In a “that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time” move, MapQuest is back to being a household name, as the original mapping app has found itself as the top of app store charts – it’s also rushing to add support for Android Auto.
MapQuest has been around for 30 years, but it only entered the modern era back in 2024 when it relaunched with a private mobile mapping app with a pitch around being “anti-Big Tech.” That app has since shut down, and a full MapQuest app arrived earlier this year.
Now, that app is at the top of app store charts.
On iOS, MapQuest is the #8 free app on the App Store (as of Aug 30), and #5 on Android’s Play Store (as of today) – at least in the US. In a press release, MapQuest says this is “the highest chart position in the brand’s 30-year history” and that usage is “roughly 50 times its normal rate.”
Why the sudden surge? Even MapQuest acknowledges it’s mostly to do with a rejection of “Lake America,” with the brand refusing to update “Lake Ontario” on its platform in the wake of a recent executive order in the US which Google Maps and more recently Apple Maps have updated their maps to show. The viral nature of that stand reminded many that MapQuest even still exists, and brought about this wave of popularity.
In a bid to keep users on its app, MapQuest confirmed that it is rapidly building out support for Android Auto – it already supports CarPlay on iPhone. Android Auto added support for third-party navigation apps a few years ago, and there are quite a few options available.
MapQuest still lags behind Google Maps and others in terms of live transit and other features, but supports turn-by-turn navigation, live traffic data, and more. MapQuest is currently owned by System1, an advertising company.
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