Apple Maps Ads Are Here, and There’s No Way to Turn Them Off

Ads in Apple Maps are live in the United States and Canada, which means iPhone and iPad users will see them when searching for locations and when viewing Suggested Places.

Apple announced plans to bring ads to the Maps app in March, and said the feature would roll out starting in late summer. Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that ads began showing up for users over the last few days, with ad placement to ramp up in the coming weeks.

Ads are shown in Suggested Places when initiating a search and after searching if a company has bought an ad for a keyword you’re looking for. Ads are shown at the top of search results, with one ad per set of search results.

There is no option to turn off ads in the Maps app, but ads are clearly labeled with a blue « Ad » tag. Apple says ads you interact with in the Maps app are not associated with your Apple Account, and data is not shared with third parties.

Apple has been preparing to launch ads all summer, with signs of ads showing up in iOS 26 updates. Apple started allowing businesses to purchase ad slots in August, offering a 15 percent credit toward future ad spend as an incentive.

Ads for home services, bail bonds, and cryptocurrency ATMs are not allowed in the Maps app per Apple’s Advertising Services policy. Ads that promote or reference medical services may be allowed, and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Maps ads also have to adhere to Apple’s other advertising rules.

This article, "Apple Maps Ads Are Here, and There's No Way to Turn Them Off" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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