Ads Coming Soon to Apple Maps

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

This is what happens when you have a CEO who kowtows to Wall Street. It's never enough, everything has to be monetised.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Hopefully this is something the EU can block. 🤣

Unlikely. Multiple EU regions have already complained to Apple that they give users the option to ask advertisers not to track. They’re quite ad friendly in the EU.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Is it just me or are there no ads in Waze?

They’re there, mostly similar (a graphic element that clarifies it’s an ad), but Waze also has the option of showing ads during the route or when the vehicle is paused, like in a traffic jam. That’s what’s defined on their website, but how many advertisers use which method is up to the advertisers.

 

[I7guy]

This is what happens when you have a CEO who kowtows to Wall Street. It's never enough, everything has to be monetised.

Like BMW for example? Who displayed an advert for Spider-Man on the infotainment screen?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

... except that the "ad" will be for a place ten minutes off of your route, instead of two minutes. And I'm not speculating; the only reason that Apple feels they can get away with this is that literally every other mapping app does it, too... so everybody already knows precisely what to expect.

But the question some have brought up as to which app is better, is really a matter of which one has the most recent aerial imagery of your region. Right now, none of the mapping apps actually show my house, which was just built in October of last year -- but at least Apple maps routes people to the right location. Waze and Google both insist that the address doesn't exist at all, and attempt to route people to the linear center of the road I live on. Not even the closest known address, numerically... the center of the damned road. Which is about a half-mile away from me.

I always have to tell people to favor Apple Maps to find my house, if at all possible. You're an Android user? Well, ya better put in my neighbor's address... at least that'll get you close enough.

So ads notwithstanding, I guess I'll stick with Apple. I suppose Apple's ads won't actually be any worse than Google's or Waze's ads.

I mean… no? In the above example, there’s not even a “route.” So there’s nothing to be ten minutes off of. So, yeah, completely speculation.

 

[BarrettF77]

If the only reason to have Apple Maps was no ads, now Google is the real option. Apple has lost us on so many apps they have and others just do it better. How the mighty have fallen.

 

[JTK Awesome]

This is what happens when you have a CEO who kowtows to Wall Street. It's never enough, everything has to be monetised.

Also Trump and China, but I digress.

 

[Westside guy]

Oh, wow. I was just thinking this week I should give Apple Maps another try, see whether it's improved since the last time... but if I'm gonna see ads anyway, I might as well stick with Google / Waze.

 

[Wasp14]

Apple is starting to kill the entire reason I use their stuff in the first place. I hope my systemwide DNS blocks these.

 

[Core.2]

As long as they stay out of the Weather App.....

 

[aespana]

Apple Maps never worked outside the US. Even Google Maps is worse than Waze.. I don't understand how Google Maps is worse than Waze if they have the same owner but well, that's how it works.

I prefer Google Maps interface though.

 

[farmboy]

In no way superior? 🙄

When using the train, Google Maps tells you what corner of an intersection to enter a train station. Apple Maps doesn't. That is one of many ways Google Maps is superior.

So when you're walking to the intersection, you don't see the railings and signage over the stairs to train/subway, and you refer to a map to figure that out? And that makes one app superior?

OK then. I don't know how I used to get everywhere using Chicago mass transit without a map.

 

[emvath]

So we are just going to pretend that Google Maps doesn’t have promoted Pins? They ARE an Ad Company, and have been for a very long time.

Those appearing to clutch your pearls are hilariously hypocritical. And let’s get over the narrative the Google Maps is somehow superior when it’s not. Core turn by turn is generally indistinguishable, as it routing and voice guidance, has better privacy support processing navigation on device, and has a cleaner interface (thought one is subjective). The only thing Google has above Apple is some more rural coverage (but that’s changing more every day), and the POI data, due to it’s massive head start and ties to Search.

If apple matching google in incorporating ads into maps is the “final straw” for you, then I can’t really trust your opinion — most specifically it it makes you go back to Google.

Yeah obviously Google has ads. They always have and likely always will. They also have a maps app that in my experience is far better than Apples. Like it isn't even close. I've had Apple Maps get me lost in at least 3 different states while Google has never given me bad directions.

 

[Truckondo]

Apple Maps never worked outside the US. Even Google Maps is worse than Waze.. I don't understand how Google Maps is worse than Waze if they have the same owner but well, that's how it works.

I prefer Google Maps interface though.

I use Apple Maps when in Tokyo as Google Maps returned inconsistent text. I can’t read Japanese characters very well and prefer Romaji.

 

[MrMojo1]

Is it just me or are there no ads in Waze?

There are ads but hidden, somewhat.
The most common is... when you stop, say at a set of lights, the ad will pop up.

 

[ikir]

People are freaking out. Let’s see how much intrusive these ads are. If they are just search results in highlight ok no big worries.

 

[MrMojo1]

I'll do ya one better

I donated my old Garmin GPS device set away awhile back.
Slowly became unwieldy and relatively expensive to update but it still worked fine.
Good times while traveling!
Hopefully it found a new home and a new user who will enjoy it.

 

[Mega ST]

This is what I have my portable car Garmin GPS for. No ads and live traffic updates available.

 

[DJM1740]

Probably not it will probably be prebaked based on your area, only solution is to mass quit apple maps in hope Apple goes back to without ads

And use the feeeback app to report the ads as a bug in Maps.

 

[iPay]

Gimme an S, gimme an H, gimme an I...

 

[jsowers]

Maps is an unsafe place for Ads

 

[TruthAboveAllElse]

You fellas do realise that Google Maps has had ads for a long time now, right?

Yes, that’s Google’s business model. Apple’s model has always been different. But, in the pursuit of perpetual growth, we get this.

 

[con2apple]

How to block this rubbish? Hopefully there'll be a VPN which will block all this nonsense.

How dare you speak ill of a brilliant decision made by our beloved Apple?
Cupertino always has best interests in mind and if they think this enhanced user experience is a good thing (which is being disparaged here as “ads”), then you’d better just accept it.

Otherwise, just go to Google and use Android. No one’s forcing you to use best and most user-focused OS ever.

 

[Apleeseed84]

Is apple out of money? Why so much greed?

No, but how do you think they stay in business, with hopes and dreams from sales? It’s freaking hilarious when people think that ads will go away, it’s not greed, but sponsors rule the world.

 

[Killbynumbers]

Google Maps is a far superior mapping system and it also has ads. No reason to stick with Apple Maps, especially since Google Maps got updated with immersive navigation so Apple doesn’t even look better anymore.

I use apple maps because it takes me to the exact address I need every time, especially houses. Google Maps is always off by 2 houses.