Apple Maps has followed Google Maps in renaming the Gulf of America to the Gulf of Mexico.
Beyond just renaming it for U.S. users, Apple has seemingly removed all mention of the Gulf of Mexico on Apple Maps, regardless of the users' location.
While changing the name of the Gulf isn't surprising, it is odd that Apple would do so to this extent. For reference, anyone in the U.S. using Google Maps will only see the Gulf of Mexico, while an international user will see both. My phone is registered in the U.K. so I checked to see which option Apple would give me and, sure enough, the name change is there.
My phone is registered in the U.K. so I checked to see which option Apple would give me and, sure enough, the name change is there.
According to a statement received by our sister site, TechRadar, Apple started rolling the change out globally from yesterday. A spokesperson confirmed, "We’re implementing these changes globally, starting in the U.S. today [February 11, 2025]."
There may be a couple of possible reasons for Apple (and Google) to implement the changes without a quarrel. The first is the potential threat of tariffs being leveled against the company's products. Secondly, pressure from Republican Party lawmakers and a recent update from the Board on Geographic Names could have been the deciding factor.
For it's part, Google says it has "a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."
We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.January 27, 2025
The name change remains a point of contention between both America and Mexico. President Trump has the power to change the name registered in US databases although that doesn't mean other countries will have to recognize the name change.
For what it's worth, Microsoft has also confirmed Bing Maps will be getting the name change.
"In accordance with established product policies, we are updating Bing Maps to reflect the Geographic Names Information System's nomenclature in the United States, which includes changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in the US," the company said in a statement.
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