● Covered by 8 sources · 13 reportsLow impact1 negative11 neutral1 positive
Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for US Users Following Executive Order
Key points
- Google Maps now shows "Lake America" for US users.
- Change follows a Trump executive order and US GNIS update.
- Canadian users still see "Lake Ontario."
- Google cites policy of using local government data.
- This follows a similar renaming of the "Gulf of America."
- Trump directly contacted Apple about changing Lake Ontario's name.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated Trump reached out to Apple.
- Trump announced the name change on Thursday.
- The name change is part of an escalating trade feud with Canada.
- MapQuest refused to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
- MapQuest's app became the No. 1 Navigation app in the U.S. App Store.
- MapQuest's app reached No. 4 on the U.S. App Store's Top Charts.
- MapQuest's app reached No. 8 overall in the U.S. App Store.
- MapQuest's app reached No. 2 overall in Canada's App Store.
- MapQuest received hundreds of thousands of new downloads.
- MapQuest's app usage climbed to 50 times normal levels.
- MapQuest saw 184,000 total global app downloads.
- MapQuest saw 162,000 U.S. app downloads.
- Google began rolling out the name change for US users on Saturday.
- Google Maps is the most popular mapping platform in the US.
- Google's name change decision was met with pushback.
- Apple Maps now shows "Lake America" for US users.
- Apple Maps users in Canada still see "Lake Ontario."
- Apple Maps users elsewhere see both "Lake Ontario" and "Lake America."
- Bloomberg first spotted Apple Maps' name change.
- Apple Maps' change is rolling out gradually to users.
- Apple Maps also changed "Gulf of Mexico" to "Gulf of America."
- International versions of Apple Maps show both names.
- Trump signed an executive order on August 27.
- Trump's executive order gave the Interior Department 30 days to update the lake's name.
- Trump's executive order cited the lake's importance to the nation's economy.
- MapQuest became the No. 1 overall app on the U.S. App Store on Tuesday.
- MapQuest was No. 8 on Monday.
- MapQuest announced its decision on X.
- MapQuest's rank climbed from No. 128 on August 28 to No. 92 on August 29.
- MapQuest hit No. 3 on Monday, August 31.
- MapQuest was No. 1 in the Navigation category on August 31.
- MapQuest reached the No. 1 spot across both apps and games on the U.S. App Store by Tuesday.
- MapQuest was downloaded an estimated 632,000 times in the U.S. since the executive order.
- Senso provided the download data.
- Apple Maps users outside the US still see Lake Ontario.
- Trump declared the name change "complete, ratified, and binding" on Truth Social.
- The US cannot compel Canada or other countries to change the name.
- Trump unveiled the name swap last week.
- Canadian officials denounced Trump's new tariffs and promised their own.
Google Maps Updates Lake Ontario Label
Google Maps has implemented a change for its users located within the United States, relabeling "Lake Ontario" as "Lake America." This update follows an executive order issued by President Trump late last week, which mandated the renaming of the lake. The change is visible to US-based users, while those in Canada will continue to see the traditional name, "Lake Ontario."
Policy on Geographic Name Changes
Google confirmed that this alteration aligns with its established policy of updating location names based on official local government data. In this instance, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) formally updated the name to "Lake America" on August 27, following the executive order from the Department of the Interior. For users outside of the US and Canada, Google Maps will display "Lake Ontario (Lake America)."
This is not the first time Google has made such a change; the company cited the same policy in February 2025 when it updated Maps to show "Gulf of America" for US users.
International Discrepancy
The Canadian government has stated it will not adopt the new name. Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that the name "Lake Ontario" is over 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States. He added that the name originates from the Wendat word "Ontari’io."
Other mapping services have also reacted to the change. MapQuest, for example, publicly stated it would not be changing the name on its platform.
Geographic Context
Lake Ontario is bordered by the Canadian province of Ontario on its north, west, and southwest sides, and by New York State in the United States on its south and east. The lake is one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
Updates
- Apple Maps users outside the US still see Lake Ontario.
- Trump declared the name change "complete, ratified, and binding" on Truth Social.
- The US cannot compel Canada or other countries to change the name.
- Trump unveiled the name swap last week.
- Canadian officials denounced Trump's new tariffs and promised their own.
- MapQuest became the No. 1 overall app on the U.S. App Store on Tuesday.
- MapQuest was No. 8 on Monday.
- MapQuest announced its decision on X.
- MapQuest's rank climbed from No. 128 on August 28 to No. 92 on August 29.
- MapQuest hit No. 3 on Monday, August 31.
