Apple Maps may be about to get ads

Apple Maps has never been considered the best navigation app (that honor obviously goes to Google Maps), and now, if reports are correct, the user experience is about to take a hit, Bloomberg reports.

Apple is preparing to introduce the change later this year, with an official announcement as soon as this month, sources told Bloomberg. Ads could start appearing in the iOS Maps app sometime this summer.

Under this arrangement, businesses will bid for the opportunity to promote their business within the app in conjunction with searches for relevant words. Bloomberg says map users searching for restaurants, bars or stores can get the best results through ads for businesses that won the bidding process.

Such a shift could represent a strong revenue driver for Apple. Google has included ads in its navigation app for years, and Bing Maps also offers a similar advertising capability for local business owners.

Reports about this possibility have been circulating for some time. In October, a similar report indicated that the tech giant was considering such a plan. TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for more information.

Years ago, users complained about the Maps app because of its limited functionality. But Apple’s navigation app has made big strides in recent years, with new features like integration with consumer outlets like the MICHELIN Guide and Golf Digest. Last summer, during WWDC, Maps debuted a new feature to provide more traffic data and context about daily commutes. It’s not clear how the integration of term search ads will affect features users love, like Apple’s Privacy Shield and Location History tool, but hopefully if the advert arrives soon, we’ll learn more about such things then.