Apple Maps Ads Are Here, and There's No Way to Turn Them Off
Ads will appear in search results and a new Suggested Places section, and Apple has not said users can turn them off.
- This month, Apple Maps introduced sponsored listings in the United States and Canada, with advertisements appearing in search results and a new Suggested Places section.
- The system analyzes search queries and the map area viewed to provide context-based ads, while Apple promises personal data stays on users' devices and is not associated with an Apple Account.
- Sponsored listings appear in search results and Suggested Places, and because users cannot disable these ads by restricting location access, some worry these placements may eventually resemble the App Store's ad model.
- For those dismayed by ads, Organic Maps and OsmAnd offer alternatives; Organic Maps, launched in 2021, uses OpenStreetMaps data and requires no subscription, while OsmAnd provides a more powerful, configurable experience for Android.
- Apple likely plans to expand the program beyond the United States and Canada, mirroring competitors like Google Maps and Waze which already highlight businesses, though some users claim Google Maps remains significantly more functional.
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