Apple has updated its Apple Maps to reflect Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the lake. The adjustment by Apple came after Alphabet made a similar change on Google Maps for U.S. users. Users in the United States will now see the label “Lake America” due to an official name change in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, following direct communication between Trump and Apple. Meanwhile, Canadian users will still see Lake Ontario, and international users will see both names, mirroring the approach taken after the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The recent alterations by tech giants highlight their involvement in geopolitical matters as they face pressure from the Trump administration to adhere to executive orders that have been met with opposition from allies and international entities. Trump’s directive only applies to U.S. federal usage and does not dictate the naming conventions used by Canada, international bodies, or other organizations in reference to the lake.
A majority of Americans have expressed disapproval of Trump’s recent actions, including the imposition of higher taxes on Canadian imports and the renaming of Lake Ontario. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have both stated their refusal to implement the name change, emphasizing the historical significance of the existing name that dates back over 400 years. New York shares a border with the lake on the American side, with approximately 52% of the lake’s surface area located in Canada and the remainder in New York.
Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario is part of a pattern of provocations towards Canada, with previous attempts to suggest Canada becoming the 51st state. In early 2025, Trump also renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, prompting Google and Apple to update their mapping apps accordingly for U.S. users.