What Is an Apple Business Connect Listing Now?
An Apple Business Connect listing is the place card that represents your business location in Apple Maps; since April 14, 2026 it is claimed and managed in Apple Business, the product that replaced Apple Business Connect.
Apple’s guide defines a place card as “the card customers see when they select a location in Maps and Apple Wallet” (Apple Business glossary). Apple says the place card also “appears in many Apple apps, from Maps to Siri to Calendar, Messages, and Spotlight searches” (Intro to Apple Business).
The product name changed in 2026. Apple announced Apple Business on March 24, 2026 and launched it on April 14, 2026. Apple said that “Brand management tools previously available in Apple Business Connect will now be available through Apple Business” (Apple Newsroom, March 24, 2026). The old Business Connect user guide now shows a single notice: “Apple Business Connect is now Apple Business” (Apple Support, read October 8, 2026). People still search for “Apple Business Connect”, so this guide uses that name. Every step below uses the current Apple Business screens as Apple’s guide describes them.
Claiming matters because Apple Maps fills in place cards from its own data and from reports by Maps users. If you do not manage the card, you cannot fix the name, hours or photos yourself. It is the Apple equivalent of setting up a Google Business Profile; the two are separate systems, and claiming one does nothing for the other.
How to Claim Your Apple Business Connect Listing at a Glance
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sign in to Apple Business with your old Business Connect account, or sign up | You reach the Apple Business web portal |
| 2 | Go to Brands > Locations, select Add and search for your place | Your existing Maps place appears, or you start a new one |
| 3 | Confirm the pin, display name, category, status, phone, website and hours | The location record matches your storefront and website |
| 4 | Choose your brand or create one | The location is attached to a brand |
| 5 | Verify by phone call (if offered) or verify your organization | A four-digit code is accepted, or your verification is sent for review |
| 6 | If the place is “already managed”, request a transfer | A transfer request under review (up to five business days) |
| 7 | Add logo, cover photo, “about” text and photos | Content approved by Apple and shown on the place card |
| 8 | Respond to Apple’s change emails and check Insights | Accurate hours and status; search and place card data |
Time: under an hour of work, then up to five business days for Apple’s organization verification or a transfer, as Apple states. Tools: a supported browser (on a Mac, Safari 16.6 or later, Chrome or Edge 138 or later, or Firefox 140 or later, per Apple’s requirements), access to the business phone line, and possibly DNS access. Cost: none; Apple Business is free. Skill level: beginner.
What You Need Before Starting
- A person’s legal name for the first administrator. Apple says names such as “IT Coordinator” are “returned to you to correct the information” (Requirements).
- A work email address that has never been used as an Apple Account and is not tied to an App Store or iCloud account, plus a work phone number. Exception: if you managed the listing in Business Connect, you can sign in with that personal Apple Account (Step 1).
- What you need for organization verification. Apple says verification “requires two methods of verification”. Under “Choose your first verification method” Apple lists Business ID (“A D-U-N-S Number or Employer Identification Number (EIN)”), Domain Validation (“Add a TXT record to your DNS server”), App Store Connect, and “Upload one of the following official documents”, such as a business license or utility bill (see Step 5).
- Access to the phone number Apple Maps shows for the location, if you hope to verify by phone.
- Your exact storefront name, address, primary category, hours and website, matching what is on your own site.
- A logo (at least 1024 × 1024 pixels) and a cover photo (at least 1600 × 1040), per Apple’s photo requirements.
Step 1: Sign In to Apple Business or Create an Organization
Go to https://business.apple.com/. Which button you press depends on whether you used Business Connect before.
If you managed the listing in Business Connect: sign in with that personal Apple Account. Apple’s sign-up guide says you then choose “Create an Apple Account for Work”, which creates a Managed Apple Account and unlocks the full product, or “Continue using [your personal Apple Account]”, which limits you to “only brand and location management features”. Your claimed locations should already be there: Apple says Business Connect data, “including claimed locations, place card information, photos, organization information, account details”, migrated automatically at launch (Apple Newsroom, March 24, 2026).
If you are new: select Sign up now. Enter the organization name, website (optional, but Apple says it “can expedite your organization’s verification process”) and address. Do not tick the agency checkbox unless you manage listings for other companies. Enter the administrator’s name, create a password, confirm the codes sent to email and phone, and agree to the terms.
Why: every claim lives inside a verified organization. Expected result: you can see the Apple Business portal. How to verify: you can open Settings > Organization, where verification starts. Common mistake: signing up with an email that is already an Apple Account, or one at a domain another Apple Business organization has verified; Apple’s requirements rule out both.
Step 2: Find Your Existing Place in Brands > Locations
Choose Brands > Locations, select the Add button, type your business name and pick your place from the results. Apple calls this “Add an existing single location” (Add a single location).
