MapQuest has ascended to the top of the Apple App Store's free apps chart after it declined to adopt President Trump's directive to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America." The navigation app secured the No. 1 position, surpassing ChatGPT, by maintaining the long-standing name for the body of water.
Apple implemented the "Lake America" name change on its map application on Tuesday, after President Trump personally contacted the company regarding the matter, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Google began rolling out the "Lake America" designation for its U.S. users on August 29, following its inclusion in the federal Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also updated its Geographic Names Server to reflect the change.
President Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing all federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as Lake America. This decision followed a breakdown in trade deal negotiations with Canada. The White House stated the move was intended to protect American industries and workers.
However, the federal action does not compel private mapping companies or state governments to adopt the new name. New York Governor Kathy Hochul publicly rejected the renaming, stating, "New York won't be calling it that." Canadian officials have also continued to use the name Lake Ontario, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiling a sign that read, "Lake Ontario: Now and Always."
MapQuest's decision to retain the name Lake Ontario was framed as a product choice to preserve user familiarity with geographic names, rather than automatically conforming to the federal directive. The company posted on social media the day of the executive order, "We’re not changing it."
The surge in MapQuest's app store ranking occurred as a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that a majority of Americans oppose both the renaming and the new tariffs on Canada imposed by the Trump administration. Data showed MapQuest also climbed to the fifth spot among top free Android apps in the U.S.
While U.S. users of Google and Apple's map applications now see "Lake America," international users continue to see "Lake Ontario." The Post has sought comment from MapQuest and Apple, while Google referred inquiries to a blog post explaining its decision.