MapQuest tops Apple, Google Maps in downloads after refusing Trump's 'Lake America' change

Visitors to Apple Maps may have noticed that the name of "Lake Ontario" has been replaced with "Lake America." This change was implemented following an order from President Trump last week, which aimed to alter the name as part of a trade dispute with Canada. The alteration is currently only visible to Apple Maps users in the United States; users in Canada will continue to see the original name "Lake Ontario."

Those using Apple Maps in other countries worldwide will observe both names. In contrast, Google Maps had already changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America several days earlier. According to Google, it follows the naming conventions set by the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). It has been reported that U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum personally communicated with Apple about this renaming.

Following this directive, Apple has reportedly adopted the same change in its maps. In a related development, MapQuest announced that it would not rename Lake Ontario, which has apparently led to a surge in downloads of their service. The renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America is reportedly being phased in gradually for Apple Maps users, with reports indicating some users still see the original name while others already see the new one.

This move echoes a similar change made by Apple in the past; when President Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" last year, Apple also updated its maps accordingly.