Apple Maps: iOS beta shows where advertising is headed

With the second developer beta of iOS 26.5, released overnight on Tuesday, the new advertising in Apple Maps is becoming apparent. When you open the app for the first time, some users will see a new information screen stating that there will be ads in the future. Maps will show “locally relevant ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search,” Apple writes. The company also emphasizes that for “your privacy,” advertising information will not be linked to your Apple Account.

Advertising placement moved forward

As early as the first beta of iOS 26.5, users had sporadically reported being served ads – apparently as a test. This is likely to intensify with the second beta, and the information screen is a clear sign. It is already known that the placement is quite aggressive. Paid results, for example, land at the very top of the list of suggested locations, and even for simple search terms like “restaurant,” they apparently displace organic results, which you then have to scroll down to find. All of this is reminiscent of Apple's approach in the App Store, where there is repeated criticism of the preferential sorting of paid placements, which some users then mistake for an organic search result.

Apple officially announced map advertising in March, stating that advertising will be available in the United States and Canada starting this summer. It is expected that a rollout in Europe could occur in a few months, for example, by autumn. As is customary with such advertising formats, advertisers can bid on locations and search terms, and according to Apple, the advertising results will also be selected based on “relevance.” Ads are marked with a small box and are intended to have a colored background. The service will remain “private as before” for users, Apple emphasizes.

Increase revenue from services

Users are actually accustomed to advertising in map services like Google Maps. Since these can quickly become overwhelming, Apple gained many users with its years of ad-free Maps offering – especially after the service was significantly improved after initial technical deficits.

For several years, Apple has been trying to increase its rapidly growing service revenues with advertising income. This actually contradicts the company's image of focusing on privacy protection – and charging corresponding prices for hardware.

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(bsc)