Apple has added persistent 'ads' to iOS, and users are furious

iPhone owners have spent the past days discovering that Apple is showing promotional banners for its own services inside the iOS Settings app, and many of them cannot be dismissed. According to TechRadar, the messages appear near the top of the Settings screen and advertise iCloud+ storage, free trials of Apple Music and Apple TV, and the AppleCare+ extended warranty.

Ads you cannot switch off

The complaints are less about the offers themselves than about the lack of control. The report says the only way to clear most of these banners is to let them expire — a process that can take weeks or even months, leaving a persistent notification badge on the Settings app in the meantime — or to buy the service being promoted. Not every message includes a dismiss button, and where one exists, some users report that it does not work.

Reaction on Reddit and social media has been blunt. One user compared the practice to the advertising Microsoft introduced into the Windows Start menu, while another wrote simply: “I wish Apple would just stop that crap.” Several threads are devoted to removing the red badge from the Settings icon.

A services business looking for growth

Apple has spent years growing its services revenue, and iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV and AppleCare+ are all part of that business. With room for growth in the smartphone market limited, the company is looking for progress in areas where it can still expand. The report notes that some offers, such as the Apple Music trial, appear after a new device purchase — a pattern that is more visible now, after the recent launches of the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro range.

A bug, or the new normal?

There is a chance that at least some of the banners are appearing by mistake. Users who already pay for iCloud+ have reported seeing the iCloud+ promotion, which they should not need. How Apple responds will be telling: leaving the messages in place would suggest they are working as intended. The services push shows no sign of slowing either — reports say the company is also considering ads inside Visual Intelligence, and advertising in Apple Maps drew similar criticism.