RismadarVoice Reporters, September 1, 2026
Digital mapping service MapQuest has become the most downloaded free app on the Apple App Store after declining to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” despite a recent executive order from US President Donald Trump.
The company said the increase in downloads followed its decision to maintain the traditional name of the lake on its maps, describing the move as a commitment to keeping familiar geographical names for users.
MapQuest announced its position on August 27, stating that it would not change the name displayed on its platform. The company later confirmed that Lake Ontario remained correctly labelled on its maps and introduced a feature allowing users to create their own names for the lake.
According to MapQuest, hundreds of thousands of users downloaded the app after the announcement, with usage rising to about 50 times its normal rate.
“We took the same approach we did with the Gulf of Mexico: be part of the conversation, and give people an app that keeps the names they’re familiar with,” MapQuest General Manager Doug Berger said.
The decision came after President Trump signed an executive order directing the renaming of Lake Ontario, amid rising tensions between the United States and Canada over trade disputes.
The White House defended the order, saying it was part of efforts to protect American interests, but it has not commented on whether MapQuest’s decision violates the directive.
Other mapping platforms have taken different approaches. Google Maps updated its service to reflect the new name, while Apple Maps continued displaying “Lake Ontario” as of September 1.
Founded in 1996 during the dot-com era, MapQuest was among the first major digital mapping platforms, providing online directions before GPS navigation became widely available.
