MapQuest Tops US App Downloads After Refusing to Rename Lake Ontario

MapQuest has climbed to the top of the Apple App Store's navigation charts in the United States after declining to follow a presidential executive order to rename Lake Ontario. The 30-year-old navigation service surpassed competitors Google Maps and Apple Maps, becoming the most-downloaded navigation application and the fourth most popular non-gaming app overall in the US, according to reports first published by TechCrunch. MapQuest also became the second-most downloaded app in Canada as of Sunday night.

The surge in downloads followed an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump on August 27 directing federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as "Lake America" amid an ongoing trade dispute with Canada. Following the order, MapQuest published a social media post stating, "We're not changing it." Doug Berger, general manager of MapQuest, confirmed in a statement that usage of the app reached approximately 50 times its typical rate, attributing the growth to hundreds of thousands of new downloads over the weekend.

Tech Giants React Differently to Federal Order

Major technology companies have taken varying approaches to the federal directive. Google updated its platform to display "Lake America" for users located in the United States, while retaining the traditional name of Lake Ontario for users in the rest of the world. Google previously made a similar adjustment in 2025 after the Trump administration renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" for federal agencies. MapQuest responded to the executive order by re-offering a tool that allows subscribers to generate custom names for the body of water.

Apple Maps continued to show the name Lake Ontario to US users as of Tuesday morning. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated on Monday that he was confident Apple would adopt the new name after direct contact from the president.

Public Opposition and Legislative Action

The renaming effort has faced public, local, and legislative pushback. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed that 14% of Americans supported renaming the lake. The same survey indicated that 20% approved of higher tariffs on Canadian goods, while 57% opposed them.

In Canada, opposition included the installation of a sign near Grimsby, Ontario, reading "Lake Ontario – Now and Always" in English and French over the weekend. Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated to ABC News that the name has existed for hundreds of years and would not change. In the US House of Representatives, Democratic lawmakers Tim Kennedy and Joe Morelle of New York, alongside Debbie Dingell of Michigan, introduced the "Hands Off Our Great Lakes" act on Monday to block the presidential order and prevent future federal name alterations.