Microsoft Is Now Testing a ‘Built-In’ Network Speed Test Tool in Windows 11

When your Internet connection isn’t as fast as it should be, it can be helpful to check out a network speed test tool. If results are slower than expected, you’ll know it’s your network that’s in trouble. If it’s working well, maybe it’s the website in question, your web browser, or the device itself that needs a tune-up. Sure, you have plenty of options to choose from on the Internet, but if you own a PC, you’re one step closer to integrating one directly into the operating system, at least in theory.

As part of the latest Release Preview Channel update for Windows 11 Insiders, Microsoft rolled out a network speed testing tool, although “shortcut” might be a more appropriate word. This shortcut is not its own application; instead, you access it directly from the taskbar. You right-click on the network icon, choose the “Perform a speed test” option and subsequently Windows launches your browser. You’ll see Bing loading, even if you have another default search engine, where a simplified “Internet speed test” tool appears.

While I wouldn’t blame you for assuming that this tool was a Microsoft creation, it’s actually created by Speedtest, of speedtest.net fame. (Disclosure: Lifehacker’s parent company, Ziff Davis, owns Speedtest.) As Tom’s Hardware points out, the integration itself isn’t exactly new, since Speedtest began running a network speed tool in Bing in December 2023. The news now, of course, is that this tool is available as a shortcut in the Windows taskbar itself.

It’s a nice addition to Windows and it makes sense to include it in the network icon in the taskbar, but something that actually works natively on your PC would definitely be better. Perhaps the convenience of quickly right-clicking the network icon whenever my Internet connection is slow would win out, but I imagine I’d rather head for the full Speedtest tool, especially to avoid using Bing.

Other new features in this update Release Preview Channel

This shortcut is not the only new thing here. Microsoft has also added new settings options that allow you to pan and tilt connected cameras. New emoji are on the way, including a face with bags under its eyes and a harp, and the widget settings menu now takes up an entire page. You can also now set .webp files as your desktop background, so you don’t need to convert these images in advance.

You can try these features now if you sign up for the Windows Insider program. Although you run the risk of having unstable software by listing your PC here, the Release Preview Channel is much less risky than the Dev or Beta channels because the Releaser Preview Channel releases updates that have undergone more testing.