Apple is considering the possibility of including ads in Apple Maps.

Recently, it has been suggested that Apple might be reconsidering the inclusion of advertising in Apple Maps, an idea that had already been mentioned by Mark Gurman in the past. Although the company did not move forward with this proposal at the time, Gurman now indicates that Apple is re-evaluating this possibility in his Power On! newsletter. Currently, Apple displays ads in apps like Apple News and Stocks, and is exploring different ways to monetize its services, although there are no concrete plans or a defined timeline.

The proposal could allow businesses to pay for enhanced visibility in search results or for their icons to be more prominently featured on the map. Additionally, it could open the possibility of offering ad-free services for an extra fee or including this option in its Apple One subscription.

However, this form of advertising raises questions about its usefulness for users. If implemented, the system could work similarly to Google's paid results, where businesses would be marked as sponsored ads, pushing more relevant results down to the bottom. This strategy carries the risk of discontenting users who have enjoyed an ad-free experience until now.

One concern is that in this scenario, ad blockers would be ineffective. Unlike techniques used on third-party websites, the ads Apple proposes would be integrated with the regular content, making them difficult to block, similar to what happens with certain streaming services.

If Apple decides to proceed with this initiative, it is expected that it will not be ready in the short term. Gurman has stated that there is currently no "active engineering work," suggesting that it could take several months, or even a year, before ads become a reality in Apple Maps.