Apple is planning to start showing ads in the Apple Maps app this summer, and signs of ads have already shown up in the iOS 26.5 beta as Apple prepares to roll them out. Where Ads Show Up Ads will be displayed in the Apple Maps search interface. Depending on the search, relevant ads will be shown first in search results. Apple is also implementing a new Suggested Places feature in Maps that will show recommendations based on what's trending nearby and the user's recent searches.
I like Apple products because of the aesthetic and familiarity for sure but another big part of that is they don’t collect my data for ad targeting, ostensibly. Google does that in spades - it’s the raison d’être for Android and Chrome, and Google’s source of income.
But if Apple is going to start doing that one thing they claimed didn’t do, I may just consider switching to green bubbles. Fuck them.
Your location and ads that you see and interact with in the Maps app are not associated with your Apple Account, and the data is not shared with third parties.
I like Apple products because of the aesthetic and familiarity for sure but another big part of that is they don’t collect my data for ad targeting, ostensibly. Google does that in spades - it’s the raison d’être for Android and Chrome, and Google’s source of income.
But if Apple is going to start doing that one thing they claimed didn’t do, I may just consider switching to green bubbles. Fuck them.
Fta
This always feels like a cop out though
Or CoMaps, if it’s only in Maps, but I feel the same