The Equal Earth map projection, backed by the United Nations, has drawn attention as an alternative to the long-dominant Mercator projection used in most navigation apps. The Equal Earth map aims to represent landmass sizes more accurately than Mercator, which distorts areas near the poles.

However, experts suggest that despite the UN's support for Equal Earth, popular navigation applications are unlikely to make the switch. While Equal Earth has clear educational merit in showing a more proportionally accurate view of the world, the practical demands of navigation software mean Mercator projections will likely remain the standard for consumer apps.