Apple's official map service, 'Apple Maps,' will not display ads in certain categories at launch.

On July 14, 2026, local time, Apple announced its 'Apple Ads Policy Regarding News, Stocks, Maps, and Sports Programs' for

https://ads.apple.com/news-and-stocks-maps-and-sports-programming-policies

Apple bans home services from its upcoming Maps ads | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/15/apple-quietly-reveals-how-its-maps-ads-will-differ-from-googles/

Apple Maps won't allow ads from these categories at launch - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/15/apple-maps-wont-allow-ads-from-these-categories-at-launch/

Apple Maps ad rules ban home services, political ads
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/07/15/apple-maps-ads-exclude-home-services-political-ads-and-more

Apple plans to place ads in search results for its proprietary map service, Apple Maps, in the United States and Canada by the summer of 2026. According to Apple, the ads will appear at the top of the search results and in a new widget called 'Suggested Places' within the app.

Apple plans to display ads in Apple Maps search results by summer 2026 - GIGAZINE

The image on the left below shows 'recommended spots,' with the top ones being advertisements marked with 'Ad.' The image on the right below shows advertisements that appear at the top of search results.

After that, no further information was released regarding advertising on Apple Maps, but on July 14, 2026, Apple published its 'Apple Advertising Policies for News, Stocks, Maps and Sports Programs.' This policy not only outlines detailed regulations regarding advertisements that will appear in Apple's native apps such as News, Stocks, and Maps, but also includes descriptions of content that is prohibited from being advertised, such as violence, weapons, and drugs.

In addition to ads related to violence, weapons, and drugs, Apple has listed the following three categories of ads that it will prohibit from appearing in Apple Maps:

Home services
Advertising content that directly or indirectly promotes home services, including plumbing, electrical work, locksmiths, HVAC systems, pest control, roofing, and general contracting services, is prohibited.

Bail bond
Advertisements that directly or indirectly promote bail bond services or bail bond services related to pretrial release in criminal cases are prohibited.

Cryptocurrency ATMs
Advertising content that directly or indirectly promotes cryptocurrency ATMs, including cryptocurrency ATMs themselves, is prohibited.

In addition, Apple has stated that it evaluates advertisements related to medical services 'on a case-by-case basis.'

TechCrunch, a technology media outlet, pointed out that 'what's particularly noteworthy is that they've banned ads for home services. This sets them apart from Google, which is the largest player in the local services advertising category. Apple's policy suggests that they initially intend to limit ads to locations where customers actually visit physical stores.' They added that 'this approach could help make Apple's ads look more like natural map information than traditional paid search ads.'

Furthermore, TechCrunch reports that because businesses providing home services, such as locksmiths and garage door repair services, often require additional certification, banning home service-related ads across the board 'will save Apple time when they seriously launch their advertising business on Apple Maps.'