Opening Apple’s Maps app just to get directions may look a little different in the near future. According BloombergMark Gurman, Apple plans to introduce ads in Maps next year. While it won’t be as annoying as YouTube’s unskippable ads, Apple wants to offer better visibility on Maps to restaurants and businesses willing to pay.
When you’re searching for a new restaurant or relevant business, you may already be used to seeing ads on Google Maps or Yelp that highlight certain establishments. However, Gurman said Apple plans to lean on artificial intelligence to get better search results and offer a better interface than Google Maps. The introduction of ads into Apple’s iOS ecosystem should come as no surprise from Gurman previously reported Apple’s interest dates back to 2022. On top of that, Apple already offers advertising spaces within the App Store where developers can pay to appear in a more visible position for user searches. Beyond Maps, Apple could consider inserting ads into its news, books, podcasts and other apps to generate more revenue.
