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NewsWSVN 7 MiamiSeptember 2, 2026Miami-Dade

MapQuest app usage surges after company refuses to rename Lake Ontario

MapQuest has become the most downloaded free app on the Apple App Store after the company publicly refused to comply with a presidential executive order to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America.' While other navigation services like Google Maps and Apple Maps have implemented the name change for U.S. users, MapQuest has maintained the original name and introduced a feature allowing users to customize location labels.

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Why It Matters

The refusal to comply with the has led to a 50-fold increase in MapQuest app downloads, highlighting a shift in consumer preference toward navigation services that retain traditional geographic naming conventions.

Key Facts

  • MapQuest became the No. 1 free app on the Apple App Store as of Tuesday afternoon.
  • MapQuest usage is approximately 50 times higher than it was one week ago.
  • President Trump issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'.
  • The administration previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America' via executive order.
  • Google Maps displays 'Lake America' to U.S. users and 'Lake Ontario' to Canadian users.
  • Apple Maps updated its service to 'Lake America' on Tuesday.
  • Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the President contacted Apple directly regarding the name change.
  • MapQuest launched a tool allowing users to rename the lake to their preference.
  • MapQuest was founded in 1996.

Who's Mentioned

organizationApple“Tech company that updated its maps to reflect the executive order.”organizationGoogle“Tech company that updated its maps for U.S. users.”personDoug Burgum“Interior Secretary who stated the President contacted Apple regarding the name c”organizationMapQuest“Mapping service that refused to rename the lake.”personDonald Trump“President who issued the executive order.”