NEWSMapQuest Tops App Store After Keeping Lake Ontario Name
MapQuest surged to the top of the App Store after keeping Lake Ontario’s name.
Sept. 12 2026, Published 9:03 a.m. ET
MapQuest has found an unexpected shortcut back to the top of the app charts.
The 30-year-old map service surged after refusing to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” following President Donald Trump’s August 27 executive order directing federal agencies to formalize the new name.
The longtime map service refused to adopt the ‘Lake America’ label.
Google and Apple both updated their maps for U.S. users, while Canadian users still see Lake Ontario on Google Maps and international users see both names.
MapQuest took a different route. The company posted a map labeled Lake Ontario on X with the caption, “We’re not changing it.”
The App Store Comeback
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Downloads and usage climbed sharply following the company’s viral decision.
By this week, MapQuest had climbed to No. 1 overall in the U.S. App Store after reaching No. 1 in navigation. The app also hit No. 1 overall in Canada’s Apple App Store.
Doug Berger, MapQuest’s general manager, said the spike went beyond symbolic downloads.
“MapQuest is the OG of online maps, and there’s still an enormous amount of trust and nostalgia around the brand,” Berger told The Daily Beast. “What’s exciting for us is that this isn’t just about downloads — usage is up roughly 50x.”
The company said downloads surpassed 1.5 million in under a week, while Berger called the response “completely shocking” during an appearance on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront.
A Familiar Name Wins
MapQuest’s unexpected comeback tapped into nostalgia for the original map app.
MapQuest launched in 1996 as the first online mapping service, and the sudden comeback leaned heavily on that nostalgia. Eric Trump joked on X, “Shocking to see you’re still alive… I thought the iPhone 3 took you out 15 years ago.”
Berger took the jab lightly.
“First of all, it’s hilarious and it’s also true,” he told Burnett, noting the company’s 30th anniversary.
He added that users were showing interest in the app itself, not just making a protest download.
“They’re actively contributing to the conversation, telling us what features they want us to build,” Berger said.
The Rename Backlash
The company maintained that its decision was not intended as a political statement.
The Lake Ontario rename has been unpopular in polling. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found 63% of Americans opposed the new name, while 14% supported it, according to Axios.
MapQuest also revived an online tool letting users rename Lake Ontario whatever they want, a feature it previously used after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
Berger said the company did not intend the decision as a political statement.
“It was intended to... give people the name of lakes and gulfs that they’re familiar with,” he said. “And... it’s fun that we’re talking about geography.”
