Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and it's driving users crazy
Recorded: Sept. 22, 2026, 3:09 p.m.
| Original | Summarized |
‘I wish Apple would just stop that crap': Apple has added persistent ‘ads’ to iOS, and it’s driving users crazy | TechRadar
Skip to main content Become a TechRadar Insider JOIN NOW Become a TechRadar Insider Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands By submitting your information you agree to the FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE Become a TechRadar Insider now Sign up with your email below to instantly access member features, newsletters and exclusive Insider perks Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Sign Up By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, Welcome to Hi Your membership journey starts here. Keep exploring and earning more as a member. MY ACCOUNT Earn your first Start reading to unlock your first badge Keep earning badges Explore ways to get more involved as a member. Latest in phones Start reading Latest in computing Start reading Your membership perks Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more Explore now Member Rewards Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards. See rewards Sign Out Open menu TechRadar US Edition Asia Singapore Europe Danmark Suomi Norge Sverige UK Italia Nederland België (Nederlands) France Deutschland España North America US (English) Canada México Australasia Australia New Zealand RSS Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search TechRadar Phones Popular Phone Brands iPhone Samsung Galaxy Google Pixel Nothing Motorola OnePlus Xiaomi Honor Oppo Huawei
Operating Systems Android iOS
More from Phones Network Carriers Phone Accessories Phone Reviews Phone Buying Guides Phone Deals Phone Coupons Phone News Computing Laptops Chromebooks MacBooks Windows Laptops Gaming Laptops
PCs Desktop PCs Macs Gaming PCs
Software & Security Windows macOS Windows 10 End of Life Antivirus Cyber Security
Components CPUs GPUs Storage Nvidia Intel
Internet Websites & Apps Wi-Fi & Broadband Social Media Wordle
Tablets eReaders iPad
VR & AR Peripherals Monitors Keyboards Webcams Mice
Popular Computing Brands Dell HP Lenovo Acer
More from Computing Computing Reviews Computing Buying Guides Computing Deals Computing Coupons Computing News AI AI Platforms & Assistants OpenAI ChatGPT Gemini Apple Intelligence Claude
TVs TV Insights TV Reviews TV Buying Guides TV Deals TV News TVs & home theater coupons TV size finder
More for your TV Home Theatre Soundbars Streaming Devices Projectors Blu-ray Streaming Entertainment Netflix Prime Video Disney+ Apple TV HBO Max Hulu Paramount+ How to Watch Streaming coupons
Fitness Fitness Smartwatches Fitness Trackers Exercise Equipment Fitness Headphones Fitness Apps Smart Rings
Watch Brands Apple Watch Fitbit Garmin Google Pixel Watch Samsung Galaxy Watch
Wellbeing Sleep Oral Health
More from Fitness Fitness News Fitness Reviews Fitness Buying Guides Fitness Deals Fitness coupons Audio Headphones Earbuds & AirPods Wireless Headphones
Speakers Wireless Speakers Sonos
Hi-Fi Turntables Portable Players DACs
Audio Streaming Spotify Apple Music
More from Audio Audio News Audio Reviews Audio Buying Guides Audio Deals Audio coupons VPN VPN Services VPN Security ExpressVPN NordVPN
Cameras Camera Types Mirrorless DSLRs Compact Action Video Drones 360 Cameras Dash Cams
Camera Brands Canon DJI Fujifilm Nikon GoPro Insta360
More from Cameras Camera Accessories Camera Lenses Camera Reviews Camera Buying Guides Camera Deals Camera News Photography Camera coupons Home Smart Home Home Security Smart Speakers Smart Lights Smart Scales Smart Thermostats Amazon Echo
Small Appliances Air Fryers Air Quality Coffee Machines Hair Care Vacuums Robot Vacuums
Home Brands Dyson Philips Hue Ring Shark Ninja
More from Home Home Reviews Home Buying Guides Home Deals Home News Mattress coupons Home & appliances coupons EVs Browse By Type News Best Reviews Deals Versus How To Opinion Coupons Collections
Popular Brands Samsung Sony Microsoft Apple More
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming Phones View Phones Popular Phone Brands iPhone Samsung Galaxy Google Pixel Nothing Motorola OnePlus Xiaomi Honor Oppo Huawei
Operating Systems Android iOS
More from Phones Network Carriers Phone Accessories Phone Reviews Phone Buying Guides Phone Deals Phone Coupons Phone News
Computing View Computing Laptops View Laptops Chromebooks MacBooks Windows Laptops Gaming Laptops
PCs Desktop PCs Macs Gaming PCs
Software & Security View Software & Security Windows macOS Windows 10 End of Life Antivirus Cyber Security
Components View Components CPUs GPUs Storage Nvidia Intel
Internet View Internet Websites & Apps Wi-Fi & Broadband Social Media Wordle
Tablets View Tablets eReaders iPad
VR & AR Peripherals View Peripherals Monitors Keyboards Webcams Mice
Popular Computing Brands Dell HP Lenovo Acer
More from Computing Computing Reviews Computing Buying Guides Computing Deals Computing Coupons Computing News
AI View AI AI Platforms & Assistants OpenAI ChatGPT Gemini Apple Intelligence Claude
TVs View TVs TV Insights TV Reviews TV Buying Guides TV Deals TV News TVs & home theater coupons TV size finder
