Windows 11 moves internet speed test out of Bing

Microsoft is testing a built-in internet speed test for Windows 11 that shows results in Quick Settings instead of sending users to a browser and Bing.

The change appears in preview build 26340.9767, according to Windows Central. Microsoft says Windows Insiders can run the test and view its results directly in Quick Settings. Users can also start it by right-clicking the network icon in the taskbar’s system tray.

Previously, the feature opened an online speed test in the default browser, on Bing’s search page. In the updated experience, the test runs in Windows. Microsoft describes it as an update to a speed test it had previously introduced for Windows Insiders.

The feature is still at an early testing stage in the Experimental channel. Microsoft has not provided a release date for all Windows 11 users. TechRadar characterizes the earlier Bing-based setup as a way to direct traffic to Microsoft’s search engine; that is the publication’s interpretation, not a stated Microsoft explanation.

A built-in test could let users check their connection without leaving Windows. The report notes it may be useful when a video buffers or glitches, though it does not establish that the test can identify the cause of such problems.