Why: most businesses already have an Apple Maps place card built from Apple’s data. Claiming that existing place keeps it as one record. Adding it as a new location would leave you managing a second record. If your business is not on Maps: enter the name and choose “Add a new location with this name”, then enter the address. Expected result: a map with a pin on your building. How to verify: the address shown matches your storefront. Common mistake: skipping past the note “This location is already managed”. That note means another organization claimed it; go on to Step 6 after adding it.
Step 3: Confirm the Pin and Core Details
Drag the map or enter coordinates if the pin sits on the wrong building, then select Next and confirm the default language, display name, primary category, status (Open or Opening Soon), phone number and website. Then set the hours.
Apple’s rules, from Configure location attributes:
- Display name “Needs to match the name on the storefront or website” and “Can’t include symbols such as ®, ©, or ™.” A city may appear only if it is part of the brand name; “Smith’s Family Restaurant (Fresno, CA)” is Apple’s example of what is not allowed.
- Category: “one and only one primary category”, plus up to 19 optional categories.
- Website: your own site, ideally the location’s own page; a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok page is allowed, but “It can’t be a third-party website.”
- Hours “need to match the hours published on your official website” whenever possible. An Opening Soon date can be no more than six months away.
Expected result: a location record that matches your own website exactly. How to verify: compare each field with your site’s contact page. Common mistake: adding keywords or a tagline to the display name. That breaks Apple’s rules and may be sent back.
Step 4: Choose or Create the Brand
Select your brand from the list, or create one, when Apple asks. Apple says “Every location is associated to a brand”, and the brand’s name, logo and cover photo “cascades to associated locations” (About locations).
Why: a single-location business still needs a brand. A chain uses one brand for all its locations. Expected result: the location shows the brand name in Brands > Locations. How to verify: select the location and use View your brand info. Common mistake: creating a new brand per location. That splits logos and settings you would otherwise manage once. When claiming an existing place, Apple also offers a checkbox to keep the location’s current primary category.
Step 5: Verify the Location or Your Organization
Finish the claim by verifying. Apple offers two routes, and the one you see depends on the place and your account.
Phone verification “may be available if a location already exists on Maps.” Select Location Verification, select Next, add an optional extension and choose the Phone Verification option. After you receive the call, enter the four-digit verification code and select Done. Apple warns that the call goes to “the one that Apple has on record for this location”, so if you do not recognize the number, contact Apple Business support (Verify an existing location with a phone call).
Organization verification: Apple says “If this is your first location and you haven’t verified your organization, you need to verify it and send it to Apple for review.” In Settings > Organization, select Verify Now. Apple says the process “requires two methods of verification and can take up to five business days to complete”. Apple’s steps, from Verify your organization, read “Choose your first verification method:” followed by this list:
- Business ID: “A D-U-N-S Number or Employer Identification Number (EIN).” Apple’s glossary notes that Apple “cross-checks program enrollees with the D&B database.”
- Domain Validation: “Add a TXT record to your DNS server.”
- App Store Connect (“Not available to third-party partners or agencies”): “Select the app associated with your organization.”
- “Upload one of the following official documents”: business license; sales tax permit; food, health or alcohol permit; lease or property agreement; utility bill; or other.
The next steps are “Repeat the process with another verification method” and “Select Send for Review.”
Why: Apple’s claim flow ends with this verification for any organization that is not yet verified. Expected result: the code is accepted, or your verification is sent to Apple for review. How to verify: watch for Apple’s email, and make sure “any filters allow mail from all apple.com domains”, as Apple advises. Common mistake: leaving verification for later. Apple says you “have 60 days to verify your organization”, and an organization not approved in that window is deleted along with its data and accounts.
Step 6: Request a Transfer if Someone Else Manages the Place
Request a transfer if Step 2 showed “This location is already managed”. Find the location in Brands > Locations, select Request Transfer under Status, explain why management should move to you, attach documents such as a business license or utility bill, and select Send for Review.
Why: a former owner, an old agency or an earlier employee may have claimed the place in Business Connect. Apple shows “This location is already managed” when “the location you entered is already claimed by another organization”. Expected result: Apple reviews the request; it “can take up to five business days” (Request to transfer management of a single location). How to verify: watch for Apple’s email; Apple’s guide does not describe what the location shows after approval. Common mistake: creating a duplicate new location instead. Ask your previous agency first: if it still manages the place for you, Apple’s partner tools (see How to choose a route) may be simpler than a transfer.
Business days, upper limit stated by Apple, read October 10, 2026
Sources: Apple Business User Guide: Sign up for Apple Business; Add a single location; Maintain location information accuracy; Photo and text standards and guidelines.
Apple says organization verification can take longer in periods of high volume, and that an organization must be verified within 60 days or it is deleted.
