MapQuest tops U.S. App Store after rejecting presidential lake-renaming order
MapQuest became the most downloaded free iPhone app in the United States after it refused to adopt the Trump administration’s directive to rename Lake Ontario, prompting a surge in user activity.
MapQuest, the long-standing digital mapping service founded in 1996, rose to the No. 1 spot among free iPhone apps in the United States on Tuesday, overtaking ChatGPT and ESPN Fantasy Sports. The jump follows the company's decision not to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
In a social-media post last week, MapQuest said it would retain the traditional name, echoing its earlier stance on the Gulf of Mexico, which the administration also renamed. Doug Berger, general manager of MapQuest, said in a press release, "We took the same approach we did with the Gulf of Mexico: be part of the conversation, and give people an app that keeps the names they’re familiar with."
MapQuest also introduced a feature that allows users to assign any name they prefer to the lake. By contrast, Google Maps and Apple Maps have already updated the label for U.S. users to “Lake America,” with Apple reportedly receiving direct outreach from the White House about the change.
The company reported that usage of its app has increased roughly fifty-fold compared with a week earlier. Analysts note that the surge coincides with broader nostalgia-driven trends online, though it remains uncertain whether the increase will be sustained against competitors such as Google Maps, which offers integrated reviews and navigation tools.
MapQuest’s recent marketing includes whimsical onboarding options, letting users select avatars such as a unicorn or a wizard, a strategy aimed at engaging a younger, nostalgia-inclined audience.