There are only five apps in the world that have more than 10B android downloads. They are all Google apps, and they are free. Do you know why? Because if you are not paying for the product, you are the product. Let's discuss four ways google maps makes money. When you search on google maps, there's a list of businesses. If I search for restaurants near me, I get a list. But sometimes the result is an Ad. For which Google takes money. Businesses can add their logos too. Regular pins disappear when you zoom out, promoted pins stay visible. A third way to earn is through paid APIs. Google gives it companies like Uber and Zomato for navigation, route planning, etc. The last is Google Guaranteed Businesses which was launched in 2020 in the US.