Apple Maps ads are live. Heres what they look like

Apple has launched sponsored ads within its Apple Maps service, the firm confirmed to 9to5Mac on Tuesday. The advertising rollout, which began in recent days, will continue to expand to all users over the coming weeks. A screenshot shared online depicts a paid listing for a bagel shop on the Suggested Places feed, distinguished by a small blue "Ad" badge to differentiate it from organic results, like the nearby seafood restaurant.

Apple Maps advertisements appear in two locations - before a search, they may show up at the top of the Suggested Places, and after a search, they can appear within the results if they are relevant to the query.

This move follows Apple's announcement in March, alongside Apple Business, its new platform for device management, email, and customer outreach. At the time, Apple stated that ads would debut this summer in the US and Canada, enabling businesses to compete for placement during crucial search and discovery moments. While Google has been utilizing similar promoted pins and sponsored search results for years, Apple has not provided an option to disable these ads.

However, the company assures that user interactions with Maps advertisements are not connected to their Apple Accounts or shared with third parties.

The advertising launch has received mixed reactions on social media. A Reddit discussion about the rollout garnered hundreds of comments from users expressing disappointment over the loss of the ad-free simplicity that initially distinguished Apple Maps from Google's more feature-rich alternative. Some commenters argued that the introduction of ads undermines one of the main selling points of Apple Maps.

Others pointed to Apple's expanding ad presence in the App Store and Apple News, suggesting that a company charging premium prices for its hardware and services should not need to rely on advertising. Currently, Apple Maps ads are available only on iPhones and iPads in the United States and Canada, but given the swift and unannounced nature of this rollout, they may expand to other devices and markets in the near future.