Apple Maps ads are now rolling out on iPhone in the US and Canada

Apple Maps has started showing ads to users in the United States and Canada. Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that the rollout began in recent days and will expand over the coming weeks.

This is the live launch of the program Apple announced earlier this year. It puts sponsored businesses inside the same parts of Maps people use to discover nearby places.

Ads appear before and after a search

Apple is using two placements. Before you search, an ad can appear at the top of Suggested Places. After you enter a query, a relevant sponsored listing can appear in the results.

The ads look similar to ordinary business listings, but Apple marks them with a small blue Ad badge. That label may be easy to miss at a glance, especially when the sponsored result otherwise matches the layout of a normal place card.

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Earlier iOS 26.5 beta screens previewed the same placements. The difference now is that regular users are starting to see them outside the beta.

Apple says Maps ad data stays private

Apple’s official Maps ads policy says a user’s location and ad interactions are not connected to an Apple Account. The company also says personal data stays on the device and is not collected, stored, or shared with third parties.

Ads can still be chosen for relevance based on what a person is searching for and the context Maps has on the device. Apple’s pitch is that it can offer useful local ads without building an identity-linked advertising profile.

The company has also restricted several advertiser categories, including home service providers, cryptocurrency ATMs, and bail bond companies.

The rollout is still limited

Apple announced Maps ads for the U.S. and Canada on iPhone and iPad. The current confirmation focuses on the iPhone rollout, so some users may not see a sponsored listing yet.

Businesses can create Maps campaigns through Apple Business or Apple Ads. For users, there is no separate ad-free Maps tier. Sponsored listings are becoming part of the standard discovery and search experience.