Apple is set to roll out local advertising inside the Maps app this summer, after beta builds of iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 revealed an ad splash screen and placeholder code. Ads will appear at the top of search results and within a new “Suggested Places” carousel that surfaces trending venues based on a user’s recent queries and nearby activity today globally.

Advertisements will be labeled with a clear “Ad” tag, mirroring the format used in the App Store. Businesses bid for placement, with the highest offer securing the top slot for a given search term. There is no opt‑out; every Maps user in the U.S. and Canada will see these sponsored results once the feature launches on their devices starting soon.

Privacy safeguards remain similar to existing Maps policies: location data tied to ad interactions is not linked to a user’s Apple ID and is not shared with third parties. By monetizing search traffic, Apple joins other platform providers in turning navigational queries into revenue streams, a move that could reshape how developers allocate marketing budgets for local discovery in 2026.