Overview
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple's internal effort to expand advertising across iOS is gaining traction, with Maps identified as the next app in line.
- Restaurants and other businesses would be able to pay for more prominent placement in Apple Maps search results using keyword targeting similar to App Store Search Ads.
- The reported approach would leverage AI to surface ads deemed relevant and useful, with an interface positioned as cleaner than rival mapping services.
- Apple has not announced the plan or provided a timeline, and any talk of a spring launch in 2026 is characterized as speculation by outlets summarizing the report.
- Coverage warns of potential consumer backlash over further commercialization of core iPhone experiences, which some users already criticize.