Apple Will Introduce Search Ads to Maps App Next Year, According to Analyst

A new report suggests that Apple is planning to add search ads whenever this function is used on the Apple Maps app starting next year.

Apple to Introduce Search Ads to Maps App

According to the latest edition of Mark Gurman's Power On Newsletter via Bloomberg, Apple is now considering having advertisements appear in the Apple Maps app, its self-developed navigation platform for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch devices.

The report from Gurman mentions that the arrival of the ads on Apple Maps would only be on iOS, but it could be that it may be made available on the iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS versions of the app.

The advertisement will reportedly come in the form of search ads, and this means that whenever users try to search for places, destinations, and more on the app, they would see the ads added by Apple.

iOS Advertising Is Expanding

9to5Mac reported that Gurman noted Apple's internal iOS advertising effort has been "gaining traction" since the company introduced it, hence the expansion of this service to Apple Maps.

It has not been confirmed as of writing which companies Apple has already partnered up with for the new ad program on Maps, but businesses may be able to pay more to have their products or services appear more prominently on the platform.

Apple iOS Ads

Way back in 2022, there were speculations about Apple's plans to expand its advertisements on the iOS platform that would bring in suggested content about services or businesses on various apps. It was revealed that it would appear in Apple-built-in apps on the iPhone and iPad, initially starting with the likes of the App Store, News, and Stocks.

When Apple released iOS 18 last year, the company gave users a chance to remove ads that websites show on the Safari browser with the feature called Distraction Control. Through this, all kinds of ads that could potentially block the view on a specific page or tab would be removed, and users would get the chance to focus directly on the content.

Despite this feature on the iOS and iPad OS Safari app, Apple still has ads that appear on its other built-in apps as part of its ongoing effort to expand its business.