Apple Maps Will Soon Feature Ads — And Users Aren’t Happy About It
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We’re now well into the beta cycle for iOS 26.5, and while these appear to be pretty small updates, with only a couple of noteworthy features for end users, there’s one significant change hiding inside.
From what we’ve seen in the latest betas, Apple may soon be showing ads in the Maps app. Yes, you read that right. And, as you can expect, Apple fans aren’t happy about it. While a beta doesn’t always reflect what we’ll see when the full update releases, Apple has promised businesses that they’ll be able to start running ads this summer — and some users are already looking for alternatives.
We’ll Soon Start Seeing Ads in Apple Maps
Seeing ads in navigation apps is, unfortunately, not that uncommon. However, with the iOS 26.5 beta, this might be the first time we see ads in Apple’s Maps app.
Based on the message that pops up when you open Maps in the iOS 26.5 betas, it appears the app will show you ads for local businesses based on your location, the places you search for, or even how you view the map while you’re searching for a place.
That’s pretty specific, but Apple also emphasizes that, for our privacy, none of this data will be linked to our Apple Accounts. To keep things in perspective, it’s worth noting that these ads should only show up as “sponsored” results — much like what we already see in the App Store. For example, a local pizza place could pay to have its entry listed at the top of searches for “pizza,” clearly denoted with an “Ad” tag for transparency.
Still, seeing ads based on such specific information is understandably a bit unsettling. As a result — and because nobody likes ads — many Apple fans have gone online to voice how annoyed they are at this move, with one Redditor calling it a “speed run to ruin its reputation” while others argued that being ad-free was the only thing that made the app worth using and they might as well switch to Google Maps.
Unfortunately, if you’re someone who wants to switch to Google Maps too, we have some bad news for you.
Apple Maps Isn’t the Only One Showing Ads
As we mentioned, most navigation apps have already been showing ads for years. After all, does it surprise anyone that Google Maps and Waze (which is also owned by Google) include advertising?
Out of all the Android features we want on iPhone, of course, this is the one Apple chooses to copy. It sucks, but it seems like this is the new way of life for navigation apps.
With all of that said, iOS 26.5 is still in beta. There are times when the full version doesn’t bring everything the beta has, so there’s still a chance that we might not see ads in Maps yet — but we wouldn’t count on it, since Apple has already confirmed the rollout to its business partners.
Will You Switch to Another App?
Ads are coming to Apple Maps in the US and Canada very soon — the company is already promoting the feature to business owners in those countries. While the initial wave is limited to North America, it’s likely only a matter of time before Apple expands this to other regions.
While Apple Maps won’t be the only navigation app to do this, it still feels weird that a company that wants to make its products feel premium has decided to lay the groundwork for ads in one of its most important apps.
Still, that seems to be the world we live in, so we’ll have to get used to it.
