Apple Considers Adding Ads to Apple Maps Again

In 2022, Mark Gurman alerted us to the possibility of Apple incorporating advertisements into Apple Maps and other components of the iPhone, but this initiative was never realized. However, it appears Apple may be revisiting this prospect, as noted in Gurman’s latest Power On! newsletter.

Currently, Apple displays ads within its Apple News and Stocks applications, and Gurman mentions that “Apple is reconsidering this concept.” The company is examining possible avenues for monetization, although no specific plans or timelines have been established yet.

Conceptually, businesses might pay to receive higher placements in search results or to have their icons displayed more prominently on the map. This direction also opens the possibility for Apple to offer an ad-free experience for an additional fee, potentially integrating that option into its existing Apple One subscription service.

Elevating certain businesses within Apple Maps raises questions about user benefits. The proposed system could function similarly to Google’s advertising model, where businesses are flagged as sponsored listings, potentially pushing more relevant search results further down the page. Nevertheless, if Apple adopts a more conventional advertisement system, it may risk losing the goodwill of users who appreciate the ad-free experience they currently enjoy.

In such circumstances, traditional ad blockers would likely be ineffective. Tools like uBlock and similar applications aim to prevent external content from displaying on webpages. However, if Apple implements its proposed ad system, it would deliver advertisements from the same source, akin to how ads work on certain streaming platforms, which complicates the ability for ad blockers to function effectively.

If Apple does move forward with this initiative, it won’t be happening anytime soon. Gurman indicates that no active engineering efforts are currently underway, suggesting that it may be several months—if not longer—before any advertisements are integrated into Apple Maps.