When will Apple Maps ads launch?

Apple plans to launch their ads this Summer (2026) for the U.S. and Canada.

How will Apple Maps ads work?

Apple plans to only show users one ad in the Maps’ search results. It will be clearly marked with a light blue “ad” tag. On the map, the location will show with a blue halo around the location’s pin to indicate it is the advertised place. The ads can appear when users search in Maps, but can also appear at the top of a user’s search results based on relevance. Ads may also appear in the “Suggested Places” section, as shown in the example above. These ads are part of Apple’s new Business suite offering.

What data will Apple Maps ads collect?

Apple Maps ads are built with Apple’s privacy-first approach in mind — you will maintain the same privacy expectations you’ve always had with Apple Maps ads. Your location and the ads you interact with are not associated with your Apple account. Your personal data stays on your device and is not collected or stored by Apple. Third parties also won’t have access to your data either. So, basically, ads will be served based on contextual relevance of the user’s search without leveraging personal data. This is a much different experience than running local ads through Google Maps, as Google leverages things like behavior, search history, and location patterns to serve ads.

How do you set up Apple Maps ads?

While Apple Maps ads haven’t launched yet, Apple has provided some details on what it’ll look like to launch Apple Maps ads. First, you need to claim your location on Maps and ensure it’s well optimized, just like you do for your Google Business Profile. Once ads is launched, you’ll be able to use the fully-automated ad creation experience to launch your ads — it’ll only take a few steps to get them launched.

Should I invest in Apple Maps ads?

If you’re a business that caters primarily to a local market, yes, Apple Maps ads is a great move. Think about it like this: When people look for a local business, they’re either searching on Google Maps or Apple Maps. You want to reach as many locals as possible, and Apple Maps can be the thing that helps you increase that reach. Not to mention, since it’s new, you can get in on it on the ground floor before your competitors even realize it’s an option. You might also have competitors who think they only need to run ads in Google Maps, which creates more opportunity for you to capture local leads. Apple Maps ads creates an opportunity, much like ads in Google Maps, for you to put your brand directly in front of people when they’re trying to find a business like yours nearby. It’s a great enhancement to your local search strategy that helps you reach more locals.

Colton Wilkinson

Consultor sénior de estrategia, WebFX

Educación

Licenciatura en Administración de Empresas

Certificaciones

OmniSEO, Google Ads Search, Google Analytics, Profesional certificado en Microsoft Advertising, Marketing de atracción de HubSpot, Anuncios de rendimiento basados en IA, Anuncios de Google Shopping

Experiencia en el sector

Servicios de limpieza, Asesoramiento y gestión financiera, Productos alimenticios, Climatización, Aficiones y estilo de vida, Hogar y jardín, Soluciones de recursos humanos, Transporte de pasajeros, Servicios sanitarios terapéuticos, Herramientas y ferretería

Experiencia

SEO PPC

Acerca de Colton Wilkinson

Colton es consultor sénior de estrategia en WebFX y cuenta con 13 años de experiencia en marketing digital y 7 años como asesor de confianza dentro del equipo de WebFX. Con una licenciatura en Administración de Empresas y una amplia cartera de certificaciones, entre las que se incluyen Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising y Google Analytics, Colton aporta a cada proyecto una profunda experiencia técnica y estratégica.

Colton también cuenta con numerosas certificaciones como experto en la materia (SME), entre las que se incluyen el seguimiento de conversiones, Microsoft Ads, Google Search Console, diagnóstico de resultados de Google Analytics, optimización continua de campañas PPC, expresiones regulares y previsiones y proyecciones.

Especializado en PPC, SEO y previsión, Colton ha gestionado más de 10 millones de dólares en inversión publicitaria digital y ha logrado de forma constante un retorno de la inversión superior al 800 % para clientes de una amplia variedad de sectores. Su experiencia en el sector abarca desde la climatización hasta los servicios sanitarios terapéuticos. Esta amplia experiencia le permite comprender las dinámicas específicas del mercado y diseñar estrategias que generan resultados cuantificables, independientemente de la complejidad del sector.

Como experto en marketing digital con múltiples certificaciones, Colton combina el pensamiento estratégico con la precisión táctica para ayudar a las empresas a sacar el máximo partido a sus inversiones en marketing digital y a lograr un crecimiento sostenible.

En su tiempo libre, a Colton le gusta pasar tiempo en el campo de golf, leer, cuidar su jardín y hacer bricolaje en casa.