Apple Lays Groundwork for Ads in Maps With iOS 26.5

Apple will introduce local advertising in Maps that can use your approximate location, current search terms, or the map view while you search.

Ads can appear in search results and at the top of a new Suggested Places section; Suggested Places recommends locations from trending nearby spots, recent searches, and more.

Businesses in the U.S. and Canada can place these ads on iPhone and iPad, with rollout planned for this summer.

Apple says a user’s location and ads they interact with in Maps will not be linked to their Apple account, and it does not plan to collect, store, or share Maps app data with third parties.

Maps ads will carry a clear “Ad” label, similar to ads in App Store search results.