MapQuest Reaches Top App Store Spot Defying Trump's Lake Ontario Order

MapQuest is now the top free app in the Apple App Store after declining to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America."

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated President Trump has asked Apple directly to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on its maps. Burgum expressed confidence that the "Lake America" name could be seen on Apple's platform soon. Apple did not immediately comment on Monday. The order directs the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to formalize the change within 30 days.

MapQuest announced its decision on social media on August 27, posting "We're not changing it." The company later posted, "We are aware that Lake Ontario is being correctly labeled on our map." MapQuest also launched a tool allowing people to create their own name for the lake. MapQuest saw more than 100,000 downloads on Sunday alone, its best day in a decade.

Daily downloads in the U.S. were up more than 10 times week-on-week in the week beginning August 24. Usage of the app is running roughly 50 times its normal rate. Doug Berger, general manager of MapQuest, stated hundreds of thousands of people signaled they got it right by downloading the app. MapQuest is also currently the No.1 overall free app in the Canadian Apple App Store on the navigation chart.

Google Maps updated its maps over the weekend to reflect Mr. Trump's new name for Lake Ontario for U.S. users. A search for "Lake Ontario" on Google now directs people to "Lake America." Google stated its updates follow their long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country. Canadians and some U.S. officials, including the Rochester city council and the Seneca Nation leader, oppose the renaming of Lake Ontario.