Apple Ads courts developers through newly formed ’emerging team’

Members of a newly formed emerging team are reaching out to developers as Apple looks to increase its Apple Ads spending. Here are the details.

Apple Ads has a new emerging team group

The Apple Ads division recently formed a group called the Emerging Team, and its representatives are reaching out to developers looking to reactivate or test ads in the company’s ecosystem for the first time.

Apple announced Apple Search Ads in 2016, back when the product was limited to promoted placements in App Store search results. Since then, Apple has expanded its ads to more parts of the App Store and is working to expand it even further, to apps like Apple News and, soon, Apple Maps.

That’s why last year the company renamed Apple Search Ads to simply Apple Ads.

The broader name also reflects how Apple has discussed this aspect of its business and its growth opportunities as part of its broader services business.

Here’s Apple CFO Kevan Parekh during Apple’s Q1 2026 earnings call:

“(…) and we continue to improve the quality and expand the scope of our service offerings, from new wallet features such as Digital ID, which allows users to create an ID and wallet using their U.S. passport information, to additional searchable ads in the App Store, which give advertisers more ways to drive downloads from search.”

And here’s Parekh answering a question about ads during Apple’s Q2 2026 earnings call:

“In advertising, we’ve seen year-over-year growth in our advertising business. As you mentioned, we recently introduced additional ads in the App Store and search results, and provided more ways for developers to drive downloads on platforms that users trust. And this summer, as you said, in the United States and Canada, Apple Maps will feature ads during key search and discovery moments, creating a new way for businesses local companies to reach their customers and explore new places.

Back to the new emerging team, its representatives have recently been emailing developers, looking to schedule 30-minute sessions to introduce the group and offer assistance in starting, growing, or reactivating their Apple Ads campaigns.

In emails viewed by 9to5Mac, Emerging Team representatives mention growth initiatives and customer acquisition strategies as possible discussion points.

They also offer to connect developers with other team members, who could help them with everything from structuring campaigns to refining keyword strategies.

To learn more about Apple Ads, follow this link.