Apple announced on Tuesday that it will begin allowing advertisers to target customers on Apple Maps, starting in the United States and Canada later this summer. The ads will be available to any business with a physical location that has already created a listing on Apple Maps. Users will see these ads appear next to relevant search results.
These ads are part of a revamped business offering called Apple Business, which integrates email, calendar, and directory services alongside tools for managing employee devices. Apple states it will show only one ad within its Maps search results. The ad will be clearly marked with a small blue halo around the map pin and will be labeled as an advertisement in the list of Suggested Places, similar to how ads appear on the App Store.
Introducing ads to one of Apple’s flagship applications presents an opportunity to generate an additional and potentially sizable revenue stream without radically changing the product or disrupting the user experience. Consumers are already accustomed to ads in mapping services, such as Google Maps, which has long included advertising. This offering could add billions to Apple’s bottom line as its advertising business grows globally.
The company emphasized that its ads will protect user privacy. Data about the ads users interact with is not associated with their Apple account. Personal data remains on the device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with third parties.
To create an ad and run a campaign, a business must first have an Apple Maps listing. They can then upload photos, add a promotional message, and set a budget. Apple uses automated matching to place the ad in front of users actively searching for a similar business. Advertisers can start or stop their campaign at any time. Larger advertisers can opt for more advanced customization, such as scheduling when their ad runs or targeting specific locations.
The addition of ads to Maps was previously reported, noting that ad placement would involve a bidding process. Apple confirmed the ads will use an auction-based pricing system, standard in the industry. Advertisers only pay when they achieve a desired outcome, like a view or a tap on their ad.
This expansion of Apple’s advertising business coincides with a broader change to its business offerings. The company is consolidating its various business tools and services under one umbrella called Apple Business, instead of maintaining separate services like Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials, and Apple Business Manager. This unified suite will be offered in 200 countries and regions starting April 14, 2026.
For the first time, businesses will have access to an employee directory and a new set of productivity tools, including email and calendar under the business’s domain. Employee accounts come with 5 GB of free iCloud storage. U.S. businesses can purchase upgraded plans starting at $0.99 per user per month for up to 2 TB of storage per user. Companies can also choose to pay for added support with AppleCare+ for Business, priced per user or per device starting at $6.99 per month.
The new offering includes a variety of free tools for businesses of all sizes. This includes a mobile device management product for distributing apps to employees, which has been improved with new features and will now be offered for free; it was previously a paid product. Smaller businesses can use preconfigured “Blueprints” to help set up employee devices without advanced technical expertise. Business owners or admins simply pick the apps they want to provide to staff, and the settings are configured automatically. Larger companies will be able to manage app deployments via an API.