The upcoming iOS 26.5 update for iPhones will include two changes to the Apple Maps app: local ads and a new "Suggested Places" section.
Last month, Apple announced that ads are coming to the Apple Maps app on the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. and Canada starting "this summer," and there is evidence of Apple preparing for that within iOS 26.5's code.
Apple says businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to place ads in search results and at the top of the "Suggested Places" section in the app.
"Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user's search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what's trending nearby, the user's recent searches, and more," says Apple.
Similar to the ads that are already shown in App Store search results on the iPhone and iPad, ads in Apple Maps will have an "Ad" label, and Apple promises strong privacy protections. For example, Apple says a user's location and the ads they see and interact with in Apple Maps are not associated with a user's Apple Account.
Beyond that, iOS 26.5 has only a few other minor changes.
Following beta testing, iOS 26.5 will likely be released in May.
