A navigation app that has been around since 2009 has soared to the top of the Apple App Store charts in the United States and Canada, dethroning Google Maps as the most popular travel app. It also now tops the Android charts in both countries for the Maps and Navigation apps. MapQuest began seeing an increase in downloads shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was using an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America following a breakdown in trade negotiations with Canada. While Google Maps – and Apple Maps for that matter – renamed the body of water between the United States and Canada “Lake America” for US-based users, MapQuest responded to Trump’s decision in a post on X, simply saying: “We’re not changing it.” » The team even made fun of the name change by creating a web page where you can enter your own name for Lake Ontario and share the work.
As of September 3, MapQuest has topped the Apple App Store charts for free apps in both countries. Before the increase in downloads, the app would have been in 128th place before topping the chart on September 1. In an online post, Google explained that it labels its maps based on each country’s official naming authority, so for U.S. users it’s “Lake America,” while those in Canada will see “Lake Ontario.”
Trump’s decision to change the name of a body of water reflects the Gulf of Mexico episode in 2025, when he renamed it “Gulf of America” in a context of trade tensions with the country’s southern neighbor. Again, Google Maps and Apple Maps renamed it for US users while MapQuest kept the centuries-old name.
What is MapQuest?
MapQuest is actually one of the pioneers of online mapping. The Los Angeles-based team released the software on the web in 1996 before creating a version for iPhone in 2009. After years as the leading online map provider, MapQuest was eventually overtaken in popularity by Google Maps, or until recently. But how do the two apps actually compare?
Navigation and route planning are at the heart of both MapQuest and Google Maps, but each has its own strengths. MapQuest, for example, focuses on driving, offering turn-by-turn navigation, live traffic, alternate routes, and hop-on hop-off planning, making it useful to everyone from casual road users to professional drivers. As regular Google Maps users know, the app offers a very varied experience, including lots of information about businesses and attractions, as well as photos and user reviews. It also offers directions for drivers (here are five settings car owners should enable) as well as for public transport, cycling and walking, while satellite imagery gives you a bird’s eye view of an area. Street View, on the other hand, displays street-level views and often takes you inside publicly accessible businesses and buildings.
While the wide range of features may make Google Maps the wisest choice for many everyday users, MapQuest has used its decades of experience to create a compelling alternative that excels in certain areas, particularly driving directions. But perhaps for some, which one you choose will ultimately depend on how you like the names of your lakes.
