MapQuest Acts Fast With Its Revived Fame, Adding Android Auto Support
The map navigator is the most downloaded app in the US after it refused to relabel Lake Ontario.
MapQuest, a once-popular mapping app from the dotcom era, has recently made a comeback in the digital world. The 30-year-old app announced that it will add navigation support to Android Auto in an experimental phase, allowing drivers to use MapQuest on their dashboard infotainment screens instead of Google Maps. This development comes after the company defied an executive order from President Donald Trump, which demanded that the app change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Since taking this stance, MapQuest has skyrocketed to the top of app download charts, with over 1.5 million downloads in just a few days following Trump's order. While Apple users have yet to see CarPlay support for MapQuest, the company is reportedly working on integrating the feature soon. MapQuest's new Android Auto feature also includes a crowdsourcing function, allowing drivers and passengers to report accidents, road closures, and police activity, helping others navigate potential road hazards.
Despite its decline in the early 2000s after Google Maps entered the market, MapQuest's resurgence has been fueled by the public's response, with the company's General Manager, Doug Berger, expressing shock and gratitude for the overwhelming support.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
