Ads will soon make their way to Apple Maps, with the latest iOS 26.5 developer beta offering additional insight into how they'll work.
Following multiple rumors of advertisements coming to Apple Maps, the change was officially confirmed on March 24. With Monday's iOS 26.5 developer beta, Apple has now taken the first step towards bringing ads to the iPhone's built-in Maps app.
The software update contains a new splash screen detailing the key aspects of Apple Maps ads. "Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search," reads the screen.
"For your privacy, advertising information is not linked to your Apple Account," it continues. In essence, Apple continues to emphasize its focus on user privacy, as a dedicated webpage for ads in Apple Maps includes similar statements.
"Maps with ads is just as private as Maps without ads," explains the company's website. "Personal data stays on your device, is not collected or stored by Apple Ads, and is not shared with third parties."
Ads won't have access to the Visited Places feature, and Apple doesn't share any data about these locations, as it's all stored and curated on-device. The Apple Maps app doesn't require an Apple Account, either, meaning no account data is shared with advertisers.
As for what the ads will look like in practice, Apple says they will show up when users search a broad category. Ads will be clearly labeled as such and will be displayed based on relevance. iOS users will be able to call the business, navigate to it, make an order, and more.
While prioritizing user privacy, Apple Maps will also offer advertisers a flexible experience, letting them start and stop campaigns at any time.
The arrival of the splash screen for Apple Maps ads in iOS 26.5 comes only a day before the Apple Business rollout, which is scheduled for April 14.
Apple's new business-oriented platform combines device management and promotional tools, while also including compatibility with the new ad system in Apple Maps.
The Apple Maps ads, meanwhile, won't reach iPhone and iPad users just yet. They're scheduled to debut in the summer of 2026 for users in Canada and the United States, but Apple Maps ads are still marked as "coming soon" on the company's website.
Apple is already working to implement the new advertising system, though, as we saw with iOS 26.5 beta 2. The next major operating system update, iOS 27, is set to debut at WWDC 2026, which will take place on June 8.
