Apple doubles down on ads

Apple has hired former Google ads executive Jerry Dischler as it expands advertising across the App Store and prepares new ad inventory in Apple Maps, Business Insider reported on April 15. (businessinsider.com) Business Insider said Dischler recently joined Apple after nearly 20 years at Google, where he led Google’s ads business. The report said Apple is also increasing ad loads in the App Store, where a single sponsored result has grown into multiple placements. (businessinsider.com) Apple already sells ads in several parts of the App Store, and its developer documentation says advertisers can target search results, the Search tab, and custom product pages tied to campaigns. Apple’s ad business was renamed from Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in April 2025, reflecting that broader footprint. (developer.apple.com ) (9to5mac.com) Apple’s own ad site says more than 850 million people visit the App Store every week, and it says ads at the top of search results converted at more than 60 percent from November 2024 through October 2025. That gives Apple a large pool of users who are already searching for apps when they see an ad. (ads.apple.com) The Maps piece would extend that model beyond apps. Bloomberg reported in October 2025 that Apple was studying paid search placements in Apple Maps for 2026, letting businesses pay for more prominent placement in search results rather than buying banner ads. (mactrast.com) The timing lines up with Apple’s push to grow Services, the division that includes advertising, subscriptions, payments and licensing. Apple reported Services revenue of $30.0 billion in the quarter ended December 27, 2025, up from $26.3 billion a year earlier. (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2) Apple has spent years selling privacy as a product feature while tightening how other companies track users. In 2021, Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency, which requires apps to get permission before tracking users or accessing the device advertising identifier. (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2) That leaves Apple in a different position from ad rivals that depend on following users across other apps and websites. Apple’s ads are built around activity inside its own products, such as an App Store search or, if the Maps plan launches, a search for a business or place. (developer.apple.com) (businessinsider.com) For Apple, the question is no longer whether it has an ads business. The question is how much of its software real estate it is willing to turn into ad inventory while Services keeps taking a larger role in growth. (apple.com) (businessinsider.com)