- MapQuest was No. 1 in the Navigation category on August 31.
- MapQuest reached the No. 1 spot across both apps and games on the U.S. App Store by Tuesday.
- MapQuest was downloaded an estimated 632,000 times in the U.S. since the executive order.
- Senso provided the download data.
- Trump signed an executive order on August 27.
- Trump's executive order gave the Interior Department 30 days to update the lake's name.
- Trump's executive order cited the lake's importance to the nation's economy.
- Apple Maps now shows "Lake America" for US users.
- Apple Maps users in Canada still see "Lake Ontario."
- Apple Maps users elsewhere see both "Lake Ontario" and "Lake America."
- Bloomberg first spotted Apple Maps' name change.
- Apple Maps' change is rolling out gradually to users.
- Apple Maps also changed "Gulf of Mexico" to "Gulf of America."
- International versions of Apple Maps show both names.
- Google's name change decision was met with pushback.
- Google began rolling out the name change for US users on Saturday.
- Google Maps is the most popular mapping platform in the US.
- Trump directly contacted Apple about changing Lake Ontario's name.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated Trump reached out to Apple.
- Trump announced the name change on Thursday.
- The name change is part of an escalating trade feud with Canada.
- MapQuest refused to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
- MapQuest's app became the No. 1 Navigation app in the U.S. App Store.
- MapQuest's app reached No. 4 on the U.S. App Store's Top Charts.
- MapQuest's app reached No. 8 overall in the U.S. App Store.
- MapQuest's app reached No. 2 overall in Canada's App Store.
- MapQuest received hundreds of thousands of new downloads.
- MapQuest's app usage climbed to 50 times normal levels.
- MapQuest saw 184,000 total global app downloads.
- MapQuest saw 162,000 U.S. app downloads.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Apple Maps has renamed Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for its US users, following an executive order from former President Donald Trump. This change aligns with a similar update made by Google Maps and is a result of a personal request from Trump amid trade disputes with Canada.
MapQuest rose to the No. 1 overall app on the U.S. App Store after it declined to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" following a presidential executive order. This decision contrasted with Google Maps and Apple Maps, which adopted the new name, leading to a surge in MapQuest downloads from users supporting its stance.
Apple Maps has begun displaying "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario" for users within the United States, following an executive order from President Donald Trump. This change mirrors a similar update previously made by Google Maps and affects only US users, while Canadian users will still see "Lake Ontario."
Apple Maps has updated the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for users in the United States, mirroring a change previously made by Google Maps. This action follows an executive order from President Trump directing the renaming of the lake in federal databases, and it has led to increased user engagement for MapQuest, which declined to adopt the new name.
Apple Maps has changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America, aligning with a previous change by Google Maps. This re-labeling follows an executive order by President Donald Trump amidst a trade dispute with Canada.
Apple Maps has begun displaying "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario" for users in the United States, following a directive from Trump related to a trade dispute with Canada. This change aligns Apple Maps with Google Maps, which made a similar alteration days prior based on U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) policy.
Google Maps renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America" following an executive order, leading to a significant increase in downloads and usage for MapQuest, which publicly stated it would not adopt the name change. This event highlights the impact of geopolitical decisions on digital mapping services and user behavior.
Google Maps has updated its platform for US users to rename "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" after a US executive order mandated the change. Google stated it follows the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for its map data, implying the change was necessary.
MapQuest's mobile app downloads increased significantly, reaching No. 1 in the U.S. App Store's Navigation category, after the company publicly stated it would not rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. This surge in downloads follows a directive from President Trump to the U.S. Department of the Interior to update the lake's name, which MapQuest declined to follow.
The U.S. Interior Secretary stated that President Trump directly contacted Apple to request a name change for Lake Ontario to "Lake America" in Apple Maps. This follows a presidential executive order to rename the lake as part of a trade dispute with Canada, and Google Maps has already implemented a similar change for U.S. users.
Google Maps has changed the label for Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for users in the United States, following an executive order from President Trump and an update to the Geographic Names Information System. This change reflects Google's policy of updating Maps to align with official government sources for geographical names, though Canadian users will still see "Lake Ontario."
Google Maps has updated its service for US users to display 'Lake America' instead of 'Lake Ontario', following an executive order by Trump and a formal name change in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This change aligns with Google's policy of reflecting official government name changes for bodies of water, while Canadian users will still see 'Lake Ontario'.
Google Maps has changed the name of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" for users located in the United States, following an executive order and an update to the US GNIS. This change reflects Google's policy of updating location names based on local government data, but Canada and other mapping services are not adopting the new name.