Key facts
- MapQuest's app reached the No. 1 position in the U.S. App Store's Navigation category.
- The company refused to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, defying a presidential executive order.
- MapQuest saw hundreds of thousands of new downloads and a fiftyfold increase in app usage.
- Google Maps updated its U.S. maps to reflect the name change, while Apple Maps has not yet updated.
- The executive order came amid deteriorating trade talks and new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.
MapQuest's mobile application has seen a dramatic surge in downloads and usage, reaching the number one position in the Navigation category on the U.S. App Store. This rise follows the company's public stance against President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. MapQuest, which refers to itself as the 'OG of online mapping,' announced on Friday that it would not alter the name on its maps, a decision that appears to have resonated with users.
As of Monday morning, the iOS app had climbed to the fourth position on the U.S. App Store's Top Charts for apps and secured the top spot for Navigation apps. In Canada, the app reached second overall on Sunday evening. The company stated it received 'hundreds of thousands' of new downloads since its decision, with app usage increasing fiftyfold above normal levels. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower confirmed this surge, reporting over 184,000 global and 162,000 U.S. downloads in the week beginning August 24, representing more than a tenfold increase week-over-week. Daily downloads in the U.S. also saw a 128% increase from August 26 to August 30.
Google Maps updated its maps to reflect the name change for U.S. users on Saturday, a move that occurred faster than the official U.S. government maps are being updated. The company stated it follows the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for its maps. While the GNIS database acknowledges the name change, the base map layer still reflects the internationally recognized name of Lake Ontario, with a message indicating the change is pending. Canadians will continue to see the standard Lake Ontario label, while users elsewhere will see both names. Apple Maps has not yet updated the lake's name as of this posting. The executive order was signed amid deteriorating trade talks and new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.