Apple Maps follows Google in renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
- News
- Sport
- Earth
- Reel
- Worklife
- Travel
- Culture
- Future
- Music
- TV
- Weather
- Sounds
BBC News
Menu
- Home
- Climate
- World
- UK
- Business
- Tech
- Science
- Entertainment & Arts
- Health
- In Pictures
BBC Verify
Newsbeat
Business
New Tech Economy
Technology of Business
Artificial Intelligence
Africa Business
Paths to Success
Apple Maps renames Lake Ontario as Lake America
Apple has renamed Lake Ontario as Lake America on its maps service app, following an order from US President Donald Trump as part of a trade spat with Canada. The change is only visible for US-based users; those in Canada will still see Lake Ontario.
The iPhone maker’s move comes after Trump signed an executive order to alter the lake’s name, amid stalled trade talks between the two countries that led to new 50% tariffs on $20bn (£14.8bn; C$28bn) worth of Canadian goods.
Rival technology giant Google made a similar switch for US users in recent days, triggering backlash on social media. Canada has responded with plans for "dollar-for-dollar" counter-tariffs.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration walked away from the negotiations due to what his office called unacceptable demands. Carney urged the Trump administration to "start being serious" before discussions can resume.
Trump’s executive order directed the US Department of the Interior to update the change with the Geographic Names Information Service within 30 days. Apple was specifically requested to rename Lake Ontario on its Maps platform, according to US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The president has also shared AI-generated videos showcasing his apparent approval of the name change, including one of him kicking over a Lake Ontario sign and replacing it with a "Lake America" banner.
In response, Canada installed a new sign at the lake stating: "Lake Ontario. Now and Always."
"Just in case President Trump or anyone else forgets, we’ve set up this sign to remind them – it’s Lake Ontario, now and forever," said Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Not all map providers have adopted the new name. MapQuest, for example, stated in a short Facebook post that they would not be changing the name. The platform experienced a surge in downloads earlier this week on the Canadian Apple App Store.
Last week, Google announced it had updated its Maps service to reflect the government source changes, resulting in US users seeing Lake America while Canadians still see Lake Ontario. The company made a similar decision in 2025 when Trump declared the Gulf of Mexico would be called the Gulf of America.
