Apple has started rolling out ads in Apple Maps, several months after announcing plans to let businesses pay for more prominent placement in the navigation app.
The ads are appearing on iPhones as the first listing in the “suggested places” section when users search in Maps. Apple says sponsored businesses can also appear at the top of search results.
According to 9to5Mac, the ads began rolling out this week, with more users across the US and Canada expected to see them over the coming weeks.
Sponsored listings are marked with a blue “ad” icon, making them similar to the promoted listings Google has offered in its Maps app for years. Apple is also displaying a notification to users explaining that Maps may show local advertising based on factors such as approximate location, current search terms, or the part of the map being viewed.
Apple says the advertising system is designed with privacy in mind. The company states that advertising information is not connected to a user’s Apple Account.
Apple also said when it announced the Maps advertising system in March that a user’s location and the ads they see or interact with in Maps are not associated with their Apple Account. According to the company, personal data remains on the user’s device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with third parties.
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The rollout marks a new advertising opportunity for businesses while introducing sponsored results into another major Apple service used for local searches and navigation.
