Apple Renames Lake Ontario on US Maps

Apple has changed the label for Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on its Maps application for users in the United States, according to multiple reports. The change, which took effect on Tuesday, follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump and direct outreach from the president to Apple, as confirmed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Burgum told Fox's "Mornings with Maria" program that Trump "reached out to Apple directly" to request the name change, and expressed confidence that "Lake America" would soon appear on Apple's platform. He added that the Interior Department had been directed to update the lake's name in the S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

The executive order, signed on Friday, called on the Board on Geographic Names to rename the lake, which sits between New York state and the Canadian province of Ontario. Apple's update follows a similar move by Google over the weekend, making Apple the second major tech company to adopt the new name.

Names Visible Differ by Region

According to reports, users in the United States will now see "Lake America" on Apple Maps, while Canadian users will continue to see "Lake Ontario." Users in other countries will reportedly see both names. The change was still rolling out at the time of reporting, with desktop versions showing "Lake America" while mobile versions displayed both names.

Google had already implemented a similar policy, stating that "People using Maps in the S. will see 'Lake America,' those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario,' and those outside of the S. and Canada will see both names." Google cited its long-standing practice of using names assigned by the GNIS.

The GNIS is a reference guide that standardizes how the federal government refers to geographical features. While Trump's executive order does not compel private companies to change their naming conventions, both Apple and Google have chosen to align their maps with the government's designations.

Previous Name Changes by Apple

This is not the first time Apple has adopted a name change ordered by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Apple renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" following a separate executive order. The company also previously switched the name of the Alaskan mountain Denali to "Mount McKinley."

Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest change.

Pushback From Indigenous Leaders and Others

The move has drawn criticism from Indigenous leaders. The leader of the Seneca Nation, which is based in upstate New York, said the change violates a more than 225-year-old treaty and shows "blatant disrespect" for the Indigenous people who gave Lake Ontario its name. Lake Ontario derives its name from the Indigenous Wendat language.

The name change comes amid souring -Canada relations, with the Trump administration having imposed 50-percent tariffs on nearly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada has pledged to retaliate with its own tariffs. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans oppose the change.

MapQuest, a competing mapping service, has declined to change the name of Lake Ontario. After the company publicly pushed back, its app became the top free application in Apple's App Store, according to reports.

Broader Context

Trump has sought to increase S. influence across the Western Hemisphere, including by designating English as the official S. language. The president has also written about his interactions with Apple leadership, claiming in a Truth Social post that Tim Cook called him during his first term seeking help with a problem, adding, "I was very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to 'kiss my ass.'"

John Ternus, Apple's new CEO, started in the role on the same day the name change took effect. According to Bloomberg, his intended yearly salary in that position is $58 million.