Apple Maps labels Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for U.S. users following federal order

Apple Maps has updated its U.S. version to display the name "Lake America" for the body of water traditionally known as Lake Ontario. The change aligns with an executive order issued on Aug. 27 by President Donald Trump, which directed the Department of the Interior and the Board on Geographic Names to rename the lake for federal use and to update the Geographic Names Information System.

Apple confirmed that the new label will appear only for users in the United States; Canadian users will continue to see "Lake Ontario," and users in other countries will see both names. The company said the adjustment follows a request from the Interior Department after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reported that the president had contacted Apple about the map designation.

Google made a similar modification to its mapping service, also showing "Lake America" to U.S. users while preserving the traditional name for Canadian and international audiences. Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have stated they will continue to refer to the lake as Lake Ontario.

The order applies solely to federal usage and does not compel private companies or foreign governments to adopt the new name.