The free mapping application MapQuest gains popularity after it declined to change the name of Lake Ontario.
The long-established service has quickly risen to the top of app store rankings as users turn to an alternative that has not adopted the name Lake America.
MapQuest
MapQuest, the pioneering online mapping service that started in 1996, recently experienced its best week in 30 years. The app reached the number one position in the Navigation category and the eighth position among all free apps on the Apple App Store in the United States, achieving its highest ranking ever, as reported by parent company System1.
What drives MapQuest's newfound popularity
The increase in users stems from public backlash against Google Maps and Apple Maps, which renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America following President Trump’s executive order. MapQuest opted to maintain "Lake Ontario" on its default maps. This decision seems to have resonated positively with users, resulting in the app garnering hundreds of thousands of downloads since last Thursday, and usage spiking to nearly 50 times its usual rate.
MapQuest/Apple App Store
MapQuest is now seeking to leverage this sudden attention to attract new users. The company has created a playful tool that allows users to rename the lake themselves, a concept it initially introduced when Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico last year and extended this week to include Lake Ontario. MapQuest general manager Doug Berger attributed the favorable response to retaining familiar names.
MapQuest is hurriedly adding new features
As reported by 9to5Google, MapQuest is also expediting support for Android Auto, which it currently does not offer despite already being compatible with Apple CarPlay. According to the same report, the app has reached the fifth spot on Google’s Play Store in the US this week.
The app behind this recent surge isn’t the one MapQuest launched in 2024, which was a privacy-centered alternative designed to compete with Big Tech. It was later replaced with a new, more feature-rich app earlier this year. Nonetheless, the new MapQuest app still trails behind Google Maps, providing only basic features that users rely on daily, such as turn-by-turn navigation and live traffic updates.
Whether MapQuest can make the most of this sudden popularity remains uncertain. The service has been operational for thirty years, and this represents its best chart performance to date. However, this type of viral moment can quickly lose momentum once the media focus shifts.
Pranob is an experienced tech journalist with over eight years of expertise covering consumer technology. His work has been…
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The free mapping application MapQuest gains popularity after it declined to change the name of Lake Ontario.
MapQuest is experiencing an unanticipated resurgence after deciding against renaming Lake Ontario, with an increase in downloads as users seek an alternative to Google Maps and Apple Maps.