Microsoft adds Bing internet speed test to Windows 11 preview

More a shortcut than a feature

by · TechSpot

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In brief: In surprising news, Windows 11 is getting a new feature that isn't powered by generative AI. Microsoft is reportedly working on an internet speed test that can be accessed from the Taskbar's system tray. The caveat is that rather than running natively, clicking it takes you directly to Bing to perform the test.

The speed test feature – or should it be called a shortcut? – was spotted in the latest Windows Insider Preview builds by phantomofearth on X.

The new tool can be accessed by right clicking the network icon in the system tray, appearing as an extra option in the menu. Alternatively, clicking on the button to bring up the Wi-Fi quick settings page reveals that a new Test Internet Speed button is now sitting at the bottom of the panel.

While being able to check your internet speed natively in Windows sounds great, it's not as simple as clicking on the icon to see the figures: selecting either of the options will take you straight to Bing's built-in network speed test – no matter which default browser you're using. So, it's not really a native feature; it's more there to help people discover the tool.

Bing's built-in speed test has been around for a long time. The engine added a Speed Test widget to its search results in 2016, later replacing it with Speedtest by Ookla, so it essentially became, or delegated to, the Ookla backend rather than being entirely proprietary. The test became part of Bing's tools in 2023, letting users go to the page (or via search) to check speeds.

In addition to the speed check options, Microsoft has changed the Mobile Devices page in the Windows 11 preview builds. Found under the Bluetooth settings, the update allows all connected device options to be adjusted from a single page, instead of the current method that shows a dedicated page for every device.

Microsoft is also revamping the privacy and security pages. There are new subheadings and extra descriptions for pages, making it easier for users to find what they are searching for. There are also changes to the keyboard settings page, haptic touchpad settings, and drag tray. For those wondering where the inevitable AI is, there is a "background AI tasks" page in the works.

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As is always the case with Canary, Dev, and Beta builds, there's no guarantee that any of the changes will make it into main Windows 11 release.