Apple Maps will add adverts in 2026

There are many reasons to prefer Apple Maps to vastly more successful Google Maps, but reportedly the lure of advertising revenue has finally made Apple decide to remove one of them.

For at least three years, Apple has been said to be first considering and then actively investigating adding adverts to Apple Maps. Each time, the chief source for the rumor has been Bloomberg — and now the publication is back again with more.

This most recent report claims that the decision has been taken to move ahead with the project. The claim is that starting as soon as 2026, Apple will allow businesses to pay to have their entries in some way displayed more visibly within Apple Maps.

It would reportedly resemble how developers can now pay to have their apps appear in searches within the App Store. In the case of Apple Maps, it's claimed that AI will be used to surface the most relevant ads to a user.

There's also a more vague claim that it will all be done better than it is in Google Maps. That's said to be at least in the sense of making it easier for businesses to add and update their details.

It does of course mean that Apple will be getting more money, but doing this in Apple Maps is just inviting bad press. Apple Maps may forever be the underdog, but it's never faced quite the same criticism that Google Maps has over advertising.

While there is not any qualitative evidence that this is true, there is a long-standing perception that Google Maps routes users near to advertisers. Despite being a strong and persistent urban myth, it doesn't seem to have dented the use of Google Maps.

Whereas the first time that Apple Maps suggests a Starbucks en route, it is going to be slammed.

But then Apple Maps is used to that, following its disastrous launch.