Apple is reportedly preparing to add advertisements to its Maps app as early as next year, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple’s push to expand advertising across its ecosystem is “gaining traction,” with Apple Maps being the next major platform to feature paid placements.
Under the plan, restaurants, stores, and other businesses will be able to pay for promoted listings, allowing their details to appear more prominently in search results. The system is expected to work much like App Store Search Ads, where developers can pay for higher visibility in relevant searches.
Apple reportedly plans to use AI algorithms to ensure that the promoted results are relevant and helpful to users, offering a smoother and more refined experience than competing ad models from Google and other tech firms.
While the move could create a new revenue stream for Apple’s fast-growing advertising division, Gurman noted that it could also trigger consumer backlash, as users may view ads as disrupting Apple’s typically clean, privacy-focused design.
Apple has not yet commented on the report or provided a timeline for the rollout.
