Apple Business Connect Is Now Apple Business: Maps Setup Guide

Short answer: Apple Business Connect no longer exists under that name: since April 14, 2026 its tools live in Apple Business, a free platform at business.apple.com, and existing Business Connect data moved over automatically. To get your business right on Apple Maps, sign in to Apple Business, add or claim your location under Brands > Locations, verify your organization, then fill in hours, photos, categories and actions like "Book" or "Order". The same details feed Apple Maps, Siri, Safari and Spotlight, so it's worth thirty minutes of anyone's time.

What changed in 2026

Apple announced Apple Business on March 24, 2026. According to its newsroom post, it merged three services: Apple Business Connect (place cards and branding), Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Essentials (device management). From April 14, 2026 it's available free in the US and more than 200 countries and regions, and Apple said the three old services would no longer be available once Apple Business launched.

For local businesses the important line: existing Business Connect data, including claimed locations, place card information, photos and account details, migrated automatically. If you'd claimed your place before, sign in to Apple Business and check that everything came across.

Why Apple Maps listings matter

Apple Maps is the default map on every iPhone, and the same place card data appears when someone asks Siri for "a dentist near me" or types your name into Safari or Spotlight. Many owners have spent years polishing their Google profile and never touched Apple's. If your Apple listing shows old hours, a closed phone number or nothing but a pin, that's what a big share of phone users see.

Setup steps

1. Sign in to Apple Business

Go to business.apple.com and sign in. If you're new, you'll set up the organization first. Use a company email address and a shared admin account, not a personal Apple ID that leaves with an employee.

2. Add or claim your location

Apple's support guide describes the flow:

1. Sign in with a user whose role can manage locations.
2. Choose Brands > Locations, select Add Location, then Add single location.
3. Enter the business name. If an existing place appears, select it; otherwise add a new location.
4. Enter the address and drag the map pin so it sits on the correct building. Satellite view helps you place it at your actual entrance.
5. Add the default language, display name, primary category, status (Open or Opening Soon, up to six months ahead), phone number and website. Apple allows a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok page instead of a website.
6. Set opening hours.
7. Choose or create your brand.

If the guide shows "This location is already managed", someone else claimed it, perhaps a former employee or an agency. Apple's flow lets you add the location and then request a transfer.

3. Verify your organization

For your first location, Apple asks you to verify the organization and sends it for review. Make sure your email filters accept mail from apple.com domains, or the verification message may never reach you.

4. Enrich the place card

Once verified, add the details that drive decisions:

• Photos: a clear exterior shot (helps people find you), interior and products or work.
• Categories: pick the most specific primary category, then add others. Apple updates categories regularly.
• Custom actions: buttons like order, reserve or book that send people to your website or booking app.
• Showcases: highlight a seasonal menu, a new product or an offer on your place card.

5. Set up brand features (optional)

Apple Business also handles brand-level features listed in Apple's announcement:

• Brand profile: consistent name and logo across Maps, Wallet and other apps.
• Branded communications: your branding shown in the Mail app and iCloud Mail, and alongside tracked orders in Wallet.
• Tap to Pay on iPhone: your logo and name on the payment screen when you accept payments on an iPhone.

These have their own requirements and may not be available in every country, so check inside the dashboard.

6. Consider Maps ads (US and Canada)

Apple announced ads on Apple Maps for businesses in the US and Canada, created through Apple Business, and the Apple Ads site now promotes them. Ads appear in Maps search results and in a "Suggested Places" area, and are labeled as ads. You need a claimed location first. Treat them like any local ad channel: test a small budget against calls and direction requests.

Maintenance routine

A listing goes stale fast. A simple routine:

Keep your Apple, Google and website details identical: name spelled the same way, the same phone number and the same hours. Mismatches confuse both customers and the systems that decide which details to trust. If you have several branches, our guide to local SEO for multi-location businesses covers keeping them consistent.

FAQ

Does Apple Business cost anything?

Apple says Apple Business is free. Some extras, such as additional iCloud storage, AppleCare+ for Business and ads on Maps, are paid.

I claimed my place in Business Connect years ago. Do I need to do anything?

Apple says existing data migrated automatically at launch. Sign in to Apple Business, confirm your locations and photos are there, and check that your team still has the right access.

Can I manage my listing on an iPhone?

Apple Business has a companion app, but Apple notes it and some features require iOS 26 or later. Location setup is described in the browser-based dashboard.

Can an agency or web developer manage it for me?

Yes. Apple Business lets you share access with registered third-party partners, so you don't need to hand over your own login. Remove that access when the work ends.

If you'd like someone to claim and tidy your Apple, Google and website listings in one go, we can take that off your plate.

Sources

• https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/introducing-apple-business-a-new-all-in-one-platform-for-businesses-of-all-sizes/
• https://support.apple.com/guide/business/add-a-single-location-abcb98816a34/web
• https://ads.apple.com/maps