Apple has renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America on its web version of Apple Maps in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order. This change by Apple on Tuesday came shortly after Alphabet made a similar adjustment on Google Maps for U.S. users over the weekend. U.S. users will now see the label “Lake America” following an official name change in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum mentioned that Trump personally contacted Apple regarding the renaming during an interview with Fox Business. Users in Canada will still see the original name, Lake Ontario, while users in other parts of the world will see both names, mirroring the approach taken after the Gulf of Mexico was renamed to the Gulf of America.
The alteration on Google Maps caused some confusion in Canada, with certain entities briefly displaying maps with the new name. The situation highlights how tech companies in the U.S. are being drawn into geopolitical matters as they navigate complying with executive orders that have faced opposition from allies and international organizations.
Trump’s executive order only applies to U.S. federal usage and does not dictate what other countries, international bodies, or organizations call the lake. A recent poll revealed that a majority of Americans disagree with Trump’s decisions to increase tariffs on Canadian imports and rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Shortly after Trump’s order, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and New York Governor Kathy Hochul reaffirmed their commitment to retaining the traditional name, which dates back over 400 years. New York shares a border with the lake on the U.S. side, and approximately 52% of the lake’s surface area lies within Canada.
Trump’s move to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America earlier in 2025 prompted adjustments by both Google and Apple on their map applications for U.S. users.
