Three kinds of images
Apple treats your images as three separate things, each with its own size rules.
- Logo. Set on the brand, square, legible at small sizes. It appears with the cover photo and in other Apple features that use your brand.
- Cover photo. The wide image at the top of the place card. Apple combines it with your logo into what it calls the place card header, shown in Maps and in Apple Wallet. A brand has one, and each location can have its own, which wins over the brand’s.
- Location photos. The gallery. Customers tap into them full screen from the From the Business album.
If you only have time for one, get the cover photo right. It’s the first thing people see when they tap your pin.
Why Apple rejects photos
Apple’s standards are stricter than many owners expect, and they’re written as a checklist. A photo fails if it has:
- Text you added, in any language, or added graphics or borders.
- A QR code, a collage, or a satellite image.
- A watermark or a date and time stamp.
- Filters that make it look unnatural.
- Stock imagery, clip art, illustrations or emoji.
- Anything AI-generated.
- Trademarks you don’t have rights to.
It also has to be clearly of your location, well lit and not a screenshot. For the cover photo, Apple suggests a single photo with no edits, promotional text, watermarks or clip art. A plain, sharp phone photo of your storefront, counter or best dish in daylight passes more often than a polished ad graphic.
Review and timing
Each upload goes to In Review. Apple says review can take up to three business days and that it notifies you if a photo doesn’t meet requirements. Until then nothing new appears to customers. Once approved, a photo can be picked again through Existing from the Asset Gallery, so you can reuse it on other locations or in a showcase without another upload.
Your photos versus customers’ photos
Customers can rate places and add their own photos in Maps, so your place card may show pictures you didn’t take. Apple’s photo guide for businesses covers only the photos you upload; it doesn’t describe any way for an owner to remove or hide a customer’s photo. The practical answer is volume and quality: a full, current set of your own approved photos gives customers something better to look at.
If it doesn't work
- A photo was rejected: check it for added text, borders, QR codes, collages, watermarks, date stamps, heavy filters or stock and AI-generated images. Retake it plain.
- The upload button asks you to verify: Apple won't take photos until your organization is verified.
- Your logo won't upload: it must be square, at least 1024 x 1024 pixels, in HEIF, JPEG, PNG or SVG.
- A customer's photo of your business looks bad: Apple Business doesn't offer a way to remove it. Add better photos of your own.
Questions owners ask
How many photos can I add?
Apple's photo standards set a limit of 100 photos per location. Once you pass 27 uploads, Apple Business sorts them into category albums automatically. Customers see your approved photos in an album called From the Business.
What sizes does Apple want?
Location photos need at least 720 x 960 pixels. Cover photos need at least 1600 x 1040, and Apple crops them to 2.5:1 on Maps. Logos are square, at least 1024 x 1024. The maximum for all of them is 4864 x 4864.
Can I put my phone number or a sale banner on a photo?
No. Apple rejects photos with added text in any language, added graphics or borders, and QR codes. Put offers in a showcase instead, which has its own heading and body text.
Do people in my photos need to agree?
Yes. Apple doesn't ban people in photos, but its standards say you must have permission from every person shown. Avoid customers' faces unless they've agreed.
Sources
- Add, edit, or delete photos (support.apple.com)
- Photo and text standards and guidelines (support.apple.com)
- About the cover photo (support.apple.com)
- Brand identity attributes (support.apple.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.