Apple Business Connect was Apple's free tool for claiming a business listing on Apple Maps, and since April 14, 2026 it lives inside a new free platform called Apple Business (Apple Newsroom). Claimed locations migrated automatically. Owners still control the same thing: the place card customers see in Maps, Siri, Safari and Spotlight.
Most owners treat Apple Maps as an afterthought to Google, which leaves a real gap. When Apple launched Business Connect in 2023, it described the audience as more than a billion Apple users across Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri and other apps (Apple Newsroom). Much of the advice ranking for this topic still describes the old tool and the old sign-in, so here is the current process.
Apple Business Connect moved into Apple Business in April 2026
Apple announced Apple Business on March 24, 2026 as one platform replacing three: Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Connect, which Apple said would no longer be available once the new platform launched on April 14. Existing Business Connect data, including claimed locations, place card information and photos, migrated automatically. The platform is free and available in more than 200 countries and regions (Apple Newsroom).
If you claimed your listing before April, check that you can still sign in and that your data came across intact. Apple's guide says older Business Connect accounts still work, but only for brand and location management features (Apple Business User Guide). The discipline is the same one that drives Google results, where your primary category decides much of what you rank for.
Claiming your Apple Maps business listing, step by step
Sign up for Apple Business and verify the organization first. Apple gives you 60 days to complete verification, which requires two methods and can take up to five business days. Accepted methods include a D-U-N-S number or EIN, a DNS TXT record on your domain, an App Store Connect account, or a document such as a business license, sales tax permit, health permit, lease or utility bill. An organization that is not approved within the window is deleted, along with its data (Apple Business User Guide).
Then add each location. If the business already appears on Maps, phone verification with a four-digit code may be available. If Apple says the location is already managed, you can request a transfer with a business license or utility bill, and that review can also take up to five business days (Apple Business User Guide). Apple says an organization can manage each location separately whether it has one location or a thousand (Apple Business User Guide), and multi-location brands can connect through listings partners with API access, or hand the upkeep to a local listings team.
The Apple Maps place card fields that decide how you show up
Apple states that the place card appears across its software, from Maps to Siri to Calendar and Messages (Apple Business User Guide). Get the core fields right. Choose one primary category and up to 19 optional ones. Use a display name that matches your storefront or website, with no city added to tell locations apart. List the address where customers get goods or services during open hours. The website field accepts your own site or a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok page, and it cannot be a third-party website.
Then use the features Google owners already know in another form. Showcases let you promote offers such as seasonal menu items or product discounts, and action links send customers straight to booking or ordering partners such as OpenTable or Instacart (Apple Newsroom). For restaurants, a reservation action link on the place card belongs next to everything else in a restaurant's local marketing.
Apple Maps ratings and edits follow simpler rules than Google reviews
Apple Maps ratings are simpler than Google reviews. Apple's documentation describes users rating a place with a like or dislike for the categories shown, and notes the feature is not available in all countries or regions (Apple Support). In May 2025 Apple began showing distinctions and descriptions from expert sources on place cards, starting with the MICHELIN Guide in the U.S., with The Infatuation and Golf Digest announced as coming soon (Apple Newsroom).
Customers can also report problems from the place card. When Apple edits your listing's name, status or hours, it emails the business, which can accept the change or submit a correction for Apple to review again (Apple Business User Guide). Assign someone to watch that inbox. Multi-location operators already running a review process for Google can fold Apple into it, as covered in our guide to Google reviews for multi-location operators.
Apple Maps ads and Siri AI raise the stakes on an unclaimed listing
Apple now sells ads on Maps in the U.S. and Canada, and only businesses that have claimed their location can run them. Advertisers set a monthly budget maximum, and Apple lists a one-time $150 sign-up credit for new advertisers (Apple Business User Guide). A competitor who claims and advertises first can appear above you in the same app your customers use for directions.
Siri raises the stakes further. Apple shipped Siri AI as a beta in iOS 27 on September 14, 2026, and its launch materials show Siri AI planning a visit in Apple Maps (Apple Newsroom). We found no Apple documentation on how Siri AI selects local businesses, but Apple does say your place card appears in Siri, so an accurate, complete card is the part you control. The email side of the same release is covered in our iOS 27 email marketing briefing, and the wider shift in local SEO for AI search.
Service area businesses need a different Apple Business plan
Contractors, cleaners and mobile trades hit a limit here. Since October 2024, Apple has let businesses create a brand presence whether or not they have a physical location, which covers your name, logo and Branded Mail (Apple Newsroom). A pin on the map is different: Apple's guide defines the location address as the place customers get goods or services during open hours, and it documents no service-area option. Google handles this case with hidden addresses and service areas, as covered in our service area business guide.
If you run a shop, an office customers visit, or a showroom, claim it on Apple Maps this month and fill every field. If you work only at customers' sites, claim your brand, set up Branded Mail, and keep Google Business Profile as your main local listing. We set up and maintain both for local operators; get in touch if you want it done for you.
