MapQuest Becomes the Top US App After Defying Trump’s ‘Lake America’ Rebranding Effort
MapQuest’s remarkable resurgence is now even more significant. On Tuesday, the original mapping app—one many believed had faded into oblivion—ascended to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store, a jump from No. 8 just a day prior.
This spike in downloads was prompted by MapQuest’s decision to retain the name Lake Ontario instead of adopting “Lake America,” in response to President Trump’s executive order urging the U.S. geographic naming authority to implement the name change amid ongoing trade discussions.
Following the August 27 directive, MapQuest took to X to affirm it would not alter the lake’s name, a stance that contrasted sharply with Google Maps and later Apple Maps, which both complied. Consequently, MapQuest’s ranking in the U.S. App Store surged, as users opted to download the app in support of its position.
From August 28, MapQuest’s rank rose from No. 128 to No. 92 the next day, later achieving No. 3 on Monday, August 31, when it also topped the Navigation category. By Tuesday, it had clinched the No. 1 position among all apps and games on the U.S. App Store.
Since the executive order was enacted, the app has garnered approximately 632,000 downloads in the U.S., according to figures from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. However, MapQuest reported that the total installs across the U.S. and Canada exceeded 1.5 million.
Moreover, many of these new users are not just casual installers; they are actively using the app.
“What’s been amazing is that users are not just downloading our app—they’re engaging with us directly, requesting new features and reporting bugs through social media and app reviews,” stated MapQuest GM Doug Berger in an email to TechCrunch. “Our small team has been working tirelessly to implement the features people want. Our goal is to ensure a great user experience with the app,” he mentioned.
The company has experienced rapid growth in a short timeframe. According to Sensor Tower, more than 56% of MapQuest’s U.S. downloads for the year occurred between August 27 and September 1. During this period, daily downloads surged by 123% and were over 50 times higher than the same interval from the previous year.
Part of what resonated with users was MapQuest’s distinctive stance, especially when contrasted with its larger tech competitors.
Last week, Google clarified its rationale for renaming the lake, stating that it aligns its names with updates from official government sources like the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) in the U.S. Apple did not comment but likely adheres to similar protocols.
As a much smaller entity, MapQuest enjoys greater flexibility to take a stand against conventional practices.
This isn’t a new approach for them. The company still refers to the Gulf of Mexico by its original name rather than Gulf of America. They even created a whimsical online tool that allows users to rename Lake Ontario jokingly and share their results on social platforms.
Though once the leading mapping service, MapQuest has seen its dominance overshadowed by Google Maps over the years. Currently, it is owned by the advertising technology firm System1, which acquired it from Verizon in 2019, following Verizon’s earlier purchase of MapQuest’s original parent company, AOL, in 2015.
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