Apple is coming for media budgets from advertisers, and in return
the iPhone maker is giving them an incentive to start placing ads.
On Friday, businesses in the United States and Canada can begin purchasing media in "Ads on Maps." In March the company
announced it would roll out the platform in summer 2026, and that the ad offering would have the ability to upload photos, add promotional messages and set budgets with no minimum media buy.
Since the privacy approach is for all Apple Ads, and the company has multiple advertising platforms, Ads on Maps builds on Apple’s privacy approach for advertisers and its platforms.
Eligible businesses that buy media on Maps via a credit card by October 11, 2026 will receive a 15% monthly credit they can apply to the following month’s spend, up to $1,000 per month, for
the first year.
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More than one billion relevant searches for businesses take place on Apple Maps monthly, and one in two searches for a business result in a user taking action on the results,
according to company statistics.
Gen Z and millennials make up 57% of Apple Maps users, according to a GWI Core Study.
The idea is that these ads will give businesses a way to
connect with users that engage with Maps in real time as they search for and explore nearby places such as restaurants, banks, and grocery stores. The platform offers custom options such as targeting
by location or time and day.
Businesses with five or fewer locations can buy the media directly in Apple Business using automated tools.
Apple will direct businesses with more than five
locations, as well as existing Apple Ads advertisers, to the Apple Ads platform.
Once the ad runs, customers can take action from an ad such as calling a business or getting directions to its
location.
Advertisers with less experience buying media can tap into a roadmap to start reaching consumers under varied pricing models. APIs will enable advertisers to manage campaigns and
pull reports programmatically to measure performance.
Ads on Maps is designed to help businesses reach customers at high-intent moments. Apple will offer tools and budget controls that allow
advertisers to start or stop campaigns at any time, which could help attract more ad dollars.
Some business categories are not eligible to run ads on some or all of the placements due to laws,
regulations, and policy restrictions.
In July, Apple quietly posted official guidelines and policy terms for businesses looking to buy ad placements inside Apple Maps. Apple's Advertising
Services policy was published on July 14, 2026, stating rules for advertising in Apple Maps.
While a long list of prohibitions exists, one unexpected service landed on the list. Apple will
prohibit the category of home-services businesses such as plumbing, electrical, locksmith, HVAC, pest control, roofing and general contracting services, among others.
Apple stated in the
policy that it will limit Maps Ads to places with a physical address that customers can visit.
Other typical categories are also restricted, including alcohol, dating, contests and
sweepstakes, gambling, religion, bail bonds, cryptocurrency ATMs, and medical services.
Apple's Maps app captures about 25% of actively monthly U.S. users in the navigation market, according
to one report. Ads on Maps could change this dynamic.