MapQuest Tops Apple App Store After Refusing to Change Lake Ontario to "Lake America"
Updated on: September 1, 2026 / 6:25 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- MapQuest is the top free app in the Apple App Store.
- The surge in popularity is due to MapQuest's refusal to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as ordered by President Trump.
- MapQuest announced its decision to keep the historical name on August 27th.
- Hundreds of thousands of users have downloaded the app since the announcement.
- App usage is running approximately 50 times its normal rate.
- MapQuest also launched a tool for users to create their own names for the lake.
- Google Maps updated its maps to show "Lake America," while Apple's web version also changed, though some phones still displayed "Lake Ontario."
- MapQuest was launched in 1996 and was an early pioneer in digital mapping services.