Apple Maps Begins Rolling Out Ads on iPhone

Apple has officially begun introducing advertisements on Apple Maps, marking a significant expansion of the company’s advertising ecosystem on the iPhone. The feature is expected to become available more widely over the coming weeks.

According to a report by 9to5Mac, advertisements appearing in Apple Maps will be clearly identified with a blue ‘Ad’ icon, helping users distinguish sponsored listings from regular search results. The move brings Apple Maps closer to competitors such as Google Maps, which has featured advertising for several years.

Ads will appear in two key areas of the Maps application. Before users conduct a search, the Suggested Places section on the search screen may display sponsored businesses. After a search is performed, relevant advertisements can also appear directly within the search results.

Apple has emphasised that the new advertising system will continue to follow its privacy-focused approach. According to the company, a user's location and the advertisements they view or interact with in Maps are not linked to their Apple Account. Apple has also stated that personal data remains on the user's device and is not collected, stored or shared with third parties for this purpose.

The introduction of ads comes as attention increasingly turns towards Apple's major product event scheduled for September 9. The company is expected to unveil its next generation of devices, including the widely anticipated iPhone 18 lineup.

The event is scheduled to begin at 10 am PT (10:30 pm IST) and will be streamed live through YouTube, Apple's website and Apple TV.

Besides the new iPhone lineup, Apple is also widely expected to showcase other products and updates. Reports have suggested that the company could unveil a foldable smartphone, reportedly referred to as the iPhone Ultra, although Apple has not officially confirmed the product.