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

Consultant senior en stratégie, WebFX

Éducation

Licence en gestion d'entreprise

Certifications

OmniSEO, Google Ads Search, Google Analytics, Certifié Microsoft Advertising, HubSpot Inbound Marketing, Publicités à la performance basées sur l'IA, Google Shopping Ads

Expérience dans le secteur

Services de nettoyage, Conseil et gestion financiers, Produits alimentaires, CVC, Loisirs et art de vivre, Maison et jardin, Solutions en ressources humaines, Transport de passagers, Services de santé thérapeutiques, Outillage et quincaillerie

Expertise

Référencement naturel PPC

À propos de Colton Wilkinson

Colton est consultant senior en stratégie chez WebFX. Fort de 13 ans d'expérience dans le marketing numérique et de 7 ans en tant que conseiller de confiance au sein de l'équipe WebFX, il apporte à chaque projet une expertise technique et stratégique approfondie, grâce à sa licence en administration des affaires et à un vaste éventail de certifications, notamment Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising et Google Analytics.

Colton détient également de nombreuses certifications d'expert en la matière (SME), notamment dans les domaines suivants : suivi des conversions, Microsoft Ads, Google Search Console, diagnostic des résultats Google Analytics, optimisation continue du PPC, expressions régulières, ainsi que prévisions et projections.

Spécialisé dans le PPC, le référencement naturel (SEO) et les prévisions, Colton a géré plus de 10 millions de dollars de dépenses publicitaires numériques et a régulièrement généré des taux de retour sur investissement (ROI) supérieurs à 800 % pour des clients issus d'un large éventail de secteurs. Son expertise couvre des domaines allant du chauffage, de la ventilation et de la climatisation (CVC) aux services de santé thérapeutiques. Cette vaste expérience lui permet de comprendre les dynamiques propres à chaque marché et d'élaborer des stratégies qui produisent des résultats mesurables, quelle que soit la complexité du secteur.

En tant qu'expert en marketing numérique titulaire de plusieurs certifications, Colton allie réflexion stratégique et précision tactique pour aider les entreprises à optimiser leurs investissements en marketing numérique et à atteindre une croissance durable.

En dehors du travail, Colton aime passer du temps sur les terrains de golf, lire, s'occuper de son jardin et s'attaquer à divers projets dans sa maison.