Step 7: Complete the Place Card
Select the location, then Info, and add the place card header (logo plus cover photo), an “about” description, photos and any showcase or Actions.
- Photos must be HEIF, JPEG or PNG; location photos at least 720 × 960 pixels; cover photos at least 1600 × 1040; logos at least 1024 × 1024 (photo requirements). Approved photos appear in an album named “From the Business”.
- Review: “Apple reviews all photos before you can use them, and the review process can take up to three business days.” There is “a 100-photo limit for each location” (Photo and text standards).
- Not allowed: Apple’s standards say photos can’t be stock photos or contain watermarks, and “can’t contain” QR codes, collages, added text or “Any AI-generated content”. Apple says “You’re notified if photos you upload don’t meet these requirements.”
- Showcases (offers or news with a call-to-action) need Apple’s approval, can run up to 365 days (90 by default), and Apple advises planning “at least three calendar days” ahead (Create your first showcase).
Pixels (width × height), Apple Business User Guide, read October 10, 2026
Source: Apple Business User Guide, Add, edit, or delete photos.
Bars compare total pixels (width multiplied by height). Photos can be HEIF, JPEG or PNG; logos can also be SVG.
Why: an unclaimed card only shows what Apple’s data supplies. Expected result: approved content on the card. How to verify: open the place in Apple Maps on an iPhone or Mac after approval. Common mistake: uploading the same marketing graphic used on social media; Apple’s standards say photos can’t contain added text or added graphics.
Step 8: Keep the Listing Accurate and Check Insights
Review your hours and status whenever they change, and act on Apple’s change emails. Apple says that when Maps users report a problem, “Apple reviews these reports and edits your place card”. Apple then emails your administrators when it changes the location name, status or hours (Maintain location information accuracy).
Locations with Apple edits show “Updates Available”. Select Looks Good to accept, or View Details and Edit to contest. A contested name goes to Apple for review (up to five business days). Use Special hours for holidays rather than changing normal hours.
Why: wrong hours are the most visible failure of any listing. Expected result: no outstanding “Updates Available” alerts. How to verify: open the location’s Insights, described under How to verify it worked. Common mistake: ignoring Apple’s email. If Apple’s edit is wrong, Apple’s guide says to contest it through View Details, then Edit.
How to Verify It Worked
- Verification date: each location’s preferences include “Verification: The date your location claim was verified by Apple” (Location preferences).
- No open alerts: the location appears in Brands > Locations without “This location is already managed” or “Updates Available”.
- Insights: Apple says Insights data “isn’t available for up to one hour after you verify your location”. After that, Brands > Locations > [location] > Insights shows search taps, search type (name or brand, category, other), place card views and taps on Directions, Website, Call, Share and Photos (Use insights). Low numbers may show as zero because of Apple’s privacy threshold.
- The public card: search your business in Apple Maps and confirm the name, hours, phone, website and approved photos.
How to Choose a Route to Claim Your Listing
| Situation | Recommended route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You managed the listing in Business Connect | Sign in at business.apple.com with the same Apple Account | Apple migrated claimed locations automatically |
| Your business already appears in Apple Maps | Add an existing single location; use phone verification if offered | Keeps one record; Apple says phone verification “may be available if a location already exists on Maps” |
| Your business is not on Maps | Add a new single location, then verify your organization | Apple’s new-location steps offer organization verification, not a phone call |
| Another organization manages it | Add it, then Request Transfer with documents | Apple reviews ownership; up to five business days |
| Many brands or locations, or you use a listings agency | Delegate to a verified third-party partner via OAuth or Partner Organization ID | Apple lets you grant partners access to brand profiles and locations (Apple) |
| You only care about the listing, not device management | Keep your personal Apple Account at sign-in | Apple allows this for brand and location features only |
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “This location is already managed” | Another organization or an agency claimed it | Add it, then Request Transfer with a business license or utility bill |
| Sign-up email rejected | The email is already an Apple Account, or its domain is verified by another organization | Use a different work email; Apple allows a public email provider for the first administrator |
| Administrator name returned | A role name such as “IT Coordinator” was used | Enter a person’s legal first and last name |
| No phone verification option | Apple says it “may be available” only for places already on Maps | Verify your organization with two methods instead |
| Phone call goes to an old number | Apple calls the number it has on record | Contact Apple Business Support, or verify your organization |
| No email from Apple | Spam filtering | Allow mail from all apple.com domains, as Apple advises |
| Photo or name not approved | Breaks the photo and text standards (stock, watermark, added text, ®, city suffix) | Replace with an unedited photo or the plain storefront name |
| Hours or status changed without you | Apple acted on a Maps user report | Accept with Looks Good, or contest via View Details > Edit |
| Brand and Location Management missing | Not offered in your country (for example China mainland, South Korea, Ukraine as of October 2026) | Check Apple’s feature availability table |
What Not to Do
- Don’t create a new location for a place that already exists. Consequence: two records for one business. Correction: claim the existing place, or request a transfer.
