Apple is rolling out a significant change to its Maps service in the United States, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," as reported by Bloomberg. The change is expected to appear for most U.S. users soon, with Apple planning a global rollout in the future.
This move follows former U.S. President Donald Trump's proclamation of 9 February as "Gulf of America Day." A day earlier, Google Maps also implemented the name change for U.S. users, with the alteration now visible on both Google Maps and Waze.
The renaming has been officially recognized by the U.S. government and recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, a database managed by the Interior Department. Google has clarified that while U.S. users will see "Gulf of America," users in Mexico will continue to see "Gulf of Mexico." In other regions, both names appear, with "Gulf of America" shown in parentheses. Apple may follow a similar approach outside the United States.
The decision by Apple and Google has sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with users questioning which tech companies have yet to implement the change. Some have suggested Microsoft Bing as an alternative for those seeking search and map services that still use the original name.