More for your TV Home Theatre Soundbars Streaming Devices Projectors Blu-ray
Streaming View Streaming Entertainment Netflix Prime Video Disney+ Apple TV HBO Max Hulu Paramount+ How to Watch Streaming coupons
Fitness View Fitness Fitness Smartwatches Fitness Trackers Exercise Equipment Fitness Headphones Fitness Apps Smart Rings
Watch Brands Apple Watch Fitbit Garmin Google Pixel Watch Samsung Galaxy Watch
Wellbeing Sleep Oral Health
More from Fitness Fitness News Fitness Reviews Fitness Buying Guides Fitness Deals Fitness coupons
Audio View Audio Headphones View Headphones Earbuds & AirPods Wireless Headphones
Speakers View Speakers Wireless Speakers Sonos
Hi-Fi View Hi-Fi Turntables Portable Players DACs
Audio Streaming View Audio Streaming Spotify Apple Music
More from Audio Audio News Audio Reviews Audio Buying Guides Audio Deals Audio coupons
VPN View VPN VPN Services VPN Security ExpressVPN NordVPN
Cameras View Cameras Camera Types Mirrorless DSLRs Compact Action Video Drones 360 Cameras Dash Cams
Camera Brands Canon DJI Fujifilm Nikon GoPro Insta360
More from Cameras Camera Accessories Camera Lenses Camera Reviews Camera Buying Guides Camera Deals Camera News Photography Camera coupons
Home View Home Smart Home View Smart Home Home Security Smart Speakers Smart Lights Smart Scales Smart Thermostats Amazon Echo
Small Appliances View Small Appliances Air Fryers Air Quality Coffee Machines Hair Care Vacuums Robot Vacuums
Home Brands Dyson Philips Hue Ring Shark Ninja
More from Home Home Reviews Home Buying Guides Home Deals Home News Mattress coupons Home & appliances coupons
EVs Browse View Browse By Type News Best Reviews Deals Versus How To Opinion Coupons Collections
Popular Brands Samsung Sony Microsoft Apple
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Become a Member in Seconds Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Join the club An account already exists for this email address, please log in. TrendingVote in the TechRadar AwardsTV size finderNYT Wordle todayBest laptopBest VPN Phones iPhone ‘I wish Apple would just stop that crap': Apple has added persistent ‘ads’ to iOS, and it’s driving users crazy News By Published 22 September 2026 Way to cheapen the experience, Apple When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock / fizkes) Copy link X Threads Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter iOS users are seeing ‘ads’ for other Apple products on their iPhonesThe banners promote services like iCloud+, Apple Music and AppleCare+The messages often can’t be dismissed and stick around for weeksIf you were to ask iOS users how they felt about Apple’s decision to insert ads into Apple Maps, it would quickly become obvious that it was not a popular move. So when iPhone fans discovered that Apple has been inserting prompts for its own products into iOS, the reaction was predictably swift and furious.The ‘ads’ in question appear in the Settings app in iOS. They can be found near the top of the iPhone’s display and promote several products to the user, including paid-for iCloud+ storage, free trials for services like Apple Music and Apple TV, and the AppleCare+ extended warranty.Infuriatingly for iOS users, the only way to disable these promos is to either let them expire — which in many cases could take weeks or even months, leaving a persistent notification badge on the Settings app in the meantime — or pay for the service being offered. There is not always a “dismiss” button to shoo them away for good, and when there is, some people have reported that it doesn’t seem to work.Latest Videos FromTechRadarWatch full video here: Many people have taken to social media to vent their frustrations with Apple’s actions. “I’m feeling like this is nearly on-par with the ens***ification that Microsoft introduced with Start menu ads,” said one aggravated user. “I wish Apple would just stop that crap,” stated another. Many other people have taken to Reddit to express their exasperation, suggesting that the discontent is widespread.Some of these ads and offers — such as the one for Apple Music — appear after you’ve bought a new Apple product. With the company launching the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro range recently, it’s perhaps unsurprising that we’re seeing a sudden influx of posts flush with irritation and indignation. You may like Apple Maps users rebel against new ads that you can't turn off Apple’s expensive, inflexible app subscriptions need a total overhaul — here's why Windows 11 desktop becomes a huge Harry Potter ad thanks to Bing Wallpaper Apple’s services push (Image credit: Future)On the face of it, Apple’s decision to include promotions like this in its operating system might seem like a strange one. After all, Apple has long positioned itself as a premium company where the user experience is paramount. From that viewpoint, repeatedly attempting to prod customers towards even more of the company’s products might seem cheap, even distasteful. And when you’ve just shelled out a record fee for an iPhone after Apple’s painful price rises, that can just feel like nickel and diming.But Apple has been putting increasing emphasis on its services in recent years, of which products like iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV and AppleCare+ are all a part. With limited room for growth in the smartphone market, the company is turning to areas where it thinks it can make more progress.Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxSign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.And unfortunately for users, that means more ads like this on their devices. While they are far from the most obnoxious ads around, the fact that many cannot be dismissed is clearly rubbing users the wrong way — as is the fact that the promos even exist at all in an Apple product.There is also the possibility that at least some of these adverts are appearing due to a bug. The iCloud+ one in particular has drawn comments from users who are already subscribed to iCloud+ and thus, one would think, should not need to see any ads like this. Time will tell how that plays out and whether Apple fixes this ‘bug’ or leaves the ads in place. If the latter transpires, it would suggest that they are not appearing erroneously.With Apple’s services push showing no signs of slowing down and further ads supposedly planned for the likes of the firm’s Visual Intelligence system, don’t expect Apple to have a change of heart any time soon. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.Today’s best iPhone dealsApple iPhone 18 Pro $1,249 $11.75ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 18 Pro Max $1,349 $13ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 17 $599.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 17e $599.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone Air $999.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices TOPICS Apple CATEGORIES iOS Alex Blake Social Links Navigation Freelance Contributor Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Logout Read more Software
Windows
Websites & Apps
iPhone
Apple Music
iPhone
Latest in iPhone iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
Latest in News GPU
Audio
Gaming
Disney Plus
Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality
macOS
LATEST ARTICLES 1 ‘I wish Apple would just stop that crap': Apple has added persistent ‘ads’ to iOS, and it’s driving users crazy 2 Creative Assembly says Alien: Isolation 2's custom tech enabled a 'realistic' atmosphere Unreal Engine 5 couldn't — 'We felt that a custom solution would give us that perfect frame response that you want in that kind of really, really dark environment' 3 Nvidia's RTX 6000 GPUs rumored for 2028, not next year — and I think that makes a lot of sense given the RAM crisis 4 Apple just bought a London gig venue, and it means loads more live streams and Spatial Audio recordings for Apple Music subscribers 5 Surfshark VPN servers – all you need to know about the provider's network Useful links Best VPN Best Laptops Best Phone Best Turntables Best Camera TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Add as a preferred source on Google About Us Contact Future's experts Contact Us Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Web notifications Accessibility Statement Careers ©
Close Please login or signup to comment Please wait... Login Sign Up |
Apple has introduced persistent advertisements within the iOS operating system, which users find highly irritating. These advertisements promote various Apple services, including paid iCloud+ storage, free trials for services like Apple Music and Apple TV, and the AppleCare+ extended warranty. These promotional messages appear within the Settings application on the iPhone display, and attempting to dismiss them permanently is problematic; users must either allow the promotions to expire, a process that can take weeks or months and leave persistent notification badges, or choose to purchase the service being advertised. Furthermore, some users have reported that there is no effective way to completely eliminate these prompts, as dismissing buttons sometimes fail to work. The frustration among iOS users is significant, with some comparing this experience to the advertisements introduced by Microsoft in the Start menu, leading to widespread expressions of discontent on social media platforms like Reddit. These advertisements are often seen following the purchase of new Apple products, such as the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro range, which fuels the user anger. The author notes that while Apple has long maintained a position of premium quality and user experience, inserting these promotions feels distasteful, especially when consumers have recently faced price hikes for hardware. This action is situated within Apple's broader strategy of increasing emphasis on its services, such as iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV, and AppleCare+, as the smartphone market growth has become limited. Apple appears to be leveraging its service ecosystem to drive adoption, which results in these in-app advertisements. There is speculation that some of these ads may be artifacts of bugs, particularly the promotion for iCloud+, which has drawn criticism from existing subscribers. The author suggests that Apple may not change this approach soon, given the company's current focus on expanding its services, including potential future advertisements for systems like Visual Intelligence. |