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Apple is planning to start showing ads in the Apple Maps app this summer, and signs of ads have already shown up in the iOS 26.5 beta as Apple prepares to roll them out. Where Ads Show Up Ads will be displayed in the ‌Apple Maps‌ search interface. Depending on the search, relevant ads will be shown first in search results. Apple is also implementing a new Suggested Places feature in Maps that will show recommendations based on what's trending nearby and the user's recent searches. Suggested Places The Maps app is getting a Suggested Places feature that recommends locations to visit based on trending places that are around you and your recent Maps searches. Ads will be shown in Suggested Places. No Opt-Out Similar to ads in the App Store , there will be no option to turn off ads in ‌Apple Maps‌. Ads will be displayed for all users in the U.S. and Canada. Countries Ads will be shown in ‌Apple Maps‌ in the United States and Canada first, and could expand to other countries in the future. Platforms Ads will be displayed in the Maps app on iPhone and iPad . What Ads Look Like Apple says that ads in Maps will be clearly marked as ads with an "Ad" label, similar to how ads show up in the ‌App Store‌ search results. Businesses will be able to bid for ad placement, which is how ads in the ‌App Store‌ work. The highest bidder for a given term will have their ad shown in the app. Privacy Your location and ads that you see and interact with in the Maps app are not associated with your Apple Account, and the data is not shared with third parties. Beta Testing Apple is laying the groundwork for Maps ads in the iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 betas. There's an ads splash screen in the Maps app along with underlying ad code, but ads are not yet live. Launch Date Apple only said "summer" for the ads launch. "Summer" in the Northern Hemisphere starts on June 21 and ends on September 22. iOS 26.5 is likely to launch in late May or early June, and it's possible ads will be tied to the update. Tag: Apple Maps This article, " Ads Are Coming to Apple Maps This Summer: Here's What to Expect " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
X today launched XChat , a standalone messaging app for the iPhone and iPad , available now on the App Store . XChat allows users to chat with anyone on X in a private, focused space separate from the main X app. At launch, the app supports direct messaging and group chats, audio and video calls, and file sharing. X claims all messages are end-to-end encrypted and PIN protected, with no ads or tracking. Other features include disappearing messages, the ability to edit and delete messages for everyone in a chat, and a mechanism to block or alert users when a screenshot is attempted. The app is free to download and requires iOS 26.0 or later. Chat with anyone on X. Completely private. Now on your home screen. Download for iOS: https://t.co/wBBfjJyJmu pic.twitter.com/u0QeGs1Z3D — XChat (@chat) April 24, 2026 The app has been in testing with a small group of beta users since last year. X says more updates are still planned, with X lead designer Benji Taylor teasing that XChat is "just the beginning of what we're building for messaging." Unlike the main X app, XChat adopts iOS 26 design conventions, including the ‌iOS 26‌ keyboard. The app offers several customization options, including light and dark modes, message permissions, left-swipe interaction settings, and a selection of app icon options. There is also a prominent button within XChat for jumping back to the main X app. XChat can now be downloaded from the App Store in the United States. A release date for an Android version of the app has not yet been announced. Tag: Twitter This article, " XChat App Now Available " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple's standard iPhone 18 could feature 12GB of memory for the first time, according to analyst Dan Nystedt . In a new post on X, Nystedt said that the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ will match the 12GB of RAM Apple gave the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max last September. It would mark the first time the entry-level iPhone model has shipped with that much memory. This rumor making the rounds again, add 12GB of RAM. https://t.co/vP14mEn5le — Dan Nystedt (@dnystedt) April 24, 2026 Nystedt also flagged an earlier rumor claiming that Apple has secured TSMC's first 2nm chip production run for the A20 chip set to power the ‌iPhone 18‌ lineup. According to that report, TSMC's 2nm process delivers 15% better computing performance than 3nm , with no loss in power efficiency. The iPhone 17 series uses TSMC's N3P ‌3nm‌ node. The jump to 12GB of RAM on the base model is likely tied to Apple Intelligence . Apple is expected to introduce expanded AI features with iOS 27 , which the company is set to announce at WWDC on June 8. On-device AI workloads are memory-intensive, and keeping the entry-level iPhone capable of running ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in full would give Apple reason to push the standard model's memory up to par with last year's Pro tier. The ‌iPhone 18‌ is not expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro this fall. Apple is reportedly planning to delay the standard model until early 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air , while the Pro models and the long-anticipated foldable iPhone will ship in the usual fall time frame. Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Related Forum: iPhone This article, " iPhone 18 Could Come With 12GB of RAM " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The Vantrue Pilot 2 is a great dash cam with a night vision camera, but it's probably overkill for anyone other than professional drivers. Vantrue Pilot 2 The typical car dash cam is a simple. It's a camera or two, designed to capture footage of other people's driving to help with either insurance or the police investigating an accident. But with those cheaper cameras at the lower end of the spectrum, the camera may not be able to capture everything it needs to see in all conditions. In heavy rain, fog, sleet, or even the dark, a camera can miss important details simply because its sensor cannot "see" them. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
