t in the Apple Maps App Yet, But They’re Coming Soon,” first appeared on MacRumors.com.