With the second beta of iOS 26.5, Apple is continuing to prepare for ads in the Apple Maps app. There's a new splash screen in the app that says it will display ads based on approximate location, current search terms, or a view of the map when searching. Ads will also be shown in the "Suggested Places" section that was added in the first beta.
Apple says that advertising information is not linked to an Apple Account to preserve user privacy, so ads viewed and interacted with will not be associated with an Apple Account. Data is not collected or stored by Apple and not shared with third parties, according to Apple.
Signs of ads in the Maps app were spotted in the first beta, but iOS 26.5 testers could start seeing ads with the second beta. It's not yet clear if Apple has just implemented the splash screen, or if ads are going to begin showing up in the near future.
Apple announced plans to introduce ads for the Maps app back in March, with ads set to roll out to the public "this summer." Apple plans to include ads in the Maps app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac in the United States and Canada.
Ads in Apple Maps will have an "Ad" label, much like ads in the App Store.
Thursday October 8, 2026 1:17 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Starting today, iPhone users still running iOS 26 will see iOS 27.0.1 as the prominent software update in the Settings app under General → Software Update, with iOS 26.7.1 now relegated to a smaller "Also Available" section at the bottom.
iOS 27 was released on September 14, but until now that update and later iOS 27.0.1 were shown under the "Also Available" section, with iOS 26.7 and...
Monday September 28, 2026 11:45 am PDT by Juli Clover
iOS 26.7.1, iPadOS 26.7.1, macOS Tahoe 26.7.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1 address a major vulnerability that Apple believes was used against a small number of people.
Apple's security support pages say there was a CoreGraphics out-of-bounds write issue that could be exploited with a maliciously crafted file, allowing for arbitrary code execution. It has been fixed with improved bounds...
Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name.
The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...
As much as Cook has been a good CEO for the most part, every now and then he falls back into COO mode and comes up with something that makes financial sense but that a good CEO should veto for the bigger picture of the brand and the customer experience.
Apple: "Everyone update to iOS 26.5!" Users: "Omg are we finally getting those AI features you promised 2 years ago?!" Apple: "Lol no. But you will be getting our awesome new ads in Maps!"
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
