Apple Maps will get ads and here’s what it means for users and businesses

Apple has confirmed that it is bringing ads to its Apple Maps. The Cupertino-based tech giant will allow businesses to create ads on its native navigation platform. This is a significant move as the company has traditionally kept advertising limited across its devices and apps.

The announcement comes alongside Apple Business, a new all-in-one tool to help businesses manage their presence across Apple services. 

Apple announces ads within Apple Maps

As per Apple’s official announcement, businesses will be able to promote their listing on Apple Maps. Ads will show up in the maps’ search results and suggested places section that recommend trending nearby businesses. This allows them to appear more prominently in search results. It’s worth noting that businesses must claim their location first. Ads can then be created through Apple Businesses or managed via the existing Apple Ads platform. 

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For users, searching for places like restaurants, cafes, stores will show some results that may be prioritised by paid promotions. Apple says that the ads will be based on the user’s relevance and searches. There will only be one ad and it will be clearly labelled to ensure transparency.

With the addition of ads on maps, Apple will continue to protect the user’s privacy. Their locations and ad interactions aren’t tied to Apple accounts. Personal data also stays on the device and is not collected by Apple or shared with third-parties.

Ads in Apple Maps are coming this summer in the US and Canada. With this, users can discover nearby services and for businesses, it presents a new opportunity to stand out. It also opens up Apple’s revenue stream. Google Maps has been promoting ads for several years now. 

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