It looks like Apple is finally getting ready to turn Apple Maps into a bit of a money-maker.
According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the tech giant is planning to roll out advertisements across the platform as it looks for new ways to monetise its services.
If you have ever used Google Maps, you will probably find the system quite familiar, as it is expected to follow a very similar blueprint. We might even hear something official about it as early as this month.
The way it works is fairly straightforward. Apple is set to let retailers and various brands bid on specific search keywords and ad placements. This means that instead of just seeing the closest or highest-rated spots, sponsored listings will start popping up right inside your search results. For example, if you are searching for the best coffee in town, you might see a promoted result for Zus Coffee or another major coffee chain right at the top because they won the bid for that term.
These ads aren’t just going to be limited to your iPhone, either. The report suggests that the sponsored content will be visible across the entire Apple ecosystem, including iPadOS and macOS. Even those using the web version of Apple Maps will start seeing these paid listings. It seems like the era of ad-free navigation is coming to a close for Apple users.