- Don’t let the 60-day verification window lapse. Consequence: Apple deletes the organization, its data and its Managed Apple Accounts. Correction: start verification the day you sign up.
- Don’t stuff keywords, locations or symbols into the display name. Consequence: the name is not approved. Correction: use the name on your storefront or website.
- Don’t upload stock, edited or AI-generated photos. Consequence: they break Apple’s photo standards and are not approved. Correction: use real, unedited photos of the location that you own the rights to.
- Don’t point the website field at a directory or marketplace listing. Consequence: Apple says it “can’t be a third-party website”. Correction: use your own site or an allowed social page.
- Don’t share one login. Consequence: no audit trail and lost access when staff leave. Correction: add users with roles such as Marketing Administrator; Apple allows up to 10 Organization Administrators (roles and permissions).
A complete, consistent listing is one input among many in how AI assistants and search engines describe a business; it is not a guarantee of anything. To see the result from the outside, use our guide on checking what AI says about your company, and keep the same name, address and website in your Organization schema markup and, if you have one, when you claim your Google knowledge panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Apple Business Connect still exist?
Not as a separate product. Apple says Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Essentials “will no longer be available once Apple Business launches”, which happened on April 14, 2026. Business Connect’s brand and location tools now live in Apple Business at business.apple.com.
Is claiming an Apple Maps listing free?
Yes. Apple describes Apple Business as “a free service in the U.S. and 200+ countries and regions”. Paid extras, such as iCloud storage and AppleCare+ for Business, are not needed to claim or manage a listing. Ads on Maps are a separate paid option.
What happened to locations I claimed in Business Connect?
Apple says existing Business Connect data, “including claimed locations, place card information, photos, organization information, account details, and more”, migrated automatically to Apple Business at launch. Sign in with the same Apple Account to see them.
How long does Apple take to verify a business?
Apple says organization verification “can take up to five business days”, and longer in busy periods. A transfer request or a contested name change can also take up to five business days. Photo review can take up to three business days.
Can I claim a listing without a D-U-N-S Number?
Organization verification “requires two methods of verification”. Apple lists Business ID (a D-U-N-S Number or EIN), Domain Validation (a DNS TXT record), App Store Connect, and an upload of an official document such as a business license or utility bill. For a place already on Maps, phone verification may also be available.
Can my agency manage the listing for me?
Yes. Apple lets you delegate brand profiles and locations to a third-party partner verified in Apple Business, using OAuth or a Partner Organization ID. The partner needs its own verified Apple Business account, and its content is subject to the same policies.
How many photos can a location have?
Apple sets a 100-photo limit per location. Apple reviews every photo before you can use it, and its standards rule out stock photos, watermarks, added text, collages, QR codes and AI-generated content.
Can I advertise on Apple Maps after claiming?
Apple’s guide says ads on Maps is available in the United States (excluding American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands) and Canada, for advertisers with business locations there. Apple said in March 2026 that businesses “will need to first claim their location on Maps”. Claiming itself does not require buying ads.
Does an Apple Maps listing help my Google ranking?
Apple Business and Google Business Profile are separate systems run by different companies, and neither documents using the other. Claim both if customers find you on iPhone and in Google Search.
Sources and Methodology
This guide is built from Apple’s Apple Business User Guide and Apple’s March 24, 2026 newsroom announcement, all read on October 8, 2026. We did not create an Apple Business account, claim a location or go through verification for this guide. The steps, labels and review times are Apple’s, quoted from its documentation. The “under an hour” time estimate is ours. Apple updates the guide often (its release notes list changes through September 23, 2026), so labels may change. Where the documentation is ambiguous, for example about exactly which document uploads count as a verification method, we quote Apple rather than interpret it.
- official Apple Newsroom, Introducing Apple Business — a new all-in-one platform for businesses of all sizes, March 24, 2026. Launch date, migration, pricing, ads on Maps.
- official Apple Support, Apple Business Connect User Guide (notice: “Apple Business Connect is now Apple Business”).
- official Apple Business User Guide, Intro to Apple Business and Feature availability.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Requirements for Apple Business (published September 10, 2026).
- official Apple Business User Guide, Sign up for Apple Business (includes Verify your organization).
- official Apple Business User Guide, About locations, Add a single location, Edit or remove a single location.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Configure location attributes.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Add, edit, or delete photos and Photo and text standards and guidelines.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Create your first showcase.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Maintain location information accuracy and Use insights for a single location.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Share your Apple Business access with a third-party partner and Intro to roles and permissions.
- official Apple Business User Guide, Promote your business on Apple Maps (ads on Maps availability).
- official Apple Business User Guide, Glossary and Release notes.