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11h ago

Apple Maps Joins Google in Showing ‘Lake America’ for U.S. Users

A GNIS update ordered by President Trump, plus reported direct outreach to Apple, created U.S.-only map labels that Canada and Indigenous leaders reject.

A sign reading "Lake Ontario, Now and Always," unveiled by Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Fifty Point Conservation Area, after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America," near Grimsby, Ontario, Canada, August 29, 2026.
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President Donald Trump attends an event to sign an executive order, renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America" in the Oval Office of the White House, on August 27.
Lake Ontario as seen from Ontario, Canada, on August 29, 2026.

Overview

  • President Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” prompting the U.S. Geographic Names Information System to update the federal entry for the lake.
  • Google rolled out the new label for U.S. users over the weekend and Apple implemented the same change for U.S. users on Tuesday after the GNIS update was published.
  • Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the president reached out directly to Apple to urge the change, a claim widely reported alongside corporate confirmations of GNIS-driven updates.
  • Several map providers, notably MapQuest, refused to adopt the new name and saw a surge in downloads as Canadian officials, New York state and Indigenous leaders insisted the lake remain called Lake Ontario.
  • The federal GNIS change governs U.S. government usage and influences some tech platforms but cannot force Canada, international bodies or all private firms to adopt the name, producing a patchwork of labels and diplomatic backlash.