Trump’s Lake America controversy is driving interest to these Google Maps alternatives

MapQuest, for example, saw a surge in downloads after Apple renamed Lake Ontario, per Trump’s order.

FILE – A search for “Lake Ontario” on Google Maps shows up as “Lake America” on Aug. 30, 2026, in Bellemont, Ariz. [Photo: Felicia Fonseca, File/AP Photo]

Just because Google and Apple are now calling it Lake America doesn’t mean everyone has to.After President Donald Trump ordered a new name for Lake Ontario, the two U.S. tech giants quickly fell in line, relabeling the body of water on their digital maps.The move sparked a backlash among some users, already unhappy with the companies’ decisions to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on their maps following a previous Trump edict.The controversy and lingering worries about digital privacy have fueled interest in map services that aren’t from Big Tech companies, especially Google Maps, which is the dominant player with about 80% of the market, according to most estimates.Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular free map app alternatives:

MapQuest has been around for three decades but was overtaken by the rise of Google. It’s now owned by California company System1.Downloads of the........

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