MapQuest hits No. 1 in App Store after Google, App – Business News
Apple is the most recent huge tech company to go together with President Trump’s order to change the title of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Apple applied the title change on its map app on Tuesday, after Trump personally reached out concerning the matter, in accordance with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Meanwhile, MapQuest has surged to the highest of Apple’s App Store after refusing to undertake the controversial moniker, in accordance with app-ranking information reviewed by The Post.
The App Store exhibits MapQuest at No. 1 as of Wednesday. Apple
The navigation app grabbed the No. 1 spot amongst free apps in Apple’s US App Store — edging out ChatGPT at No. 2 — after declaring it might persist with the centuries-old Lake Ontario title.
MapQuest additionally climbed to No. 5 among the many high general free Android apps in the US, the info confirmed.
The sudden surge adopted a stark break up amongst mapping apps after Trump signed an govt order on Aug. 27 directing all federal companies to confer with Lake Ontario as Lake America.
The president made the transfer after talks on a new commerce deal with Canada broke down amid mutual recriminations between the 2 governments.
“We’re not changing it,” MapQuest declared in a terse social media post the day of the chief order.
The company subsequently made clear it might keep Lake Ontario as its default map title, at the same time as its bigger rivals moved in the other direction.
President Trump indicators an govt order on renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America beside Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 27. ZUMAPRESS.com
Google started rolling out Lake America for US customers on Aug. 29 after the title was modified in the federal Geographic Names Information System, or GNIS, in accordance with the company’s public assertion.
Apple quickly adopted go well with, although a majority of Americas oppose each the renaming and Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, in accordance with a Reuters/Ipsos ballot.
On each Google and Apple’s map apps, whereas US customers see Lake America, worldwide customers proceed to see Lake Ontario.
MapQuest, in the meantime, framed its refusal as a product choice to protect names acquainted to its customers relatively than mechanically conform to the federal change.
A cellphone screen shows a Google map exhibiting Lake Ontario renamed as Lake America on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Burgum issued a directive the identical day as Trump’s govt order instructing the US Board on Geographic Names to instantly implement the change and replace GNIS. The federal database subsequently listed the physique of water as Lake America.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency stated final week that it additionally applied the change in the Geographic Names Server. The governing federal framework standardizes geographic nomenclature for federal authorities use.
Still, the federal motion can’t require Canada, New York State or non-public mapping firms to make use of the new title.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul shortly rejected the new moniker.
MapQuest has emerged because the mapping holdout in the “Lake America” battle, maintaining Lake Ontario’s longtime title whereas Google and Apple modified their US maps. Apple Maps
“New York won’t be calling it that,” she stated online.
Canadian officers have additionally continued to make use of Lake Ontario, whereas Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a lakeside signal declaring: “Lake Ontario: Now and Always” — with a French-language model of the phrase, as well.
“Canada has been a bad neighbor by ripping off our country for years,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers instructed The Post.
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Rogers added: “Thanks to the President’s bold leadership, we are putting America back on the map.”
A Google spokesperson referred The Post to its weblog merchandise explaining its choice. The Post has sought remark from MapQuest and Apple.
